Cattle Prices

[solocam_aggie]

Anyone sell last week? I just got my check today. Makes me want to puke. Fuel, hay, feed, fertilizer, etc all doubles in price, yet the check goes way down. I get we're in a drought, but shouldnt the price of beef go way down too at the supermarket?

Cows that I culled brought $200. Comparing that to the price of ground beef in the store, I should have just shot them in the head and cut off I as much as I could to grind up. Calves brought $500 bucks. It's ridiculous. I imagine there will be a lot more land going into wildlife exemptions after this, myself included.

[stinkbelly]

I bought 3 heifers for $1000 in May and sold all of them for $340 in June. I never win.

[LarryP_1989]

My thinking is if processing plants are already way behind and everyone is reducing their herds right now then feed lots are filling up. If these feed lots can’t get cows to the processing plants due to them being behind then they have to continue to feed them until the plants have more capacity. So my thinking is this will drive up the cost of beef in the store. That’s just my opinion which ain’t worth much.

[denimdeerslayer]

Bookmark this. It has all the auctions prices in the state. Looks like they are actually holding per the reports.

http://www.southernlivestock.com/market_reports

[warrington]

looks like we will be taking 10-15 next week to the sale

[Texas452]

I’ve been through this a lot of times in the last40+ years.
We have about 70 calves that we need to move in a couple months.
We have been buying cows.

[Mitchell8]

Sounds like ought to convert a piece of property into a processing plant if that’s the bottle neck.

[MontagueMech]

Sounds like ought to convert a piece of property into a processing plant if that’s the bottle neck.

A small outfit tried that in Ellis County several years ago and was met with fierce resistance. They were only planning on slaughtering their own beef though.

[Arturo V]

Anyone sell last week? I just got my check today. Makes me want to puke. Fuel, hay, feed, fertilizer, etc all doubles in price, yet the check goes way down. I get we're in a drought, but shouldnt the price of beef go way down too at the supermarket?

Cows that I culled brought $200. Comparing that to the price of ground beef in the store, I should have just shot them in the head and cut off I as much as I could to grind up. Calves brought $500 bucks. It's ridiculous. I imagine there will be a lot more land going into wildlife exemptions after this, myself included.

Sorry to hear that Colton - that’s terrible news. Luckily we haven’t had to sale any yet, but at these rates I may gamble and start putting out hay. I’d imagine heifers and younger cows will be worth a fortune when it starts raining again.
Prices of beef are through the roof indeed with no reflection of what I’ve heard around here people are getting.

[JBJTX81]

Sounds like ought to convert a piece of property into a processing plant if that’s the bottle neck.

its not the number of plants its the lack of a labor force to work in said plants.

[kenner27]

Anyone sell last week? I just got my check today. Makes me want to puke. Fuel, hay, feed, fertilizer, etc all doubles in price, yet the check goes way down. I get we're in a drought, but shouldnt the price of beef go way down too at the supermarket?

Cows that I culled brought $200. Comparing that to the price of ground beef in the store, I should have just shot them in the head and cut off I as much as I could to grind up. Calves brought $500 bucks. It's ridiculous. I imagine there will be a lot more land going into wildlife exemptions after this, myself included.

I was told there were some that flat didn’t sell last week. Dunno what they do in that situation. This drought and the other crap going on is really a messed up deal.

[kyleseipp]

Bookmark this. It has all the auctions prices in the state. Looks like they are actually holding per the reports.
http://www.southernlivestock.com/market_reports

^this

What I have seen of late is that they are holding steady for the last several months.

[solocam_aggie]

Hear this. I sold perfectly good cows too just to get some mouths off the feed bill. Over half brought less than $180 a piece. If you would have told me a 950# cow would have brought $160 after commission, I would have honestly shot the **** thing and and started cutting. I broke a bull elk down on the side of a mountain, why not a beef cow? Have plenty of ice chests ready and get as much in as you can before spoiling.

Figure a pound of ground meat is $5 at the store, I only need 32# before I break even.


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[Low Fence]

I had a 1st calf heifer Friday. Worst bag I’ve ever seen (32 years select ai breeding. Lol)

And she had a bull calf….

Cow weight 1245 brought $747
Calf after commission cost me $10 to sell……. Plus fuel

[Dusty Britches]

The sale barns are overwhelmed with culls. Contract buyers from as far away as Missouri are coming to Texas to buy. Basic economics - huge supply, low number of buyers. Prices will drop. In 2011 I remember the sale barn operator telling me the biggest weekly buyer was sitting in the stands reading a paper, never looking up. The drought is brutal.

Hold on as long as you can but if you have to sell, add as much value as you can. I sold the week after July 4th and was mildly disappointed but when I saw the next week's prices, I was very happy with what I got.