There Seems to Be a Lot of Cow/calf pairs Hitting The Market?

[ASRG]

Seems to be a fair number of cow/calf pairs still hitting the market. There was a good run at Innisfail yesterday and one 150 cow herd at Olds the day before.
Are these cows coming from people who have broken up their land or what? They appear to be fairly decent cows, not a bunch of culls.
Maybe people are running out of money or something?
It just seems strange to me that if you had the grass, why would you sell them now....you've done all the work and if you keep them until fall you'll probably make a few dollars.
I cleaned them up pretty good last fall and have lots of grass. I even kept back a few heifers to breed. Hopefully I'll get paid for it!

[SADIE]

In this area the recent announcement with the proposed disposal of the PFRA pastures has started another exodus of cattlemen from the industry.

Pasture delivery was the last 2 weeks and there several patrons that paid their deposits for pasture 2012 in Feb who notified the PFRA managers that they are forfeiting their deposits this year and have alread sold their cow-calf pairs into the strong market. They are out of the cattlebusiness now and are not planning on coming back in.

Other patrons who delivered have made the decision that this fall the cows will be sold as breds. They are getting out of the business now.

Last weeks Western Producer under pastures available for grazing. The list is getting longer and longer each week.

Is this a watershed event in our beef industry??

[ASRG]

I was speaking to a shirt tail relative yesterday. He has a half section of pasture that has been rented out for the last several years to a cow/calf guy, who dispersed his cows last fall.
This relative said he's not getting much interest and now he's considering either selling it or biting the bullet and paying to have it broke. I's not all that great as farm land, hilly and lots of pot holes.
I suggested he put some grass cattle on it, but he's getting some age on him and lives in town.