Calves between 400 and 499 bring the most per pound around here, with the ones closer to 400 bringing more than the ones closer to 499. About 450 is the sweet spot, and people try to sell their calves in this weight range, right off the mommas. 500-599 is the next best price range, with 500 bringing more per pound than 599. Most calves here are born Oct- March. Those fall calves are ready to wean in the spring when the grass comes on, and the hobby farmers etc, buy them to raise until about now...they sell them when the grass is gone. The fall is alsso when the cow-calf famers sell their March through May calves...again, right off their mommas.
So, back in April I bought 6 Corriente cows for a lady. 750-800 lbs, and the owner said they were 8 and 9 months bred. Hell, one had a calf right after we unloaded her in the pen. I guess she had made the 5 hour trailer ride with her legs crossed! These cows were 5-8 years old. They were all bred to a Brangus x Chi-angus bull . The guy I got them from has been fooling around with this cross. Can't call them Ultra Blacks, because Chi-angus are registered with the Chianina Association, and Ultra blacks are registered by the Brangus Association, and the cross has to be between Registered Brangus and registered Black Angus. The cows are selling well, and performing tremendously well. He had a couple of calves that he didn;t steer, left them as bulls, and used them on his Corrientes, to see how they did before using them on more expensive cows. Anyway, we gave $360 a head for these cows, and by the end of May they had all calved...all black, polled calves.
This week she carried 2 steers to the sale. Both black and polled. One was 517 lbs and close to 7 mos old. ..the one born right off the trailer...and brought 1.59 ( $822.00). The other steer was 487 and brought $1.68 ( $818.00). $800 calves off a $360 cow, and I mean with absolutely ZERO cost other than mineral salt, and bands for the steers. They were waiting around an hour or so for the check to get made out, when 5 Corriente cows came in as weigh cows. Well, 4 Corriente and one that was Corriente x Jeresey. They weighed 750 to the low 800's. the average for the 5 was 795 lbs, and they brought 30 cents a pound, about $240 each. So, she bought them! Dunno if they are bred and to what, but she will breed them to a Brangus bull like she does the 6 I sold her. Very good chance their calves next year, will bring 3 times what she paid for their mommas.