# Calf prices



## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

Superior Auctions just sold some 450 lbs weaned steers for $192.00 a pound thats $864.00 ... the seller had 185 of them ..wonder what the break even is on them these days..but good price for the seller

a few lots later they sold 240 head of 415 pounders for $2.19 thats $908.85 a head...

first time in my life I seen them sell by the pound in the $2 range


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## InvalidID (Feb 18, 2011)

WOW! I've seen a few pushing 130 in my area and thought that was high. Breaking 200 I don't know how you could make any money.


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

there still sell them and getting lots of bids everyone over $1.60 even the cull looking ones
seems they want the 400 to 450 size


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

wheat pasture time


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

But they are not to be delivered till FEB. and March


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## Lenape Sadie (Jan 18, 2012)

They going 2.20 here for good ones


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Culls that were selling at .40 to .55 a couple years ago were up to .75 to .80 last summer. Hate to see what they are up to now.

Sad to see an old worn out dairy cow get sent to slaughter, but it really gets me when young, healthy dairy cows are culled because milk prices (to the farmer) are down, only the very best get to stay on the farm. If milk prices remain low and beef keeps going up, even nicer dairy cows will be slaughtered.


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

myersfarm said:


> But they are not to be delivered till FEB. and March


That will be when the graze out wheat and rye will be starting to take off depending on how far south you are. Feb. is next week I don't know where Jan. went.


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## Skip (Mar 13, 2008)

InvalidID said:


> WOW! ... Breaking 200 I don't know how you could make any money.


Sorry Invalid, but I am confused as usual. Who are you wondering about making money? The seller or buyer? These prices $2.00lb on the hoof would be a good price for the seller, right?


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## InvalidID (Feb 18, 2011)

Skip said:


> Sorry Invalid, but I am confused as usual. Who are you wondering about making money? The seller or buyer? These prices $2.00lb on the hoof would be a good price for the seller, right?


 In my area a seller getting those prices is doing really well. I'm trying to figure out how the buyer is making money though. I couldn't at those prices.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

InvalidID said:


> In my area a seller getting those prices is doing really well. I'm trying to figure out how the buyer is making money though. I couldn't at those prices.


American cattle inventories are at record lows. Beef will be going through the roof. Feedlots need to keep their pens full and they will pay whatever they need to do so.


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## InvalidID (Feb 18, 2011)

tinknal said:


> American cattle inventories are at record lows. Beef will be going through the roof. Feedlots need to keep their pens full and they will pay whatever they need to do so.


 Doesn't seem to be as bad around here though. I'm thinking it's also because we had a mild winter, no drought nearby, and grass feed most of the year. Makes for cheaper beef yes?


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## Tobster (Feb 24, 2009)

tinknal said:


> American cattle inventories are at record lows. Beef will be going through the roof. Feedlots need to keep their pens full and they will pay whatever they need to do so.


Back during the Summer and Fall there was a lot of speculation surrounding future cattle prices because of the hay shortages resulting from the drought.


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## nchobbyfarm (Apr 10, 2011)

I have been going to the sale every week since the week after Christmas and they have set record highs each week. I have leased a pasture and fenced it but it is empty. I can't afford to buy in at these prices. I am simply a spectator until the market stablizes some. Lots over 2.00 the last 2 weeks. A neighbor of mine will turn 70 this summer and he said it beats anything he has ever seen. He sold 11 calves born last spring and took home just shy of $10K


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## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

The last 2 Holsteins my boss culled (on the past two Mondays) brought $1100 and $1300 respectively. 

I'm not sure what the first weighed, but the second was a big girl ... came in at 1700 lbs, so roughly $75/CWT.


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## Cindy in KY (May 10, 2002)

Good Grief, those are high prices. I've been watching steers for sale around here and weaned dairy steers about 400-450 lbs have been $225. Less if you buy more. I was wondering how I could raise them on my Jersey girl and make any money. The price of the baby bull calves is too steep. I will have to go look online at our area auctions to see prices sold. Wow.


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## Cindy in KY (May 10, 2002)

Those high prices must be for Beef steers, right? Up here, Beef steers are going pretty high, but Holstein steers are still low. 

And why does the smaller, younger beef steers go for more per hundred weight than the bigger, older ones? Seems if I had $800 I could buy one 400 pound or 1 800 pound steer.


