This helpful online tool includes price forecasting for various regions across the country, for different feeder cattle types, at different times of year. Daily rate of gain has an important impact on the profitability of the operation. The key is providing enough space in the pasture for the cattle to lounge and ruminate, and carry low stress. Health and Disease 26 Animals Going Off Feedlot 26 Lameness 27 . They supply our beef plants in the Midwest, South and Pacific Northwest. You can resell in the fall but again that's what everyone dose. If calves are bawling or commingled from numerous sources together, it means they were just separated from their mother and thrust into a challenging environment. Assuming prices and costs described in the budget scenario, the break-even rate of gain for beef and Holstein stockers was just under 1.5 pounds per day. Required fields are marked *. Most importantly that is just a sales price; that doesnt tell you what is most profitable for your operation. Thats because theyre eating better than they previously had. When she's not writing, she is spending time in the barn with her horse, Bella. One way to help make sure your calves grow efficiently, while staying healthy is to provide them with the VitaFerm Gain Smart mineral, designed for weaned calves through yearlings. Its mostly a humane issue, he says. Try to be concise and not bombard him with texts and emails. Nose: Likewise, avoid animals that have copious mucus coming from their noses. Geography plays a significant role in prices. Many homesteaders dream of owning a dairy cow that can provide them with milk and a yearly steer for the freezer, but save that dream for the future when youve learned a little more about cows and taking care of them. You dont know these people. Depending on their weaning weight, calves could require up to 240 days to transition from weaning to finish. Regardless of when you sell your calves, this vitamin and mineral supplement has all the fortification your animals will need combined with Amaferm, a precision prebiotic designed to enhance digestibility by amplifying nutrient supply for maximum performance. For mature cattle, the normal temperature range is 100.4 to 103.1 degrees Fahrenheit, the pulse is 40 to 80 beats per minute, and the respiration rate at rest is 10 to 30 breaths per minute. Most often, these cattle are grazed, meaning its imperative to provide enough good quality forage to sustain the herd. As producers reflect upon how their calves sold this year, it's important to . Cattle dont like change, so if you can buy the same brand of feed from the original owner, that will help them adjust to the change. Conversely, with fewer fall-born calves, the supply in the spring is lower, so those calves tend to bring higher prices. The bred cows are due for calvin.See More Details. Figure out a cost per head per day. Crosses will be easier for you to learn on, for starters. LivestockMarket.com makes it easy for buyers to find the right livestock, horses, and hay for sale. We don't own or operate any feedlots, so we buy cattle from nearly 4,000 independent feeders and ranchers. Cattle You could apply exactly the same approach to cattle, buying lean or young oxen (or even lean store cows), fattening them, and then selling them. Buyers discount heifer calves because heifers present more potential management problems and heifers do not perform as well as steers. 2. Sell them high." As you might expect, this is a great over-simplification, but you get the idea. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. Therefore, producers should evaluate value of gain regularly as they prepare to market their feeder calves in 2018 to be more profitable. Take your time and enjoy the process. For example, cattle sold in New York auctions bring less money than in other beef-producing states. Check with your local extension agent to determine how many animals per acre you can stock on your property. These differences are no doubt responsible for the better returns of corn over barley usually reported in feeding experiments. There are factors that depend a lot on . It can be difficult to source the cattle you want, but that doesnt mean that you are locked into one choice, he says. This budget shows profits ranging from $80 to $100 per head with a management charge of $18 per acre included. Weaned calves are usually about six months old. A forum community dedicated to living sustainably and self sufficiently. They should have well-developed muscles in the shoulders and legs. Some farmers price their cattle higher and expect you to dicker with them. Notify me by email when the comment gets approved. This past year saw the beef cattle industry begin to bounce back from the COVID pandemic and the subsequent implications on supply and demand. for me, Detzel says, and I didnt have to give up my cattle all together. All your prices are locked in. Your email address will not be published. The livestock can be self-produced or bought in. Any sound will do, ringing a bell, honking your car horn, or even playing an instrument. The results give New York farmers an idea for the ways people are getting paid at auction. The next sections, Feed Costs and Other Costs, may vary from farm to farm and year to year. That is why the prices change so much. Outdoor Hub, LLC (d/b/a Carbon Media Group), 30800 Telegraph Rd, Suite 1921, Bingham Farms, MI 48025 USA. 2. Angus are fairly hardy for cattle, and can be left alone for some time. for Holstein feeders 300-600# .65-.85 so cheap compared to last year. If you have the grass, buying calves and grazing them on is the best way to fill the freezer with lots of lovely beef. Its a net margin that drives the profit. The corn, feeder cattle inverse relationship is critical to the cattle industry, Tonsor reminds. Good businessmen buy these, feed them well, to fatten, then sell them off. Im running pasture animals and didnt have the indoor facility