Sale Hope for cattle

[Okotoks]

I was always told that purebred sale prices lag commercial prices both on the way up and on the way down which would mean purbred prices should be a lot higher next year. (thumbsup) Word on the street is that fat prices will get close to $2.00 next year. With the cost of corn is that possible?

I agree that purebred prices always seem to lag commercial prices. Last week a friend of mine just had a sale of bred heifers. They were almost all crossbred heifers and he sold 275 of them. The sale averaged $1880, and most of the heifers were sold in groups of 5 or 10. Two groups of heifers topped the sale at $3100 each.( Not too shabby for commercial heifers I would say!) I think there are lots of people trying to play the purebred game that would be tickled pink to average this on 275 bred heifers. I have never been able to understand why there are not more people producing good F1 heifers to be sold as replacements. There are many commerical producers who are wanting to source quality replacement heifers from good reputation stock. I really think this is a growth industry. When I was much younger, I used to breed up to 300 heifers every year and sell them as bred heifers. There was always a market for them. It is now almost 30 years since we had our best year selling these heifers. We sold over 200 of them at $1400 each by an ad in the local paper and selling them on a first come - first serve basis. There were about 80 heifers left that we sold in a late December bred cow and heifer sale at the local auction market. After the pen had been picked over, we averaged just under $1300 on what was left. When you consider 30 years of inflation, I think this may have been the best sale we ever had.

Those are some pretty amazing prices for breds. Can you actually make money with those heifers? Maybe I am a little gun shy the way the cattle market has been the last few years. It would be great if it was finally turning around for a few years.

 

[jaimiediamond]

There recently was a sale of over 500 breds averaging $1725.00 these were commercial females ($862,500.00).  Angus, Red Angus, Gelbvieh, Charolais, and Hereford F1s.  350 open heifer calves averaged $1176.00  ($411,600.00).

the rounded average for these commercial females is $1500.00 per head this is the first time since 2002 that the people in the Alberta cattle community are really excited and actually stand to make a profit with their programs

 

[Okotoks]

I hear they are bringing in an expert from Aussieland to give some training lessons!

I would suggest you hurry up and get here as it is 30 or 40 degrees warmer right now than it was when you were here the last time!  We know this warm stuff won't last forever!

I don't know about expert....!

Just tell that weather to hold out for me, I have too much to see and do and the weather isn't allowed to interfere. If it does, I might have to sit inside and drink....  <beer>

It's supposed to be way warmer than your last visit (thumbsup) Looks like we will have to drink while looking at cattle <beer>
http://www.theweathernetwork.com/fourteenday/caab0049?ref=qlink_st_14day

That does look warm! I think I can handle your proposal  ;D

Wow, here is the 14 day weather trend for Weyburn, lets hope it doesn't change!
http://www.theweathernetwork.com/fourteenday/cask0340?ref=qlink_st_14day Enjoy that last day of warmth in LA. <beer>