farmerjan
Herd Master
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2016
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- Location
- Shenandoah Valley Virginia
This is one of the things that I have "preached" over the years with my son. You have to work the markets and what is wanted when. I don't like having all these feeders at the barn.... we will not make back more than the feed that they are eating.... total dollars received is not worth the less amount per pound for a bigger animal.... and having the right size for a certain time of year is just smart. I am not so set on having all these cows calving this early in the year as the calves are worth more as feeders in the early spring and they want them in the 375 to 500 wts.
If you can sell yours direct then you can breed differently. But, with the backups now at the butchers, it isn't like you can just call up and say you have 3 to kill in 2 months. So you have to be able to sell at the sale barns/auctions and that means having them at the best size.
I am glad that you got real good prices for the ones you took. I am hoping that it will be good for us to take steers the end of this week if we can get in and out of the pasture where they have been. I am pushing to calve later in the spring/early summer so that the calves are more in the 450-550 wt range in January or Feb. They will get the advantage of the grass for grazing, with not trying to get calves born in Feb in this really CRAZY weather we get, and losing calves or sick calves. Then they will wean off easier as they will be eating hay real good. I don't know, I am trying to figure out ways to make our operation pay better too without all the work. I did a chart up years ago and cannot find it so will be making another.... with a weight on one side, and a price per lb on the other side and see where they cross for the same money .... and then you have to figure out the added feed.
Also to figure in is how much less the ewes eat with the lambs off sooner, and the less compaction on the soil and things that you just don't see.
Just made some more appts for beef.... July Aug and Sept 2022....
If you can sell yours direct then you can breed differently. But, with the backups now at the butchers, it isn't like you can just call up and say you have 3 to kill in 2 months. So you have to be able to sell at the sale barns/auctions and that means having them at the best size.
I am glad that you got real good prices for the ones you took. I am hoping that it will be good for us to take steers the end of this week if we can get in and out of the pasture where they have been. I am pushing to calve later in the spring/early summer so that the calves are more in the 450-550 wt range in January or Feb. They will get the advantage of the grass for grazing, with not trying to get calves born in Feb in this really CRAZY weather we get, and losing calves or sick calves. Then they will wean off easier as they will be eating hay real good. I don't know, I am trying to figure out ways to make our operation pay better too without all the work. I did a chart up years ago and cannot find it so will be making another.... with a weight on one side, and a price per lb on the other side and see where they cross for the same money .... and then you have to figure out the added feed.
Also to figure in is how much less the ewes eat with the lambs off sooner, and the less compaction on the soil and things that you just don't see.
Just made some more appts for beef.... July Aug and Sept 2022....