[ksfarmer]

Getting nervous, I got some beef heifers I plan on selling early winter and am wondering if now is the time. A friend sold 15 mix angus/herford heifers weighing 820 lbs for $2.12 per lb yesterday at auction. Thats a big chunk of change for a critter thats still got a long ways to go before it reaches the table. I've got the hay and grass is still good, how long do I risk waiting before I pull the trigger??:cowboy: Anybody got a crystal ball?

 

[Wild_Bill]

Sale prices my change a bit, but beef isn't going down anytime soon at the store. If your selling at the sale who knows. If your selling to end user your fine. It's just like gas. Oil drops 15% gas takes months to drop that same 15% so you have time.

 

[Wanda]

I have never had a $1500 calf break a leg or die AFTER I sold it! I have had some that did before they could be sold.

 

[randm]

I am in the same boat, though I only have one calf and he is only 3 months old. I am trying to decide if I should sell him in December when he is 6 months or wait for early spring and let him grow some. I have the advantage of him being in the pasture with other family members cows so I wont have to feed him.

 

[collegeboundgal]

my thoughts on the subject tend to lean towards holding them until spring if you can't get them sold this fall. The price of cattle, I have found, seems to drop during the winter. As soon as the fields start greening up, everybody wants to put beef on them to eat the grass. Try to hold them until spring. Yes, their is risk, but come on, the whole game of farming is a risk. As for the heifers, you could maybe try to sell off something like craigslist.

 

[kycountry]

Stock and slaughter cows are starting to slip a little on price.. but I see the markets for feeders to hold steady or rise throughout the next 4-6 months because of corn prices being fairly low in the $4 per bushel range. We're banking on it to hold up with 17 feeders in the 400-500 range right now..

 

[Awnry Abe]

No crystal ball, but I don't think prices are going to crash. I'd suggest not looking at this group that you have on the block, but instead on your operation. There may or may not be anything other than a marginal difference between now and the spring. If the presence of those hooves brings an improvement to your land, I would keep them. If it would stress it, I would move them.

 

[FarmerDavid]

I'd love to see some $4 corn, were $2.50 here. Part of me thinks I should
Sell them before the price drops or they die, the other part thinks I've got bins full if cheep corn I can feed them.

 

[Jlynnp]

At the auction today I watched feeder cattle go from $2.20 to over $3.00

 

[ksfarmer]

I'd love to see some $4 corn, were $2.50 here. Part of me thinks I should
Sell them before the price drops or they die, the other part thinks I've got bins full if cheep corn I can feed them.

Yep, corn is $2.75 here now, I've got hay too. Might be best to sell my hay and corn on the hoof.