backgrounded calves

[grassfarmer]

Surely that's an over simplified view of the current situation? As I understand it the problem is low grain supply/ higher prices across N. America. There will be no relief from this until next years crop is in the bin and this is reflected in both the barley and cattle futures. Calves have certainly picked up a little from a month ago but that was more to do with the usual seasonal glut than a short term panic over grain prices. Calves are still what - $150 back on the year? That is a lot of money out of cow/calf producers pockets.

[cowman]

Grassfarmer: I suspect you are right on a tough market, however how come we have a tough market? Was the grain situation so bad worldwide that it warranted the high "barley" prices? Locally the yield was pretty average...was it worse in other places in Western Canada? I suspect...not much difference?
Now I'm no big expert on the grain business...but I think when barley gets around that $3/bu figure...I'd better be selling...barley!
Okay, bottom line(idiot that I am) I figure calves at $1.05 are just too cheap! Tough them through as cheap as possible....take them to grass if price doesn't look favorable in the spring...and hope like hell things are more optomistic in the grain end of things? Am I retarded?
All my life I have ignored the "experts" and gone with the gut feeling? I believe I've won more than I've lost...maybe wishful thinking...but I'm still here!
Now maybe I'm still here because I have other income...but I've never lost money on any of my farming ventures! Maybe didn't make one hell of a lot(and maybe had to do some voodoo math!) but bottom line I've never paid out cold hard cash to farm!

[greybeard]

It seems to me that every year in November it looks like the bred cow market is in the tank. This year may be worse than most, as there was panic in the calf market. Cull cows are trading at BSe levels. Bred cow prices start at one bid above the meat buyers.
Agribition sold about 250 heifers at an average of $1138. Prices there generally reflect the value of top quality breeding stock. Maybe someone who was at the sale can supply more detail as to what was in demand.
I used to breed Charlais and purchased all my cows and heifers. Some improved my genetic pool and some hurt it. Looking back, some were great bargains, some were overpriced. One thing for sure they aren’t very uniform, even within purchased groups.
In my opinion, the biggest losses in calf values show up in a distressed market like we have had,in the price between top quality and second cut cattle. The second cut always starts a lot sooner in a buyers market. Small lots and individual animals get screwed.
Uniformity can pay big dividends. Your cheque can be a 30% disappointment if you send small lots or they can break them into small groups.
Electronic sales make up 20 to 30 percent of the volume currently. I haven’t used them, but plan to. You get one price for the whole lot, and have the option to pass if you don’t like it. Of course, we’re back to those larger uniform lots. Maybe the second cuts can be sent to a presort, as Grass farmer suggests.
Fat cattle quit the auction markets a generation ago, for all the same reasons.

[just_wondering]

We passed on the bid 103 lbs steers 5 cent slide were hoping for 110 but might have accepted 108? Have now decided on the local heartland auction mart and their presort satalite sale on tues. so My weekend will be all booked up. Going with the pre-sort as it seems to me that like gray-beard says large lots are the way to go.
I was mistaken earlier I said that the internet market was TEAM but it was DLMS I was NOT impressed at all Four pictures the sound kept cutting in and out I never even heard what they said about our calves It was nice to be able to pass on their bid though maybe if they get their technology better I might look again in a few years.

[cswilson]

If 700 pound calves are .75 cents in march Im going to be buying as many as I can find grass for. I'll go out on a limb right now and predict that 900 weight yearlings will be a heck of alot more than that in the late summer. But I'm just a foolish optomist not busy trying to analyze myself out of the cattle business.

[kpb]

cs wilson, yep you're right it's best not to think about things.

kpb

[whiteface]

kpb, what are you doing up at that hour? Have a good day!

[kpb]

whiteface, you know it was one of those nights where I woke up about 1 a.m. because I could hear a cow. So I lie there for half an hour trying to talk myself into ignoring it and then finally end up getting up to check it out. Everything fine and then couldn't get back to sleep, lol.

kpb

[mb_rancher]

Why wouldnt you have went with TEAM? They do a darn good job of presenting your cattle and working hard to promote them to the buyers!! They cover a large area and are well known for getting the top dollar out of cattle.

[kpb]

mb is right--we've gone with TEAM several times to both sell yearlings and buy calves and they are always straightforward and easy to deal with.

kpb