western iowa,by Denison | lacockcattleco - 2/17/2025 15:35
Seems to me that the margins for fattening cattle look subpar for the next turn. Partly due to logistics and a hail storm that took out our corn intended to be HMC. This left us with very high amounts of roughage but low amounts of energy. Toying with the idea of selling our steers and replacing with cows to rebreed. We have 700 of our own heifers to rebreed but I don’t care to calve more than 500. So maybe we breed 500 heifers and 500 young cows? On paper the economics look good but I’m unsure when I should breed the cows to calve if we just resell them at the barn. we typically don’t calve till April 20th but should I breed them for April 1st or March 15th or March 1st. MGA and AI is my plan.
Seems to me the big feedlots with flakers and all the technology can run more efficiently than me as a farmer feeder. With my distances to kill and the winter weather here I think I need to find a niche aside from traditional feeding. Anyone have any recommendations, suggestions or off the wall thoughts on what to do with a small mountain of silage? Would be open to custom delvoping heifers too but would prefer to just own them personally. Do I still just use live Cattle puts for protection? How do I shift gears without hanging to much risk out.
What say NAT? your in perfect cow country, with ability to wean off calves for 50-75 days then ship east,we buy a lot of calves in your neighborhood, usually the freight on a 500# calf is the difference in profit compared to hauling a 750#,theres no Majic in feeding feeders,but there certainly is Majic in what you do raising a good feeding calf,I personally do not know why a cow man would be worried about cattle feeding when theres only a few times you make bank on feeding,your are so blessed with pasture and feed,you need to stick to the basics and raise calves-we have no pasture here in Iowa,but we grow a lot of feed,you have pasture and ability to raise feed for cows,Best of luck,I think you are overthinking it when you know what is the best route! |
Second opinions on feedlot operations
