42 cents a pound rant

I notice the clover taking over also thats why I asked if its Alice...Alice is the best white clover IMO .It will compete with anything for that bare spot.Here in Iowa it will grow 10 " + .Leaves get as big as a mans hand.....I love it.

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....piffy on a rock bun ....

http://www.gofundme.com/AngelBabyNeeds

NSA - The only government agency that actually listens to what you have to say.

I have found through observation and trial and error (ouch!) that selling dairy cows through auctions that primarily sell beef cattle is a sure losing bet.

Some Holsteins seem to grow very slowly, not really putting on much weight until 2+years old. I'm no expert on cattle genetics, but I'd imagine it has to do with particular bloodlines. We have a holstein/hereford heifer that is pg with her first calf. She was smallish for a LONG time, and now, at nearing 3 years old, she is quite tall and well-fleshed out.
If the animal was otherwise normal, no diarrhea, eating and drinking fine, good flesh all around, I'd be inclined to think that he just hadn't hit his growth spurt yet. It happens.
Sorry for your pain in the wallet. Boy, have I been there

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"Perhaps I'll have them string a clothesline from the hearse I am in, with my underwear waving in the breeze, as we drive to the cemetary. People worry about the dumbest things!"
by Wendy

J.T.M.

If you want more pics go to the sticky on rotational grazing at the top of this forum

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Agmantoo
If they can do it,
you know you can!

~ looks at watch ~ Iv been waiting ................thanks and will check it out.Im a pasture nerd .

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....piffy on a rock bun ....

http://www.gofundme.com/AngelBabyNeeds

NSA - The only government agency that actually listens to what you have to say.

How did your steer compare to the others sold that day? Have you sold cattle before, or was this your first time selling at the auction? Was it a barn that is geared toward dairy, or more beef?

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Sugarstone Farm Blog

It was my first. This auction primarily sells culled Holsteins. Thirty years ago my folks bought bum calves and resold them for a (poor) living. My cabinet shop died, my back gave out, my furniture business crashed. No job, no money, I was looking for some income...ya. Hopefully I'll get enough to at least pay my dad the money I borrowed. I am at the point of selling my woodworking tools, which is like selling my soul. Just sentimental I guess.

That just sucks!!! I hope there are better days ahead for you. ((((hug))))

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"I love all of this mud," said no one, ever.

Around here its best to sell off the farm, prices are much more stable and you can be firm on the price. Advertised and sold all my young Jersey bulls like this this year. Only one left and he is too fat and too short to even think about trying to breed a cow, so he will probably be a cheeseburger in paradise next year!

I don't know what happened with your calf. At a small sale the buyers could simply have filled their truck or nobody had an order for that paticular animal. Or something was wrong some way with it that you missed. Order buyers don't get where they are at by not knowing cattle.

It sometimes also depends on who you are and how many you sell there per year. My local sale is quite large for our area and unless your cattle come from a known seller the guy in the ring setting the bid in low balls the seller and takes care of the buyers there. If you single tag a fairly large group of like size and condition cattle you're not going to do well.

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Francismilker

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" James 5:16

Every sale barn has its quirks. We had one here change hands after they ran all the buyers off. They ran the traders off first and and went down hill from there.

Bargain animals is a direct result of the stockyards closing across the country, during the "slick willie" years the packing companys were allowed to form monopolies and they went to bypassing the stockyards, also operated corporate farms that produced pork so cheap that ordinary people couldn't compete and made up Their losses at the packing house end...

Sold my calf crop today at the local livestock sale barn. 724 lb spring calves (angus steers) brought $1.44 per lb. 8oo lb heiffers brought $1.27. It all added up to a nice check, but thats all for the year. Gotta wait on next years crop now.

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* I'm supposed to respect my elders, but its getting harder and harder for me to find one. .*-