Expenses?

[cowman]

What are you doing differently this year to cut costs or is it business as usual? With the basic loss of our cull market we lose up to 25% of our gross income, or so the experts say. Add to that increased cost of keeping them.
If this is going to be a struggle to survive what will you do to either increase the bottom line or try to not let it become non-existent?

[kato]

We're going to feed test our hay, and dilute it with straw if possible. Also, trying to feed somehow so there is less waste. We're still working on how to do that one! Preg checking, because heifers are still worth something. Late cows get to stay, but they aren't going to get the fancy feed for the first half of the winter.

We will still vaccinate, because treatment is so much more money. I know someone who skimped on BVD vaccine for the last couple of years, and now gets to live with a whole bunch of open cows that aren't worth a thing.

Taking real good care of the bulls, because they have to last a long time!

[15444]

Optimally,
Keep the steers, sell shares to the general public on live animals and slaughter them to avoid the hassle of sending them to the closest abbatoir which is about 4 hours away. Sell the meat at cut-throat prices so we weed Safeway out of the picture.

Now I just have to find cheap barley. Well, that's not going to happen so I guess the steers will hit the market this fall.

[cowman]

Is barley expensive? I really don't know as my cousin grew canola this year and I haven't been following the market. I suspect it will be a whole lot cheaper than last year when it was in the $3.35 range around here. It should have been a lot higher but the subsidized corn started rolling in! Which really hurt as we didn't have the bushels due to the drought. Still we got 65 bu. at 51 lbs.(Metcalfe barley) so my share came to $58/acre. 1/3 share less 1/3 price of the inputs. Which wasn't bad. Canola looks pretty good this year but still in the swath. Need a couple of hot windy days!