What have the earley calves been selling for

[rain]

What have the early claves been selling for. I am hearing $1.00/lb

[jensend]

A neighbour sold his 618 average steers for $1.00 on Tuesday, the heifer calves were .15 back. These were Limo cross off Limo/Sim cross cows

[Horse]

650# calves at triple J in westlock alta 99/100$ heffers 12 to 15 back

[cowman]

Son said he saw some 550 lb. steers go for $1.06 last week.
I sure wish Safeway would put labels on the beef that read heifer or steer...then we could buy the cheap stuff?
How come when my neighbor buys weiner pigs he pays the same for the females as the males? Maybe he should suggest a 15% discount on the gilts?
I know the old garbage about a steer gaining more than a heifer, and I will agree that is partly true. But an exotic heifer will usually out grow a British bred steer, especially if she has an implant! I remember Rick Pascal telling me those big white heifers could perform as good as anything if you pushed them hard!

[cowman]

Heifers, and especially exotic cross heifers will grade better at a smaller rail weight than steers as well.

Ask Cargil what percentage of steers to heifer fit the sterling silver program?

Once again nothing illegal here cowman, simply business.

[cswilson]

Geez guys if they're too cheap buy some more-heifers aren't that far back of steers and usually quality grade a bit better when finished.Remember when your cryin' you should be buying.

[BFW]

The discount on heifers of $10.00 -$15.00 pwer cwt is more than justified. Heifers cost 10-12 percent more to feed than steers and can't be fed to the same weight in most cases as steers. It is true that they grade better than steers from a quality grade perspective and they do work well in the quality grade based grids. However when it comes to cutability (red meat yield per carcass) heifers (except the very best ) fall back quite a ways behind the steers as they simply get to fat in comparison. I'm not much intersted in feeding heifers period unless the price spread is at least $15.00/CWT assuming average heifer calves and average steer calves. The spread is typically narrower on yearling cattle.

[JD6320]

Cowman,
The main reason there is no real price differences in weaners is that while barrows grow faster, gilts are slower gaining but grade better than barrows in the end.
Tom

[kato]

There is still some doubt about heifers and the border. That's probably got as much to do with it as anything.

[cowman]

Thanks Tom and Bfw for your explainations> Although Bfw your explanation actually told me how you have been screwing me all these years!
Sort of like the frozen ears BS right?
Hey no problem...if you can't get them fed right as calves, us old farmers will feed them out and reap the profit...just like we do with the frozen eared calves?
I guess this is one of the situations where it clearly shows that the feedlots can't do it like the farmer feeder! Hmmm? I wonder why if it was crooked deals like these that most cow/calf producers don't feel a lot of empathy for the big feed lots???
Maybe the feedlots need to get aligned with their natural buddies...the packers?

[BFW]

Cowman you sound like a real bitter old fart. As for getting screwed on your heifers, not by me. I seldom buy them and am usually sorry when I do. I can back up my comments with proof something I think you will have a hard time doing with alot of your rhetoric!

[grassfarmer]

Cowman, I don't know if "most" cow calf men don't feel empathy for big feedlots. I am fairly new to the country but I have a lot of admiration for the likes of Rick Paskal and Cor Van Raay - running another part of the production chain we are involved in. This is one piece of petty infighting we could do without at the moment.
It's a high risk, low margin business they are in and I do feel for them at the present time - especially the ones who are being active through this crisis trying to improve the lot of Canadian cattlemen.

[cswilson]

Actually heifers usually bring us a premium over steer on the quality grids and don't yield that far back-like I said if you think they're getting stolen feed them yourself-most feedlots are more interested in good weighing conditions than what kind of genetics they're getting. Just try this test phone one and listen to him yawn when you explain carcass e.p.d's on your calves then listen to him pant when you tell him you'll give him a 6 percent shrink after a 200 mile haul lol.

[cowman]

All I know is that I can make a buck on heifers if I feed them right. I can't make a buck on heifer calves when I take that 15% hit. Haven't sold any heifer calves for several years.
The same goes for frozen eared calves. Now mind you it is very seldom I have a frozen ear as I calve inside. The feeders give you this BS about calves foundering if they have one half inch off their ears. I guess they figure anyone believes that garbage.
Rick Pascal was always a real straight shooter with me, when he was buying calves. Don't know about Cor van Ray...but sold him lots of barley over the years. I've always found that when the American buyers come to the mart a lot of the BS goes out the window?