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

Cindy here is prices from my sale...... the bigger ones here are $146.00



Compared to last week, steers under 550 lbs 5.00-10.00 higher full advance on
weights under 450 lbs and high quality 500-550 lbs, weight over 550 lbs steady
to 5.00 higher. Heifers steady to 6.00 higher, spots 5.00-12.00 higher on 300-
400 lbs and 500-550 lbs. However several un-weaned/fleshy calves were no better
than steady, even some sold weak to 2.00 lower. Supply moderate. Demand good
to very good, depending on quality and condition. Best on high quality weaned
calves and short yearlings with all their shots. Buyers were more particular
than last week, but knew what they came after and thatâs where they invested
their time and most of their money. Supply consisted of 53 percent steers
and 47 percent heifers. Near 34 percent weighed over 600 lbs.

Feeder Steers Medium and Large 1
Head Wt Range Avg Wt Price Range Avg Price
35 350-390 374 195.00-209.00 201.53

77 402-449 414 187.50-202.00 193.90
17 435-448 440 169.00-173.00 171.56 Fleshy
51 460-492 483 175.00-193.00 187.47
22 450-496 484 165.00-175.00 170.41 Fleshy

142 505-548 527 170.00-186.00 177.29
17 510 510 192.00 192.00 Fancy
20 510-543 523 159.00-171.00 167.76 Fleshy
60 551-598 574 157.50-174.00 164.45

42 602-649 634 154.50-169.00 162.11
16 605-645 632 148.00-155.00 150.28 Fleshy
76 655-692 674 151.00-159.00 155.82
35 661-685 670 145.00-150.00 147.91 Fleshy

23 720-747 728 145.00-155.50 152.22
6 714 714 147.00 147.00 Calves
42 750-798 782 145.00-147.50 146.24
12 765-790 767 141.00-142.50 142.37 Calves

18 805-809 807 143.00-146.00 144.84


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## Cindy in KY (May 10, 2002)

Well, I still don't get why smaller ones go for more if the older ones are just about ready for beef. I am glad the cattle farmers are getting some good prices for their cattle. Are they selling the smaller 200-300 beef calves because they need money? Seems you would keep them on the herd. So you buy them at $2.00 and feed them out and sell them at $1.35? It is confusing. 



Feeder Steers: Medium and Large 1-2 200-300 lbs 181.00-210.00; 300-400 lbs 
191.00-199.00; 400-500 lbs 173.00-195.00; 500-600 lbs 163.00-174.00; 600-700 lbs 
149.00-158.00; 700-800 lbs 134.75-142.50; 800-900 lbs group with 33 head blk 861 
lbs 135.00. Medium and Large 2 200-300 lbs 155.00-160.00; 500-600 lbs 147.00-
159.00; 600-700 lbs 130.00-148.00; 700-800 lbs 131.00.

Holstein Steers: Large 3 300-400 lbs 97.00; 500-600 lbs 74.00.

Feeder Bulls: Medium and Large 1-2 300-400 lbs 187.00-213.00; 400-500 lbs 
153.00-199.00; 500-600 lbs 150.00-163.50; 600-700 lbs 146.00-156.00; 700-800 lbs 
126.00. Medium and Large 2 300-400 lbs 157.00-170.00; 400-500 lbs 123.00-
137.00; 500-600 lbs 128.00-149.00; 600-700 lbs 139.50-140.00.


Here are some Holstein prices up here......"120-125 holstein steers for sale. They are 9-12 wks. old on full feed for 3-4 wks. All calves have been casturated, dehorned, and vaccinated. All of are calves come from local dairies never shipped or sale barns. Asking $230.00 each. We have 30-60 of these calves a wk."


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

here in the land of cheese

High Yielding Choice Holstein Steers	110-113.50
Choice Holstein Steers	100-109

which is over 20 cent more than I am used to seeing.
holstein bull calves are 90-175 a pop. Not as high as last summer but close.
Still twice what I paid a couple of years ago.
Cull prices are huge...getting what we used to get for decent holstein steers..
20% sold from	75-81 top of week 82
60% sold from	62-74
20% sold	Below 62
DIRECT PRICE C/C COWS	145


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## Gabriel (Dec 2, 2008)

nchobbyfarm said:


> I have been going to the sale every week since the week after Christmas and they have set record highs each week. I have leased a pasture and fenced it but it is empty. I can't afford to buy in at these prices. I am simply a spectator until the market stablizes some.


Put an ad' out that you'll board some cattle. Charge by the day, or per pound gained.