to rehab them.. Im going to look for a good business in my area that can sell me some cattle. Blasi says that cutting bulls or those that have not been castrated at birth is also a riskier investment. Phone: (254) 283-7992. Cows will be a bit nervous around new people, particularly younger heifers. Steers? He then rested the pasture for at least 30 days and sometimes as many as 60 days. The 2023 bull market entered March with modest gains for fed cattle and some impressive gains for feeder cattle and calves. Angus cattle are one of the most popular breeds of cattle in the US. While everyone else was bidding on a slaughter cow, he was bidding on a bred cow. We supply the birds, feed and technical advice, while the farmers care for the chickens by providing the farm, housing and labor. When the cow receives enough to eat, its flat and fleshy, rather than concaved in towards their hip. Read five things you need to know before getting into the freezer beef business. If shes between 7-12 months old, you want that answer to be no. Thank you it is very well done. And if you have to buy winter hay, it will take longer still. 6 Develop a short and defined breeding season. The team developed a table to help farmers calculate this figure, based on the scenario. JNix/Shutterstock. Since stocker operations are buying calves and selling them as feeder cattle, their With preparation and knowledge about what to look for in bargain cattle, getting into the stocker business can be lucrative. You'll need to own cattle in order to sell cattle. I consent to Homestead.org collecting and storing the data I submit in this form. Its important for them to have the most nutritious and stress-free lifestyle so they can grow healthy and put on pounds.. These animals are used for research studies on production-related topics. Fatten them cheaply. Easter egg or multicolored cattle, yellowish colored cattle and anything with big ears tend to get a bad rap and discounted at auction. What do you think those additional pounds will be worth? These programs often specify a level of management to ensure . The University of Kentucky describes a stocker calf as a steer or heifer that is 6 to 9 months of age and weighs 400 to 700 pounds. However, you do want one that is healthy. Get in the habit of taking them a little treat around the same time each day, such as grain or alfalfa cubes. 14 head of Hereford bred and exposed cows and pairs. A good farmer will try to keep young heifers away from bulls from the time that they are weaned around 6 months of age until they are bred, usually around 15 months of age. A poddy calf is cheaper, but you will pay most of the extra in milk powder, unless you have a source of . For a producer who receives a fall price of $0.60 per pound on beef stockers, increasing the daily rate of gain from 1.4 to 2.0 pounds per day means that he or she can spend $0.15 more per pound on calves in the spring and still break even. This is where farmers go to sell their cull animals, and when the cows are run through the ring, you have no clue about where they came from, what their general health status is, or what diseases they may be carrying. They calculated the point where returns equal costs (break-even points) by varying daily rate of gain and price spread. IF the entire corn industry was slow to get its crop in, and less overall corn is harvested, that elevates corn prices, and depresses feeder calf prices. Look at your barns and outbuildings, particularly if you live in an area that sees subzero temperatures and copious precipitation in the winter. However, other breeds, especially dairy breeds like Jerseys, may come into heat earlier than that. For updated research on stocker enterprise budgets, see UW Extension Publication A3718: Stocker enterprise budgets for grass-based systems. Producers must analyze their individual situation to determine if the value of the additional pounds will be . In winter, it's normal for the coat to be thicker and fuller, but the animal should not have bald spots. Last spring I wrote an article entitled At What Weight should I sell my Feeder Calves that bought forth many questions on the value of each additional pound of gain. . These drugs boost production of growth-stimulating hormones that help the animal convert feed into muscle, fat, and other tissues more efficiently than they would naturally. Types of Livestock Auctions. Sincerely In future we will fatten the calves from our house cows for meat, but we bought this steer before we got the cows. If you bought your property already fenced, dont assume that the fencing is intact. Third, cost of gain should be relatively cheap. For many parts of the United States, though, a good windbreak will be sufficient in the winter. Image At the Alderson family . The surplus forage is custom round baled, with the beef stocker providing less hay than the Holstein operation. If the place is well tended and clean-ish, chances are that the farmer is pretty good about caring for his animals. I enjoy milking and handling my cow every day. Things like fencing, pasture renovation, and water need to be fully considered before you ever put the first cow on the property. He had 60 acres of lush pasture. Commercial feedlots are the major finishers of beef. If the weather gets droughty and you have to feed hay, you can kiss those short margins and profits goodbye. The value of gain between 300 and 400-pound feeder steers was $1.23 per pound. The problem, though, with many auctions is that you cant tell from looking at the cow whether she is sound, healthy, and strong. Some homesteaders are intimidated at the prospect of spending several thousand dollars on animals that are quite large and have their own unique needs. Dont get in a hurry as you search for cattle. There are many methods to add weight to feeder calves that vary considerably. Bring a cattle-wise friend along to make sure that you get a good deal. The value of gain between