haul or wean

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fenceman

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Cows have been on dry grass and tubs for about two months. Most are doing ok. There's 7 or 8 looking kinda rough. I'm going to go ahead and pull there calves off them early. These are 41/2 to 5 month old calves. Would you just haul em straight to town or wean 30 days.
I've got grass it's just dry. Weaning will require feeding.
 
Unless you're going to sell them at a special sale, with the verified vaccinations and weaning a certain amount of days, I'd take them straight to the auction.
 
My comments on this, will start a fight, it always does. IMHO, we do the industry a disservice when we sell unweaned calves. I think calves should be vaccinated (yours probably are), and weaned. I think we all pay the price for people that ship calves that aren't ready to go. I have made a dollar here and there, buying unsettled calves that needed TLC. It's a risk, and I guess there is a place for someone to do that in the market. That job should be eliminated though. Shipping calves that are ready to start, should be our goal.

If we all looked out for the best interest of each other, the industry would be stronger. In other words, there is very little risk in weaning my own calf. I buy an unweanded calf, that's been stressed etc., the risk goes up exponentially. Some here wean with diesel smoke, and backer juice out the drivers side window, at that's their prerogative. It's just my opinion that its not the best way.
 
Bigfoot":3mchkkvm said:
My comments on this, will start a fight, it always does. IMHO, we do the industry a disservice when we sell unweaned calves. I think calves should be vaccinated (yours probably are), and weaned. I think we all pay the price for people that ship calves that aren't ready to go. I have made a dollar here and there, buying unsettled calves that needed TLC. It's a risk, and I guess there is a place for someone to do that in the market. That job should be eliminated though. Shipping calves that are ready to start, should be our goal.

If we all looked out for the best interest of each other, the industry would be stronger. In other words, there is very little risk in weaning my own calf. I buy an unweanded calf, that's been stressed etc., the risk goes up exponentially. Some here wean with diesel smoke, and backer juice out the drivers side window, at that's their prerogative. It's just my opinion that its not the best way.
Click to expand...

:clap: :clap: :clap:

I agree 100%
 
fenceman":2azbxwuu said:
Cows have been on dry grass and tubs for about two months. Most are doing ok. There's 7 or 8 looking kinda rough. I'm going to go ahead and pull there calves off them early. These are 41/2 to 5 month old calves. Would you just haul em straight to town or wean 30 days.
I've got grass it's just dry. Weaning will require feeding.
Click to expand...

Mine get weaned on the trailer anyway.. But I suggest if you have some to sell NOW is the time with the way the prices are dropping... Many graded are selling for under 2 bucks a lb here
 
if they are 4 to 5 mths old load up and sell them. BF when its feasible to wean a calf and feed to 700- 900# then people will do that. right now the industry demands a 400 to 500# calf and it does not matter if he bawled all the way to the sale barn. I will recommend a calf creep feeder to get calves used to eating. I know it works cause I weaned a 6week old this week from his poor toothless mama cause I shipped her. calf is eating grain no problem and I attribute that to them having access to a feeder as soon as they figure out how to get into it.
 
M-5 glad you decided to creep and are having success with it. I would never NOT creep feed again. If you keep a calf over 500# IMO you lose $$$ every day after that.

If you can get basically same money as a 700lb -900# calf at 500# what is the point in keeping them? JMO
 
I'm not saying calves should be kept until they are ready to hang on a rail. My point was calves should be weaned when they go to market. A 450 pound calf here would be worth about $1100. A 750 pound calf here, would be worth closer to $1400. I try not to wean many 450 pound calves. I like a terminal cross, that will come off of a cow at 700. there not hanging around here long to sell at 750-775. If somebodies weaning calves early for some external factor, thats a different story on the size your selling. Either way, it's a good idea to send a calf to the yard that's ready for the next step.
 
Bigfoot":2rn7nbfc said:
I'm not saying calves should be kept until they are ready to hang on a rail. My point was calves should be weaned when they go to market. A 450 pound calf here would be worth about $1100. A 750 pound calf here, would be worth closer to $1400. I try not to wean many 450 pound calves. I like a terminal cross, that will come off of a cow at 700. there not hanging around here long to sell at 750-775. If somebodies weaning calves early for some external factor, thats a different story on the size your selling. Either way, it's a good idea to send a calf to the yard that's ready for the next step.
Click to expand...

BF maybe im wrong but I think the point we were saying or just me is why hold onto them till 750lbs sure you are getting more money but they are also costing you more and using up more resources staying longer as well. BTW not arguing or saying you are wrong to each their own but for me its not worth the extra time on my place.
 
I totally agree with BF. The healthier those calves stay after they get sold, the better that you look as a breeder. And the best way to insure that they are healthy when sold is to wean them in the environment that they were raised in. Vaccinate, and give some immunity time to kick in.

I don't have near the numbers or experience with sale barns like you all have. But I would think that if you sell very many loads either way, people are going to notice.
 
Oh, I see the logic, but a calf that'll gain 2.5 pounds per day, can make money in this market. I couldn't blame someone for not pursueing it because the margin just isn't there. Me personally, I'm set up to hold on to mine, or background the other mans. I have a shade less than 9 cents a pound in feed, and good sudex hay. I will chase a $50 profit on a calf. It's actually worth it to me. $150 would be better, but I'll take what i can get. Not everybody will. takes volume at $50 to feel like your achieving anything though.
 
Bigfoot":i8wk37va said:
My comments on this, will start a fight, it always does. IMHO, we do the industry a disservice when we sell unweaned calves. I think calves should be vaccinated (yours probably are), and weaned. I think we all pay the price for people that ship calves that aren't ready to go. I have made a dollar here and there, buying unsettled calves that needed TLC. It's a risk, and I guess there is a place for someone to do that in the market. That job should be eliminated though. Shipping calves that are ready to start, should be our goal.

If we all looked out for the best interest of each other, the industry would be stronger. In other words, there is very little risk in weaning my own calf. I buy an unweanded calf, that's been stressed etc., the risk goes up exponentially. Some here wean with diesel smoke, and backer juice out the drivers side window, at that's their prerogative. It's just my opinion that its not the best way.
Click to expand...
Thanks Bigfoot and everyone
Bigfoot when I was blessed with the opportunity to take over my family's land one of the first things I did was built three small 7 to 10 acre pastures for weaning calves . I am kinda proud of that , I think I'm the first to send properly weaned calves off this place that was bought by my great grandfather. The calves of the better doing cows will stay, hopefully to spend winter on oats. We're in a different kinda deal this year. If it doesn't rain soon it will be real bad.

Is it possible I could spend a month weaning. Only to get even less. ??
 
For the most part I'm with Bigfoot. This year, however, I weaned for six days on site and hauled to the sale and had good results(I spoke to the buyers of both the steers and heifers and was told they stayed healthy). All of my calves get vaccinated at branding including pastruella as well so I don't typiclly have much sickness in my calves but I don't like two stresses at once. The calves just do so much better if they're done bawling before they go.
 
Hello all, Been an observer for awhile now and have enjoyed the information and suggestions that everyone has and helps with. While I am not big I usually get to ship about 15 calves a year. I was weaning by smoke for years with my brother and then started to creep feed,vacinate,cut/band, and wean minimum 45 days while comparing his still weaning by smoke.As usual it depended on the markets but I always done better in growth and health by doing it the new way. Now that is the only way I do it. Thanks for letting me put in my :2cents:
 
Threads like this, are what keep me coming back. Lots of logical discussion, and insight.

If the price keeps slippin you could get less. That's why it's an odd year for decisions like this.
 

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