Convey of prime Alberta beef headed your way Burnt

[woodland]

Loaded out five loads of steers this morning and they are going to Elmwood ON after a stop for grub and water in Thunder Bay. We had one load of heifers go there about 8 years ago and the truck hauled mail out here and cattle back with a tandem trailer. This time there was three regular pots and and two convertible freight pots and all were tri axels.

There must be really good margins in feeding out there to justify the trucking. I’m curious what the shrink is on them too. I’m guessing it’ll be a little more than the 4% that we took off...........

Hopefully they make it there fine and it’s interesting how the market can make all this work. When barley is $6+ the feedlots aren’t too anxious to refill their pens here. Probably not another cattle cheque for us until July when our cull cows normally leave and maybe the market can resemble something more normal by then. 🍀

[GDR]

Loaded out five loads of steers this morning and they are going to Elmwood ON after a stop for grub and water in Thunder Bay. We had one load of heifers go there about 8 years ago and the truck hauled mail out here and cattle back with a tandem trailer. This time there was three regular pots and and two convertible freight pots and all were tri axels.

There must be really good margins in feeding out there to justify the trucking. I’m curious what the shrink is on them too. I’m guessing it’ll be a little more than the 4% that we took off...........

Hopefully they make it there fine and it’s interesting how the market can make all this work. When barley is $6+ the feedlots aren’t too anxious to refill their pens here. Probably not another cattle cheque for us until July when our cull cows normally leave and maybe the market can resemble something more normal by then. 🍀

I assume they are weighed on farm? Is there ever any disputes? AB trucks? Can one driver make the run or they would be short on hours?

[woodland]

I assume they are weighed on farm? Is there ever any disputes? AB trucks? Can one driver make the run or they would be short on hours?

We weigh on the truck with a pencil shrink at the Stony Plain seed plant which is about 30km away.

We’ve had two disputes in about 20 years. One was a single calf that wasn’t quite right and the other was the actual weight was 80 or so lbs lighter than we guesstimated for the sale. Both were settled fairly (I believe at least) with a couple phone calls.

These trucks were Ontario and Quebec registered. Some of the drivers lived out here though since it’s a regular run for them. The one guy said he drives straight to Thunder Bay and rests while the critters are unloaded at a large barn for their feed and water. They said in Ontario the drive thrus won’t let them walk up to order so they have to pack all their food with them. Can’t be much fun for the driver or the critters.

We love selling this way since we know what we’re getting before the trucks even show up. It also saves the stress and shrink of another haul and a day at an auction mart too. Only takes 6 minutes of watching a screen to sell a whole year’s production...........😉

[Blaithin]

I follow Ken Schaus on Twitter and he regularly posts about liners of calves from the prairies. Not sure I’ve ever seen him get any from Alberta though.

How many do you put on a truck Woodland? I’m assuming not the 100+ head they cram on here for jaunts from the auction to feedlots. Ken definitely promotes lots of room and bedding for that long haul.

[woodland]

I follow Ken Schaus on Twitter and he regularly posts about liners of calves from the prairies. Not sure I’ve ever seen him get any from Alberta though.

How many do you put on a truck Woodland? I’m assuming not the 100+ head they cram on here for jaunts from the auction to feedlots. Ken definitely promotes lots of room and bedding for that long haul.

The trucks took 57 or 58 head each and they shrunk out 1038 lbs so about 60,000 lbs each. It’s the buyers organizing the trucks so it’s their call as to how many to send. Kinda interesting that the same total pounds fit on a trailer whether the critters weigh 500 or 1400 lbs. Only seen straw used on these loads going east. Usually shavings, salt, or nothing is used when they go south.

I don’t really follow Twitter but that fellow mentioned Elmwood a few times and that’s where the trucks are headed. I forgot to ask the drivers with conventional pots what they backhaul since the trucking bill would be crazy enough assuming they can go loaded both ways.........

[Blaithin]

Have to keep an eye out next week and see if he posts about new arrivals. That would be interesting! See them offload on the other end.

Seen on one post he says two trucks, 200 steers, so that’s not much different than a normal load of weanlings here.

[burnt]

Lots of western calves land in here. Or at least, used to. Elmwood is about an hour north of us.

Who was the trucking company?

Not nearly as many feedlots left as even 15 years ago.

Friend of mine buys and feeds 7 or 800 head of 650 weights to finish. Had a bit of hold-over when Cargill shut down due to the WuFlu for a week or so. He said he was loosing $200/hd at that time.

Said he had to buy the replacements that much cheaper. I said "You're talking to the wrong fella to say that!!"

