stocker cattle

[6ncounting]

What can you tell me about this. Where would I buy them, how much do they eat and is it possible for them to serve dual purpose?

[topside1]

I guess stocker cattle are beef feeder cattle (angus, black baldies, etc). Well if they are than hundreds roll through my local auctions weekly. Heifers, bulls, steers all out of beef stock. They eat about 5-7% of their body weight daily. Sure any cow can be dual purpose, just depends on how much milk you are looking for....here's a cut and paste of our areas latest animal sales....If your looking to buy, raise and slaughter for the family, well now is a good time to do it. Cattle prices are low now, but it's my belief the price of beef will be going through the roof soon, and possiblily out of reach for some families.

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 - 2
Head Wt Range Avg Wt Price Range Avg Price
6 300-345 323 115.00-120.00 116.92
7 365-390 377 115.00-117.00 116.08
2 425-425 425 113.00-116.00 114.50
3 526-526 526 106.50 106.50
7 553-597 571 106.00-111.50 108.06
10 600-648 629 95.50-104.00 100.47
4 665-690 679 98.00-103.50 100.13
3 730-737 735 97.00-98.00 97.33
Medium and Large 3
1 250-250 250 106.00 106.00
4 300-325 311 110.00-111.00 110.75
3 350-395 367 109.00-111.00 109.96
5 405-430 417 100.00-107.00 103.21
4 465-480 476 99.50-102.00 100.11
2 510-525 518 95.00-100.00 97.46
2 650-650 650 90.00-93.00 91.50

Feeder Heifers Medium and Large 1 - 2
Head Wt Range Avg Wt Price Range Avg Price
7 325-340 331 102.00-108.00 105.29
5 382-395 388 100.00-106.00 103.78
9 410-440 425 98.00-106.00 103.33
22 450-496 482 94.50-104.50 97.44
5 510-540 516 94.00-98.00 96.12
10 563-585 571 96.00-101.00 97.31
7 600-640 620 92.00-97.00 94.29
6 665-685 678 87.00-95.00 90.67
1 715-715 715 89.00 89.00
Medium and Large 3
1 280-280 280 100.00 100.00
3 300-330 312 100.00-103.00 101.06
5 355-390 373 95.00-100.00 96.44
24 400-445 422 90.00-102.50 97.46
4 470-485 480 90.00-96.00 93.02
3 530-540 533 86.00-90.00 88.34
4 555-580 568 84.00-91.00 87.10
1 600-600 600 86.00 86.00
1 670-670 670 86.50 86.50
1 725-725 725 81.00 81.00
2 775-790 783 73.00-73.50 73.25

[6ncounting]

that is the price per hundred #'s right? Won't prices dip closer to winter?

[translplant]

Goodness John! Please tell me you cut and pasted that from another source and did not type all that in?

With the selling that happened last year with our drought I agree that there will be a big buy back soon in the Southeast. The fields around here are looking great - just drove home from Atlanta today and saw the first hay bales rolled in Murfreesboro and it looked about 500% better than this time last year!

Linda
Clover Bell Farm
Vanleer, Tennessee

[topside1]

Yes the prices you see are per hundred pounds. Those prices are extremely low compared to past years. Grain prices, fertilizer prices, gas prices are influencing cattlemen to sell now. My perdiction is soon there will be an extreme beef shortage....JMO.....Linda I have mastered the art of cut and paste....work smarter not harder...your friend on the plateau.

[ksfarmer]

To me,, stocker cattle are any critters in the 400 to 800 lb range that you buy to run on grass for the season to get them up to the size to go into a feedlot, then they are feeder cattle. You try to get some cheap gain by utilizing available grass pasture. In Kansas, you should be able to put on 250 or so pounds over the grazing season.

[6ncounting]

how many can I put on 10 acres in ks?

[ksfarmer]

On good native grass pasture, I would put 3 or 4 max of 400-500 lb calves. If it is good bromegrass, you might get an extra one early and late, but brome doesn't do as well in august heat.

[darbyfamily]

but I told ya before!!!.. DEXTERS HA! you can put more Dexters!

Love ya... how are things progressing on the house/land deal?