bred cow prices

[nlcc]

Just wondering what 3 to 4 yr commercial cows are selling for.

Was offered a few older ones at 600 but turned them down

Also wopndering about cow calf pair prices

[cowman]

Now I'm not up on cow prices but the cull price isn't really bad(compared to the last couple of years) so there is a higher floor price under them?
Actually I suspect prices should be very reasonable as the profit of cow/calf, frankly just isn't there?
I suspect a lot of cow/calf operations are looking to shut down soon, as the owners are aging and not too keen on busting there butt to break even or make a very poor return on investment?
I know around my area many are looking to quit. Cruddy prices, American idiocy, new rules and a new found income from oil and gas have pushed a lot of guys towards a decision?
It is pretty discouraging to keep doing something where you aren't making any money?
I think you will see a lot of cows hit the market this fall. Just my opinion.

[whiteface]

A couple of purebred sales have seen some decent highs and averages so far in the last couple of weeks. The typical big wig game players continuing the tradition of "swapping" cattle for artificially high prices. What keeps the averages up and with so many cattle for sale and not one new name called out, I'm with you cowman, I think many are looking to new ventures. However, even with most of the "been there, done that" crowd on it's way out, the "romance" of huge fields, peaceful commodities just laying around gaining weight until you can have a party and a roundup with your buddies and cash a "huge" cheque at the end of the year has just got to attract a whole new generation of "cowboys." Albertans especially just crawling in cash and nowhere to put it except cows. I'd sure feel better if I were seeing a whole wack of new names but more so I just see big guys getting bigger and doing the traditional swaps. I'm still convinced that there is just too much money here burning holes in Alberta's pockets and some are "running out" of places to put it. ATV sales are waaaaaaaay up, RV's, SUV's, boats...
Everybody wants the romance of a big farm with a little herd of cows to chase, who cares if they make any money, I'm fairly convinced prices will stay steady, at least around here. I do predict however a complete turnaround of faces, property titles and age groups. Young people are comeing from everywhere and can make money and a nice life for themselves here. They don't know yet that they can't do it with cows but will still keep some for something to do on the weekends. I personally am impressed at the growth in "team penners" in the last few years, probably the only thing keeping the yearling prices in decent shape, guys looking to chase cows on the weekends with their friends. Also, just my opinion. Have a good day all!

[grassfarmer]

I would say your old bred cows at $600 must have been pretty bad to pass on. Last Fall that would have bought some fairly good younger breds in the early sales but since then bred prices have really risen. Lot's of young pairs were making $1100-1300 throughout the spring and summer.
If older cows aren't going to make money for you at $600 with calf prices where they are I would suggest your costs or expectations of profit are unrealistic.

[Horse]

Nielsons at clyde last week said 920/108o for 3or 4th calvers with lots of intrest but I was not there and sometimes they have been known to streatch the truth I did see a couple pairs of decent cows at Triple J at $1020 and $940 with mabey 2oo# calves The calves were down about 5 cents puting 600 at 1.24 500 at 1.30 and hfrs back about 12/15 cents some were more some less but a lot of buyers were sitting on thier hands.

[nlcc]

Grassfarmer they were not bad . They were in good flesh , but they did not fit my calving period.I ain,t going back to winter calving for nobody.

[cowman]

Whiteface: Of course you know the purebred world isn't the "real world" but I agree you are probably right about the rest of it. The cow business is fast becoming just like the "horse business"? Fancy toys for wealthy boys!
I do believe there are places where you can raise cows at a profit but not really possible in central Alberta, unless you rationalize your land is worth nothing and you shouldn't be getting a decent return on your investment?
I think the old boys who actually knew how to make a buck in the cow business are leaving? Not all of them but definitely quite a few of them?
When I consider what the return was in 1992 and compare it to today...I wonder if I am all there!!!
However having said that...heres how dumb I am...buying 35 heifers this fall!