Sometimes a guy's most devoted followers are those furthest from home...

[burnt]

Best deal I ever made was in about 2013 or 14 when I bought a load of bred heifers and 2nd calvers out of south-central Saskatchewan.

The market was just starting to recover from BSE and they cost me $1300 and $1350/hd.

Thinking back, that was about 100 bucks a head less than I paid for open yearling heifers that landed in here on May 20, 2003.

We shipped 2 - $1300 calves out of them over the next two years and everybody wanted into cows just like that.

So 2 calves later, I put them up for sale for $2500 and they sold pronto to the first guy who looked at them. Her even told me I was light on the price - how often do you hear that? A year later he didn't think so anymore.

It wasn't the whole meal, but it sure helped fill in the dent made by 10 years of BSE prices.

Not too often when you can more than double your money in cows on a relatively quick turn.

[woodland]

Have to keep an eye out next week and see if he posts about new arrivals. That would be interesting! See them offload on the other end.

Seen on one post he says two trucks, 200 steers, so that’s not much different than a normal load of weanlings here.

Well our critters are already on YouTube because of linked videos from the sale listings so why not Twitter..........

It would be cool to see what they look like finished and getting graded in the kill plant. If only there was a way to get the results from the kill plant back to the cow/calf guy.............. someone should invent/mandate a tag to follow that animal to provide tracing and feedback along the “chain”. 😉

[woodland]

Lots of western calves land in here. Or at least, used to. Elmwood is about an hour north of us.

Who was the trucking company?

Not nearly as many feedlots left as even 15 years ago.

Friend of mine buys and feeds 7 or 800 head of 650 weights to finish. Had a bit of hold-over when Cargill shut down due to the WuFlu for a week or so. He said he was loosing $200/hd at that time.

Said he had to buy the replacements that much cheaper. I said "You're talking to the wrong fella to say that!!"

Sometimes a guy's most devoted followers are those furthest from home...

Two trucks were from Hutton and Latrace. Never had them here before but they did a great job.

Quick math we’re out 10cents/lb or $100/hd from last year. Kinda feels like a break even year and ironically everyone around here seems to want more cows. I thought $6 barley and $16 canola would squash that but apparently not. We’re expanding too so I can’t say nothing.

Next year country baby!🤞



Moved all the pairs today and will be weaning and hauling them 12 miles tomorrow. I guess we had two days without dealing with yearlings/calves so it’s time to start the process again. 🍀

[burnt]

Hutton's yard is just north of us a piece and the other I don't know.

[woodland]

Hutton's yard is just north of us a piece and the other I don't know.

Very cool.
It’s a small world when you think about it.


Today’s trucks. Three of ours and one of my cousin’s. Each got seven loads and relocated the calves without incident............ besides the kick I took in the leg. Still feeling it good but hopefully it’s better before running the cows through for ivomec tomorrow.

Beautiful weather at least. 🍀

[rumrocks]

My Dad told me the death rate on calves shipped to Ontario by train in the 50's and 60's was very high. Fresh weaned calves sitting in rail cars on sidings, it would have been brutal.
That was before feedlots in the west and dependable long haul diesel trucks pulling cattle liners.

We've come a long way in the cattle industry, who would want to feed 600 cows with small square bales, it would take most of the day with 2 guys. If you had a hired man, you would make sure you locked him up at night.
Small square bales drove a lot of farm kids into other careers.
For you guys in high rain areas round bales were a Godsend, a lot less spoilage.

Enough rambling on . . . . . Even Led Zeppilin knew when to quit.

[shtferbrains]

I remeber the little pens beside the tracks but hereabouts I think they only loaded singles or small groups that went in to the Burns plant in Prince Albert. Burns processed beef and pigs in the one plant. Freind of mine worked there while in college in early 70's.
Led Zep was popular about then.
They often only had one animal to go and had to deliver that car in the city to the plant.
Nowdays they don't want to pull less than 50 cars.
Different times for sure.

[burnt]

I can remember when I was likely still in my teens that carloads of calves came down from the West and were unloaded in the pens beside the rail lines in small towns.

The ride was just really tough on them is what I remember, Dad never having bought any for ourselves. No vaccines, no rest stop? - they may have been en-route for at least 3 days before they landed in a pen with feed, water and straw.

Could that be possible? Seems brutal today.

With the speed that they travel today, there is debate about whether the mandatory rest stop at Thunder Bay is actually beneficial for calves coming from the eastern side of the western provinces. Adds one more handling and stressor.