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

> Here are some Holstein prices up here......"120-125 holstein steers for sale. They are 9-12 wks. old on full feed for 3-4 wks. All calves have been casturated, dehorned, and vaccinated. All of are calves come from local dairies never shipped or sale barns. Asking $230.00 each. We have 30-60 of these calves a wk."


worth every penny. I would snap every one of these up if I could.


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

Cindy said Well, I still don't get why smaller ones go for more if the older ones are just about ready for beef

PLEASE DO NOT PICK THIS APART I AM SHOWING CINDY WHY SMALL 200 # SELLS HIGHER THAN BIG ONES READY TO BE SLAUGHTER at 1200 #

it is because the cost of gain...they are only buying a live animal

buy a 200 # steer and feed...I have not updated my feed charts lately but from before it cost to put on a pound of beef on a steer was 84 cents in the feed 

so here goes if you took the 200 # and put 1000 lbs thats 1200 lbs and you have invested 

$400 for animal $2.00 pound at 200 #and $840 in feed so thats $1240 for a 1200 pound steer ready to slaughter 

so if those figures are right how much money would you give for a 1200 pound steer at the most $1240 or you could grow you own for that

most of these guys that buy them send to feed lot...never see them again


yes I left out shipping ...3 % death lose...$50 vet... and .35 a day yard fees but hope this helps you understand all these things are DEDUCTABLE....


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

Cindy BTW I have talked to kerry


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## InvalidID (Feb 18, 2011)

Choice Steers ------ Choice Heifers
300-400 100.00-170.00 300-400 95.00-160.00
400-500 100.00-176.00 400-500 95.00-171.00
500-600 100.00-165.00 500-600 93.00-166.00
600-700 95.00-159.00 600-700 93.00-160.00
700-800 93.00-148.00 700-800 90.00-135.00
800-900 90.00-141.00 800-900 90.00-130.00
900-1000 85.00-125.00 900-1000 65.00-120.00

Holstein Steers ------- Feeder Bulls
300-400 85-120.00 400-600 95-130.00
400-600 80-105.00 600-800 90-120.00
600-800 70-105.00 800-1000 60-115.00
800-1000 65-92.50 1000-1200 50-90.00


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## Cindy in KY (May 10, 2002)

"worth every penny. I would snap every one of these up if I could."

Not me, SammyD, because I would have to buy lots of hay this time of year. When our pastures are full of grass it might be worthwhile, but then selling is only $1 a pound if you are lucky. There are a LOT for sale around here. It took a long time for our last Holstein to get to freezer size, and he was fat. You couldn't take them over winter unless you put up your own hay.

Hey Myers, so why do the beef guys take the smaller pound calves to the auction anyway?


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

Cindy out of hay or grass or the man needs money....plus they pull them off old cull cows that goes to slaughter....lots of farmers raise up some heifers then pull that number of old cows to sell or sell outs were whole herd is sold....plus if the cow dies


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

It's possible calves may change hands 2 or 3 times before they reach the feed lot. The 450 lb calves in meyersfarm's first post could go out on wheat pasture and come off weighing 650 to 700 lbs. Somebody else could buy them and put them on grass for the summer before they go to the feedlot.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Cindy in KY said:


> And why does the smaller, younger beef steers go for more per hundred weight than the bigger, older ones? Seems if I had $800 I could buy one 400 pound or 1 800 pound steer.


It's because the potential profit to be made is in gain. A 400 pound steer has more potential gain than an 800 pounder and thus more potential profit.


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## bknthesdle (Mar 27, 2011)

We saw basically newborns (100# calves) go for over $300 today at the auction.


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## Skip (Mar 13, 2008)

Newborn dairy? Candice?


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## bknthesdle (Mar 27, 2011)

No. I'd guess just a day or two old and they were beef calves.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Cindy in KY said:


> Well, I still don't get why smaller ones go for more if the older ones are just about ready for beef. I am glad the cattle farmers are getting some good prices for their cattle. Are they selling the smaller 200-300 beef calves because they need money? Seems you would keep them on the herd. So you buy them at $2.00 and feed them out and sell them at $1.35? It is confusing.
> 
> 
> 
> ."


Another point Cindy, these buyers are buying for future sale. They know what the cattle numbers are now, and what they will be in 3 months, 6 months, etc. If cattle numbers will still be strong in 3 months then the 800 pound feeders when fat may sell for a lower price than say 6 months, when those 450 lb cattle will be ready for market.


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