[grassfarmer]

Surely it's the wrong stage in the cattle cycle to be buying heifers Cowman? Those $600 cows would be a far smarter buy, they are calving early too so will wean the big,heavy calves that you like to sell.

[whiteface]

You're east of Innisfail aren't you cowman? I can probably see you from here with the view from this place. But even without a view of your land, I have the picture in my head of you on your new 700 quad, huge weedless fields, beautiful "great whites" dotting the pastures, and grandkids. I'm very aware of the "lifestyle." It's a nice one. I enjoy it too! Don't feel bad about purchasing heifers, I walked the fields of my farm in Olds today, under the trees, leaves changeing color, air is crisp and horses running through the fields, free like the wind without a care in the world. A day like that could take the high blood pressure out of anybody. That's why we do it. Lifestyle. Have a good day all!

[cowman]

Grassfarmer: A onetime shot at a dispersal. These are the replacement heifers.
We kept 25 heifers of our own but are still understocked. The boy bought another quarter this spring and the intention is to seed it all down to grass/hay. Underseeded 80 acres this spring to alphalfa/meadow brome and it looks like an excellent catch.

[cowman]

Whiteface: No 700 quad here. Not practical in my opinion. A simple Yamaha Big Bear and a Honda 450, and both are usually out working! No "great whites" either...mostly reds and soon some blacks!
Not much of a "lifestyle" either...always out hustling trying to keep the wolf out of the front door! But hey, I'm having fun!

[Cattleman]

I see you brought up the cow cycle grass farmer.....thats a toughone the last couple decades, not sure I believe much in besides the fact that decisions at teh cow herd level don't show up for a couple years, as long as it being cyclicle, thats a debate. I just say all this as the cow slaughter in the US is very high, and playing the cattle cycle theory, is getting tough. Not trying to bash, just want to get people thinking.

[PureCountry]

As far as I'm concerned, we're keeping as many heifers as we can afford to this year. We advertised some bred cows for sale, only had a couple tire-kickers come around. There are so many dispersals advertised for this fall, I'll be very surprised if prices go up from here to year end. There are thousands and thousands of cows going up for sale between now and then, when you start looking through papers and breed mags.

Wish I had advertised mine a little earlier now. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20 right?

[kato]

Last fall we made the decision to sell our replacement heifers and buy bred cows instead. The heifers sold over $800.00, and the cows averaged $580.00. Out of 32 cows, we weaned 30 calves. One calf had died of scours. It was our only loss from scours all year, and it's mother hit the road the day it died. One cow never did have a calf. We're blaming that one on poor preg-checking.

We knew we were sticking our necks out bringing in new animals of unknown health status. We went into it with our eyes open, and lots of vaccine on board. (Since we also buy feeders, our cow herd is pretty well vaccinated.) The new cows got double doses of scour vaccine and BVD/IBR/vibrio/Lepto. Other than the cow that had the scouring calf, we had no health problems with any of the new cows or calves.

All in all, it turned out well. We sold some of the calves off those cows last week, and not one calf went for less than it's mother cost. If we'd kept heifers, we would have seen no return on them at all yet.

Our thinking is that last year, and maybe this year also, are unusual in that the price spread between heifers and cows is right out of whack. We've never seen a time before where you could buy a bred cow for less than a heifer calf is worth. In normal times, with calves selling for well over a dollar, bred cows should cost a lot more than they do.

We're also waiting to see what the bred cow sales bring. If it looks like last year, we'll probably do it again. It'll probably be the last opportunity to do this. Cows won't be cheap forever.

[grassfarmer]

That's what I was reckoning there was potential for Kato. All the articles on beating the cattle cycle I've read advocate this type of policy. The problem I have with doing this at the moment is,like Purecountry, i'm changing the herds genetic makeup. This takes time and money and means I can't buy similar older cattle to replace my heifer calves. So we are also putting in a big number of heifer calves. We really need to anyway as we still have half the herd as teenage cows, a legacy of the BSE cow theft program run by the packers. A lot of these crossbred cows don't take to being teenagers as well as my purebreds do!