# beef has gone nuts up here



## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

http://www.ontariobeef.com/markets/noon-report.aspx
Steers on the rail are also $2.45-2.50 a lb on the rail. I have never seen prices like this ever.


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## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

Whats the retail market at up there. Are you able to direct market locally? On another note did you see that the U.S. and likely Canada as well are actually ramping up importing Brazilian and Argentine beef in spite of reports of BSE and FMD? It was in Country Folks newspaper.


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## Chessiedog (Jul 24, 2009)

Sold a salvage bull few days ago 1 dollar per pound he weighed 2300 pounds .


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## Dill (Nov 5, 2010)

The problem with selling direct right now is no one outside the industry is aware of the fast rising price, so I'm getting pushback for changing my price as are most people selling direct.


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## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

They see it in the supermarket. They sell ribeye at $9 lb I sell it much lower and still do very well. Works out to about $6 lb average on the carcass.


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

Direct is a great market here. I sell it at $2.75 cut and wrapped. Dont have any on feed right now. Dont have any orders either. Good thing because they would be going to the packer. I saw at the one sale yesterday 2 hol steers weighed 575 @ .88 what a steal. Wish I was there. 6 sold at the other sale weighed 1788 @ $1.32.


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

The scariest part is beef is usually very low right now. What will it be like in 3 or 4 months.


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## Waterway64 (Dec 2, 2011)

Why do you panic when the producers are finally getting decent prices? How many years have struggled to break even? Isn't this why so many producers quit and went to crop production? And now you expect producers to rush back and create a surplus of cheap beef again?


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

Im not panicking im happy its this high. Just wish I had the 150 cows I used to.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

I'm not a cow guy, but I've read this thread with some interest. I'm just imagining how much money JBS swift has in cows on their 2 huge feedlots in my area.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

We had discussed buying some cattle early last year to clean up the hay we didn't want to sell and to keep some rough fields as pasture. Sure wish I had done it! Those 10 cows would have fetched more straight profit than all my haying last year.


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

I still see some lower end bred cows bringing 1000. They just need a bit of feed. Who cares if they raise a calf. Just gotta wait a month for snow to bugger off to buy some. Let the cow raise the calf and ship her in the fall then sell the calf or hold them over to finish. A guy can make a boatload of money if he keeps both eyes open.


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

http://www.keadylivestock.com/catalogue.html
Results from one local sale.


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

http://www.olex.on.ca/Olex/Default.asp
Top producers at another local sale. Check out the price of cull cows.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I am cautiously optomistic. Boxed beef prices have fallen $30 over the last two weeks. To me that means the retail market and the packers need to work out who is going to make less profit. Unlike the farmer/producer, the packers and retail outlets have a profit built into their prices.

It ticks me off some with the talk of importing beef from outside North America. I have no problem with live cattle from Canada and Mexico being finished here and sold as U.S. beef. We have had that arrangement for years. The answer to supply is not to bring in processed beef from Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Chili or some country wanting to cash in on "Made in America".

If those countries had a comparable product then it would sell as well as what we produce.

I have some nice calves to sell. I am waiting for a week of nice weather. I want the buyers there and the pots able to haul what is sold.

A younger friend sold 24 -- 4 and 5 weights two weeks ago. He averaged just under $900 per head. He works a job and lives to feed and tend to his cattle. I was never so happy for a guy to bring home a good check as I was him. He has been struggling with high feed prices and buying hay. He is a hard working humble guy. He was able to keep his poker face but his eyes were dancing with an internal smile.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

ontario hay man said:


> http://www.olex.on.ca/Olex/Default.asp
> Top producers at another local sale. Check out the price of cull cows.


I could not get the link to work. Slaughter cows in good condition have brought $1.00 lb. here recently.

There has been a shortage of slaughter cows for some time now.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Tim/South said:


> I could not get the link to work. Slaughter cows in good condition have brought $1.00 lb. here recently.
> There has been a shortage of slaughter cows for some time now.


Maybe it will force Mickey D's to raise their price or lose money. I try not to think about what people actually eat when they go through the drive thru.


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

Tim/South said:


> I could not get the link to work. Slaughter cows in good condition have brought $1.00 lb. here recently.
> There has been a shortage of slaughter cows for some time now.


Go to the left where it says top producers under live sales.


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## Dill (Nov 5, 2010)

hillside hay said:


> They see it in the supermarket. They sell ribeye at $9 lb I sell it much lower and still do very well. Works out to about $6 lb average on the carcass.


I just did an order of havles and quarters, I'm 3.65 and 3.75lb hanging for havles and 1/4s. I'm now on the low end of the market here. Most are over 4 including butcher which is about 750 an animal. Thought I was in high cotton til I crunched the numbers. I had a Holstein steer that hung at 770 live was a 1388. So the auction price right now is 1.35 or 1873. Granted it kills a morning and a 100 bucks in fuel for the trip down there. I got 1405 a side, so 2060.25 after butcher was my total. Seems good right? But that's 2 trips to the slaughter house, delivery of meat, I had one person refuse to buy the whole half so I had to scramble and split it into 1/4s. All in all, I'm going to have to go up on price or just auction the next couple.

Now I did make a good deal last week, and bought a beltie steer off a neighbor who low on hay for a $1/lb which is my usual buying price, he hung at 630 and I sold 4 quarters at my usual 3.75. What I'm getting at is, its taken me 4 years to build a customer list, and its a lot of hassle. When beef was under a buck last summer I was doing real well, right now its more of break even,but I figure auction price will drop again.


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## Chessiedog (Jul 24, 2009)

Waterway64 said:


> Why do you panic when the producers are finally getting decent prices? How many years have struggled to break even? Isn't this why so many producers quit and went to crop production? And now you expect producers to rush back and create a surplus of cheap beef again?


I'm sure that has to do with it some . But in recent years it been more drought conditions that have had large producers selling off cattle. That is why prices have moved to where they are now more then anything . Lowest number of cattle in the U.S. since like 1951 .


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## Maryland Ridge Farms (Mar 1, 2009)

Im with you Dill been selling freezer beef for 15 years. It takes a long time to build customers. I am losing now by selling mine for $1.25 on the hoof but when they were .75 I was at a $1 so I think in the long run we will make the same amount


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