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Post by chuckie on Sept 10, 2020 9:04:14 GMT -6
After raising the twin bottle babies, I took them to the sale barn. I gave them about 10 days off the bottle, as they were eating really well. I hated to see them go after taking care of them. I wish my heart did not hurt as I send them on.
They were almost 6 months old and the little bull weighed 490 lbs. The little heifer weighed 450 lbs. The heifer brought more per pound than the bull did. He brought $121 per hundred and she brought $ 123.
I took three other young bulls along with them. When I look at the weights on all of them it shows me how bad off I am at guessing weights.
One bull was #810 and brought $86 per hundred.
#765 brought $94.
#935 brought $85.
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Post by angusrancher on Sept 10, 2020 19:23:43 GMT -6
I wish they would have brought more for you. I don't understand some of these regional differences.
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Post by bulltrader on Sept 11, 2020 5:12:51 GMT -6
If your going to let them get so big they must be steers. You lost a lot of money on the bulls
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Post by farmerjan on Sept 24, 2020 19:30:41 GMT -6
Have to agree with bulltrader. You are losing $.15 to .30 per lb if you let them stay as bulls. Not worth the feed to get them that big and then lose it because they are bulls. Band them as babies if you don't have the facilities to work them at an older age....
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Post by angusrancher on Sept 24, 2020 20:09:34 GMT -6
Around here, yearling bulls, for instance, that don't pass the fertility test, sell pretty good.
When we sold yearlings, there was one younger calf that somehow we missed cutting, that they didn't knock too bad.
Short frozen ears get knocked worse, many times
I wonder if most feeders use a Callicrate Bander? It works good, no larger animal is really stressed , or bleeds out or gets blood clots.
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Post by chuckie on Sept 25, 2020 10:29:09 GMT -6
All of you are so right. This is hard for me to write, but it is time for us to let the cattle go because of health reasons. It takes a lot of physical work to raise and feed cattle. Combined, we are in a mess. You must stay on top of the cattle to make money. Letting things go too long only takes money out of your pocket. I don't like having calves on the pasture after it is time to be weaned. At that point, they are pulling the cows down, eating their grass; eating feed that costs money or having to bale extra hay to feed that costs extra as well.
Often, when it is time to take care of things, it gets put off, and I have trouble with that.
I think the herd should be drastically cut or down to 0. I know that he really enjoys having them, as I do too, but both of his legs hurt him so badly and know it is effecting his hips. He is in constant pain. I lose the strength in my neck at times to where I can hardly hold my head up. Between the two of us, often we don't make one person.
Often it is not easy to accept changes as we get older. I don't feel old, but I know things don't work like they are supposed to. And to think that I could live another 30 years with this mess!!
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Post by angusrancher on Sept 25, 2020 20:17:09 GMT -6
All of you are so right. This is hard for me to write, but it is time for us to let the cattle go because of health reasons. It takes a lot of physical work to raise and feed cattle. Combined, we are in a mess. You must stay on top of the cattle to make money. Letting things go too long only takes money out of your pocket. I don't like having calves on the pasture after it is time to be weaned. At that point, they are pulling the cows down, eating their grass; eating feed that costs money or having to bale extra hay to feed that costs extra as well. Often, when it is time to take care of things, it gets put off, and I have trouble with that. I think the herd should be drastically cut or down to 0. I know that he really enjoys having them, as I do too, but both of his legs hurt him so badly and know it is effecting his hips. He is in constant pain. I lose the strength in my neck at times to where I can hardly hold my head up. Between the two of us, often we don't make one person. Often it is not easy to accept changes as we get older. I don't feel old, but I know things don't work like they are supposed to. And to think that I could live another 30 years with this mess!! Am very sorry to hear that....and sympathize with what a tough call that will be to make. Hang in there. |
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Post by chuckie on Sept 25, 2020 21:07:23 GMT -6
Thanks Angusrancher. I suppose the reason I don't write about the cattle very often is because I know we are not where we need to be at this time. I just have to convince him to let go, and that is not what he wants.
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Post by angusrancher on Sept 26, 2020 18:15:11 GMT -6
Thanks Angusrancher. I suppose the reason I don't write about the cattle very often is because I know we are not where we need to be at this time. I just have to convince him to let go, and that is not what he wants. I'd say that all of the cattle pictures that you have posted, they look really good. |
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Post by bulltrader on Sept 27, 2020 8:21:20 GMT -6
Thanks Angusrancher. I suppose the reason I don't write about the cattle very often is because I know we are not where we need to be at this time. I just have to convince him to let go, and that is not what he wants. I feel like if I ever let go it will be like I'm giving up my life. I know it may be hard but if it's what gives him pleasure don't force him to stop. Let him make the decision when. |
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Post by chuckie on Sept 27, 2020 20:24:51 GMT -6
I feel the same way Bulltrader. I cannot tell you how much I miss being on top of things with the cattle. Everything that was done to better the operation when we worked the hay, feed, doctoring, calving, and going to sales to upgrade the genetics of the herd. Makes me feel like someone has punched me in the gut. Cattle have not been brought up to go to a sale. I was lucky to get the ones to the sale that I took the other day. It has not been done in two years. I still have more that need to be moved or sold. That is not what a real cattle farmer or rancher does that enjoys his herd or is feeling well.
My husband says that I will keep a few cattle here at the house and he will cut way back at the other farms. I will just have to see how it goes. I agreed that I would keep 5 cows and the bull here. But if things don't improve by next year, I am not sure what will happen.
I was really going through a hard time knowing that a change had to be made. That is the main reason that I purchased the two horses a while back as I knew I needed something to take the place of the cows. At the same time, I worried about him too.
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Post by the illustrious potentate on Oct 6, 2020 21:23:37 GMT -6
Chuckie, not knowing your situation, you ever thought about trying to find someone that might want to do the labor for a share crop like situation?
I know there can be issues with that if not careful who you find, but when I was young, my dad used to take care of a widow's herd.
She was able to keep the herd and farm and still had some income coming in back then.
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Post by chuckie on Oct 7, 2020 8:17:37 GMT -6
TIP, I like taking care of the herd myself, as that is the part that enjoyable. I have asked for help before and the man did not show up. I felt he was afraid to show up because my husband did not ask him. My husband is not going to ask anyone for help. So, that is what I felt happened. I needed help running cattle through the pens and squeeze chute. Different things ran through my mind of why he did not show. Maybe my cattle are too big for him? I don't know. Did he think I was looking for a boyfriend? Absolutely not. So, why did he not show. I just marked it down as him being someone that I cannot trust and will never ask him again. People should always call when they have someone waiting on them. Maybe since my husband did not ask him, he was afraid to show up. When someone has problems with the arrangement, they need to speak up. I have never acted different towards anyone other than being polite. That really bugged me.
If we are not on top of our herd, then we don't need them. This year we had hay fields that were not cut. We just had two frosts this last week and the grasses have changed to a dry appearance. Hay was put out to the cows here at the house, so they are fine.
I do get upset badly when it comes to keeping food in front of the herd. No day is going to be skipped. If you cannot get out to do it or don't have the hay and feed, YOU DO NOT NEED CATTLE! I get angry when it comes to this.
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Post by the illustrious potentate on Oct 7, 2020 16:05:30 GMT -6
Finding good people to help can sometimes be difficult.
When you realize you can't do what's necessary, I'm sure that's a hard day Chuckie. Hate to hear that.
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