What is a going price for beef calves? (cattle beef)

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My cows are going to calve in May and I have someone who wants to buy the calves for raising beef. They are a prime beef breed. This will be the first time I have done this.

At what age should I sell them?

What is a going price for a beef calf?

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), March 21, 2001

Answers

I would recommend going to the local livestock auction barn the day before a sale and talking to one of the owners. They will know more about local conditions than anyone else.

I'm going to put an ad in the paper next week for my orphaned calf I am bottle feeding for $200. Yep, $200. He is bottle trained, healthy, black, polled and I'll give a warantee period. Probably won't get it, but hey...

You might wait until the calves are old enough to wean and then charge $.10 per pound liveweight more than local auction price since you have a known product.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), March 21, 2001.


look here to see what prices are in your area

-- nobrabbit (conlane@prodigy.net), March 21, 2001.

Let me try that again prices

-- nobrabbit (conlane@prodigy.net), March 21, 2001.

Beef prices are up do to the hoof and mouth disease in Europe or Great Britian 2 weeks ago 300 pounders were 1.50 per lb Jay in NC

-- jay vance (jay.l.vance@worldnet.att.net), March 21, 2001.

In Central Oregon, day-olds start at $50 for dairy and go up to $225 for beef. Over 250 lbs and they go by the pound, about .50 some cents for holstein steers and $1.10 on up for beef steers. Personally, I would wean at between 4 and 6 months and sell for $1.20 per pound, more if I delivered them.

-- Julie (julieamc@excite.com), March 21, 2001.


Here in Ky the spring calves ready to eat grass go for 1.00 a pound. Everyone wants them.

-- Cindy in Ky (solidrockranch@hotmail.com), March 22, 2001.

I was at auction on wedsday .White face calves 60 plus pounds went for up to $2.00 a pound .Dairy calve up to 100 lb went for as high as $3.90 a pound .Even dairy cows for beef are up .But listen to our Gov . and " mad cow disease won't affect prices in the US " Now if that isn't BULL---- I don't know what is .

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), March 22, 2001.

Hey, Are you going to sell them as babies or wait till they have reached a age of weaning? We keep our babies till they reach 5 mo. This way the babies get a good start and the mothers are still able to keep in good condition with the next one. Here in NE KY the new babies are bringing $200 to $250 , varing weights and health. Some of them look pretty sick. The olders ones go by the lb, nothing under $1.00. Do you have a scale or are you going to tape them? You will need some way of knowing their weight. Vist you livestock sales to get familar with how sales work. One piece of advise, keep a pair of boots or shoes just for this job. We never wear our farm boots out or use them off the farm. you would be surprised what you can pick up at other places and bring home with you. Take your time ,in a few years you will be a old hand at this.

-- lexi Green (whitestone11@hotmail.com), March 22, 2001.

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