weight categories ranged from $0.69 to $1.23 per pound of gain. 151. Thanks for that. All rights reserved. Larger animals can be sold for more money on the market as they yield more meat. Maybe youll even have a chance for a private treaty.. I am not looking to break the bank, just really wanting some experience and maybe a little $. The team found that each additional 0.1 pound of gain per day for both beef and Holstein stockers is worth about $13 (net) per head when they are sold, using the numbers in this example, and keeping in mind that prices per pound may decrease as weights increase. Together, they go in on trucking and ship their cattle out of state to auction in Missouri. Most likely, there is some sort of problem with the cow and they need to get rid of her at bargain-basement prices. Industry Voice by BioZyme Inc. | Nov 01, 2019. June 14, 2022 long lake, florence county, wi long lake, florence county, wi Although the cattle market continues to deal with burdensome levels of market-ready finished cattle, strong consumer demand has kept a floor on fat cattle . A calf born in the spring and sold during the fall run never has the cost associated with winter care. If youve never owned cattle before, Id recommend planning on buying a commercial-beef-cross weaned heifer or a steer to begin with. Reading down and across the tables, producers will find a predicted break-even purchase price for stockers using our budget. Email Seller Video Chat. They modeled financial returns to farmers using beef stockers (those from beef cattle breeds) and Holstein stockers over a six-month grazing season, and used the model to calculate costs and returns on a per head and per acre basis for the stocker and pasture enterprises. I bought the worst-looking cattle at auction. You can also subscribe without commenting. Disposition is especially important for dairy animals that you will be handling on a daily basis. Create a vaccination schedule for your cattle and follow it. Pasture yields are 4 tons (3.4 tons dry matter, dm) per acre, which exceeds the stockers needs. Eyes: The eyes should be bright and clear. Most homesteaders dont have money to waste on a poor decision, so take your time. The absolute worst place to buy cattle is at a livestock auction. Schuster says, This cost is almost 10 percent below the 1992 state average, but most likely poorer quality land would be used for grazing. They had pneumonia and pink eye. 9. Sickly animals or uncastrated bulls require more attention and the right facilities to be brought back to health. We take two percent shrink off the top because of undigested feed in the digestive tract, Blasi says. The enterprise budgets require several assumptions. Therefore, for calves to be ready for market on May 1, they need to be weaned in early September at the appropriate age and weight. Or see if someone else could take care of your cattle perhaps? Registered cattle are a little more complicated than cross-bred cattle, and they will cost a bit more, too. Katie Navarra is a professional writer and photographer based in Clifton Park, N.Y. She regularly writes about the horse industry and general agriculture. Thus, if you can add weight for less than $0.69 per pound of gain, then this is a profitable decision to add weight for all weight categories. A 10 percent drop in the selling price compared to the budget price results in a decrease in profit of $63.91 per beef stocker and $47.60 per Holstein stocker. Choice beef cutout was at $272 per hundredweight on April 9, up $20 . Once a producer has calculated their value of gain, they must evaluate whether or not they can increase their returns by adding additional weight to their feeder calves. I want to live as independently as possible, so Im thinking about purchasing some cattle in the near future. If you have to buy a weaner steer, they are about $200-300, depending on size and breed. However, the calves are frequently quite fragile. First, the cows have to be thin but healthy. For cow-calf producers who spring calve, now seems like a logical time to market weaned calves. rhank you again for all the information. "These cattle, both steers and heifers, are grazing to grow. They drop every couple hundred lbs the gain. Ask about the age of the cow. If you tend to be impulsive, you may want to go by and look at cattle before you bring the livestock trailer along. A producer who is buying Holstein stockers that will gain 2 pounds per day and sell for $0.65 per pound in fall can pay up to $1.09 per pound in spring and break even. Being incalf might be a bonus.! Implement an immunization schedule for respiratory and clostridial diseases. They also developed a set of tables that show break-even points for both beef and Holstein stockers. Thanks for mentioning to think about what youre looking for in a cow before buying like will it be used for beef or milk. I might go buy a few next week. Knew guy, happened to be in the family, who was friends with the auction house. JavaScript is disabled. This will give you a chance really think over the decision. I find this blog very compelling. Just weaned calves about 6mo old will cost the most, but gain good on grass. Marketing your feeder calves doesnt have to be complicated. Risk is often viewed only in a negative way, but when it comes to pricing cattle, good things can develop, and bad things can develop. Our Angus heifers start having reliable heats when they are around 9 or 10 months old. Stocker operations basically allow the calves to "grow up" after weaning so that they are better suited to go into a feedlot to be finished. But by having some . These cows don't produce any milk, you just feed them to gain weight and then sell them. A Mini Highlander might be perfect for his farm, so Ill try to suggest it to him. It seems my uncle wants to buy cattle for his small farm, however, he couldnt seem to pick what type to get. These are teenage cattle. As in most homesteading projects, you should plan to start small. You will need to regularly monitor their feed and water supplies and their general wellbeing. The facility can accommodate more than 400 head of 500-pound calves at any one time. Seasonal price increases this time of year usually are around $6 per hundredweight on a five-year average, but surging demand has created a greater-than-seasonal increase and could drive prices higher, he said. Get involved in a local stocker sale, and talk with your local providers. On this website you will find categories for all types of equine and livestock, including cattle, goats, sheep, and swine. Everyone has grass in the spring. Copyright 2023. This is the best way to get to know what the going rate for cattle is. Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. If you have a bad feeling about something, let the opportunity go by. Typically, stocker buyers buy em ugly and sell em pretty by finding cattle that are have recently been weaned or are coming out of their first winter. And there are some hints in this definition that help define the practice of raising stockers," Detzel says. When the social-worker-turned-farmer accepted a full-time position with the Ulster County Cooperative Extension office, he didnt have the time for harvesting crops and maintaining equipment. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten,or redistributed. A few beads of moisture on the nose is fine, but the cow or calf shouldnt be snotty. Success with stocker cattle is akin to walking a fine line. Angus. You just cant know and its a gamble of hundreds of dollars. If you dont measure it, you cant manage it, Tonsor said. I dont say this to discourage you from getting into cattle. Rumen papillae are developed with grain feeding and are needed to increase the ADG. Even if they were vaccinated in the past, it wont hurt them to do it again, and that way that you make sure that they are protected. After this, the calves are fattened as feeder cattle at special fattening farms until they have reached the slaughter weight of between 1050 and 1200 pounds. My biggest piece of advice is to sit down with an extension professional, an NRCS grazing consultant or any of the other fine experts that inhabit our national agricultural agencies, Detzel says. After weaning from its mother, a stocker is put on grass or some other type of forage to promote growth and weight gain. Cattle buying and selling prices in the budgets approximate averages for Kansas City market from 1980-87 (Table 1). READ Make more money with your livestock. For your first calving season, you probably only want to have to deal with a few cows, and you wont want to have to handle a bull until youve got significant experience with cows. The cost of wintering an animal is more than any other season, Tonsor said. Its quite a gamble and you want your first experience with cows to be as easy as possible. Sometimes people will buy cattle at auction and try to resale them at a profit. Many sale barns offer special value-added calf sales, and a variety of value-added programs are available. Even just 3 or 4 months of growth in a heifer can mean the difference between an easy calving and a healthy, strong, good-sized calf and a difficult calving and small calf. Consider all of these questions before you ever start looking for cattle. Cattle fattening is one of the newly incipient action. Things can fall apart quickly for these calves. But he didnt want to give up cattle all together. Overall, the herd averaged a higher daily weight gain than the previous year. An attractive output price doesnt mean anything if you are a high-cost producer. for the three years. Much of what you pay for a cow will be out of your control; the market is what it is. Look at Craigslist and the prices at the sale barns to get an idea of what is a fair price for a weaned cow, a yearling, a fully-grown cow, and a bred cow. Since 2002, Mr. Togola has been fattening approximately 100 heads of cattle each year, currently securing a selling price of over 600,000 West African . Youll shoot for a daily gain between 1 12 to 3 pounds a day, Blasi says. In the example above, a producer would need to add the 150 pounds per feeder steer for less than $126/head or $0.84/ pound to add profit to their operation. Last spring, he spent an hour each morning moving water, pasture line and minerals to give each pasture resting time for regrowth. Some light calves will be put on a growing ration during winter . This pdf from the Alabama Extension servicegoes into great detail about what makes a good beef animal. One thing I want to mention is that raising cattle will probably not make you very much money. Just weaned calves about 6mo old will cost the most, but gain good on grass. Last year 500lb feeders were $1.70-2.25 around here. These bull calves are a by-product of the dairy enterprise, as very few are left intact to reach sexual maturity and breed cows. Cattle fattening is a livestock production practice that reduces animal activities, thereby fattening cattle more quickly. Producers must analyze their individual situation to determine if the value of the additional pounds will be greater than the cost of gain. Being out with the herd in the morning moving line or water is the best way to, Kansas State University Beef Stocker Unit. The sector is emerging for employment and income generation for urban and pre-urban . Wait and save your money until you can afford what you really want. The question that producers must answer for themselves is Will it be profitable to add the additional weight and sell heavier feeder calves? They can accomplish this by calculating the value of gain of their feeder calves. Cattle that are thick, muscular and have records for immunizations also bring the best prices. Feeder calf value of gain is a sensitive variable and can change frequently as changes in fundamental supply and demand variables influence the beef cattle market.