# Cattle Herd Rebuilding



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

A slow process at best.

Regards, Mike

http://www.agweb.com/article/cattle_herd_rebuilding_will_be_a_slow_process_NAA_University_News_Release/


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

Cattle numbers should improve a little in three years. Heifers kept now will have produced a weaned calf by then. The herd, in theory, should grow a little each year after that.

A lot depends on corn remaining affordable and drought. If corn goes up then the price of cattle will drop. With out high prices as an incentive to build the herd we may see some of the current retained heifers on feed.

Cattle futures took a big hit today. Normally that would weaken the cash price. That did not happen.

I bet the people in suits playing futures have spent a good deal of time scratching their heads this year.


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## panhandle9400 (Jan 17, 2010)

I know here it has been damn tough on the cowman, there are 100's of thousands of acres of rangeland that has very few cows on it due to the drought. I know several big ranches that are only running a few hundred head, for instance I neighbor a 110 section ranch and they told me they only have around 450 units out. I took some hunters out a week or so ago and showed them some country and we did not see many cows , it hurts me as a hay producer too, cause I used to sell these ranches 1000's of tons each season. I was in my Dads office doing some paperwork the other day and I was told that a local feedyard manager told a man that he would give him 2.00 a lb for a 800 lb heifer, that blows me away . I dont know if he wants to put them on feed or hold them over for a cow? It is hard to even find many stockers from around here so it will be a helluva wheat pasture year coming up I bet. So you boys down in Dixie better have plenty of calves ready this fall..................


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## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

Local dairy sold the cows this week. High high high. A buyer from Canada bought most of them and paid B.I.G. Three calves he gave $900 apiece. Less than a month old.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

hillside hay said:


> Three calves he gave $900 apiece. Less than a month old.


That makes the high prices I saw at the sale this week look like pocket change.

Glad to see the dairyman get good money. Hate to lose another dairy though.


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## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

those were definitely the highest prices I've ever seen. I can only figure the guy was buying the genetics and is planning to clone them. The dairyman is just taking advantage of the high market. He's planning to take vacation for a year or so and then rebuild when the market drops back to earth in a couple years. Most of my cousins have trimmed their herds way back as well. Some fellas in funny lookin hats from southern Ohio have been paying top dollar for good dairy cattle.


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## Colby (Mar 5, 2012)

Prices were suppose to fall a little this week but I took some calves to the sell barn anyways, 3 steers off of first calf heifers, brought 2.60 a pound and weighed 475. 
Let's just say, the cows damn near paid for themselves on their first calfs.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Same here. Took 38 head to the sale barn two weeks ago. Weight ranged from 595 to 710. Held back my smaller calves for sale this fall. Steers and bulls brought $210 to 250. I was very pleased.


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