no better feeder cattle

[Horse]

As I rember when the char hit this country they did make quite a splash there was a Angus breedre at pine lake that got into the char I cant rember his name[Pool or pole something like that] but I do rewmber his coment that the char are bigger but when the blks were laying around resting the char were still out eating.
Other than the feeders who realy benifets from the 1350/1450# strs. I think a little moderation would benefit the cow man a lot unless you are just trying to out do the neibor and dont realy care for a profit.

[cowman]

Horse: Pope is his name and no Charlais around there now, but those Angus he has are no shrinking violets! They are some of the biggest darned cows in the country and I doubt anything under 1600 lb. in that herd! Really big tall Angus...why it is hard to believe how far he has taken them...and yes they are still all registered purebreds!
One of the local feedlot guys tells me he doesn't care what he feeds...as long as they are black...and at least half Angus! Says he needs that Angus in them to grade AAA.
It is very interesting that today gray cattle sell so well? I think we can all remember the days when you were ashamed to bring a gray to town? Today they sell for a premium!
The top cattle to sell at the calf sales are always big stout calves and I didn't see much discrimination on anything this year...if they fit the pattern? I think these feeder buyers have a very good understanding of what they can make money at and they pay for that type of animal? They buy the others too, but at a discount, because they can't make the same amount of money on them?
The feeder is the cow/calf mans customer. If he says I want this type of steer then that is what you try to produce? If you think, no he is wrong I will produce what I want, then that is fine too? You just get less money...and hey maybe that works for you too?
The packer is the feedlots customer and if he says I want a steer that grades and weighs 1400 lbs. then that is what that feeder will produce...if he wants to make a top profit? He doesn't have to produce what the packer pays top dollar for...and hey that must work too as every animal can't meet the packers specs?
The bottom line is this: The packer can get a top profit on a certain type of animal. The feeder gets the signal and he produces it. The cow/calf industry gets the signal from the feeder and he tries to provide that type of animal? Hopefully the purebred breeder gets the signal from the cow/calf guy and provides the breeding stock necessary?

[cowman]

silverback, there are wacky critters in everybreed I am sure. The worst fence jumping cow ever on this place was a horned hereford years and years ago !!

[cswilson]

THe best feeder calves for most feedlot guys are ones that have a 24 hour stand with a 5 percent shrink-they'll find a way to make them work every time. If as a cow/calf man you don't think you are getting paid enough-retain ownership on your own cattle-there's alot of feedlots will finance the whole deal-feed,cattle etc.

[cowman]

Cswilson: you have stated the obvious! Feedlot buyers aren't idiots and they know what they are doing! They have to...that is their bread and butter?

[cswilson]

Pretty hard to chase the color of the year in your breeding program-a 50/50 british/exotic that finishes around 1300 has worked for years and is pretty attainable without running elephant sized cows.Auction mart guys will tell you whatever you want to hear to get your cattle to their ring it's just good business on their part. I usually sort at home if I'm taking cattle to town-the local salebarn guys stop buy and check them out. Usually they go through in one draft maybe two. When I worked at the yards some guys just ask for their cattle to be shrunk out-the more sorting you can do at home taking your time the better it is.

[Horse]

I backgrounded and grassed 200 strs and when it came time to sell I had bids in the yard as it happened I sold to NBI in clyde on the back scale.
Anyway they told me that if they own the cattle they sell in 2 lots and just mix the dogs in but if they are my cattle they go through in mabey 8 bunches with the dogs selling seperate so you dont get to pick and choose . And yes they admited they couldnt gurante the same price if they sold as mine.

[cowman]

The joys of the auction mart system! Those old buyers are pretty adept at picking out anything that might not fit the package? That takes a lot of time?
Time is money and personally I don't know how some of these cattle buyers can sit there for twelve hours or more? It must be an incredibly boring job? Ever notice how these young cattle buyers come in lean and trim, but get mighty fat after a few years! There are a few exceptions!
Gary Kelsey was a buyer in my area for practically all my life and his father Art before him. I see his son Ray is back buying cattle and Gary is now selling real estate? Gary was sure a good guy in my opinion.

[Horse]

When I was at RD Stan Kelsey was the man to buy cows dam near every cow went to Stan.