The calf market has certainly gotten active in the last few weeks! There have been quite a few more people interested in turning out some cattle than there was a month ago. There’s also been several cattle turned out in the last few weeks, but it won’t be long before they come back off. The wheat season this year will probably end in February so everyone can cut high dollar wheat.
Opportunity comes in all shapes and sizes and might knock once or several times on our door. Depending on your point of view, a person can turn out a calf, so many pounds, or so many dollars on each acre of wheat. You can turn out a $700.00 weaned calf, a $700.00 bred cow, two $350.00 older bred cows, 500 pounds of calf, 700 lbs pounds of yearling or 1000 pounds of cow, take your pick! At the end of the period, there will be an animal that is 75 days older, 150 pounds bigger, two months closer to calving or two months closer to a different packing plant trip.
All in all, wheat pasture gives everyone an outstanding opportunity! There are a number of ways to utilize that wheat, and getting the gravy off the top is no lost cause. Looking at the cattle getting turned out, there appears to be a lot of folks who are just grazing wheat for a very short time, with very few people even thinking about spring grazing. If that is true, then there could be a very limited number of cattle showing up in March, April, and May. Supply and Demand?
The end of the year is coming up pretty fast and it will be interesting to see what the numbers are for the United States cow herd. There does not seem to be anywhere near the number of bred heifers for sale this year as compared to last year when you could find one on every street corner. The number of heifers in the feedlots has been strong all year long too. Maybe the drought during the spring and summer and ice storms at calving time made everyone want to never calve a heifer again, but those replacements have to come from somewhere.
COMING NEXT TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2007:
Pinegar Ranch 240 Choice, Angus/Red Angus sired strs/hfrs, 450-600 lbs
No implants, knife cut, vacc in spring
Davis Ranch 50 Blk Limousin strs/hfrs, 450-600 lbs, out of Reg. sires
COMING TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2007
SPECIAL BRED HEIFER SALE, WEANED CALF SALE
Plummer Ranch 80 Fancy, Angus & Ang/Charx heifers, bred to high powered
Club calf bulls, heifers ultrasounded, with the calves sexed
WW Cattle 30 Blk/Char/Red strs, off wheat, 500-600 lbs
Thank You for all your business!
www.winterlivestock.com
