What is a 500-pound calf worth?

The long-term average is roughly 55 cents per pound of gain. For example, if the price of a 500-pound calf is $1.40 per pound and the price of a 600-pound calf is $1.26, the value of those 100 pounds of gain is $56 or 56 cents per pound.

How much can you sell a calf for?

Calves are assumed to be weaned and sold at an average weight of 550 lbs. In the fourth quarter of 2020, steers in this weight range were selling for prices in the upper $130's and heifers in the low $120's, on a state average basis.

How old is a 500-pound calf?

During this time their primary source of food is milk from their dam, and the grass or roughage (hay) that is available. At 6-9 months of age the calves are weaned off their dams and placed in a field or pen with other calves of a similar age and weight. Most calves will weigh 500-700 lbs at weaning.

What weight is best for selling calves?

steer. For a lighter animal moving up to that weight, the price rolls back pretty fast. But if you take the animal from 600 to 750, that is the most valuable gain in the feeder cattle complex. It drops a little, but stays pretty high all the way up to 900 lbs.

How much is a 800 pound steer worth?

Tonsor projects 2020 steer calf prices to average $173 to $181. He sees 700- to 800-pound steers averaging $149 to $155 per cwt. Fed steers are forecast to average $117 to $121 in 2020. Those prices are similar to 2018, when 3% more pounds of beef were marketed than in 2017.

I Trained Calves For 100 Days And This Is What Happened

How much is a 500-pound cow worth?

A 500-pound calf would cost about $700. Bred heifers cost a little more than 1.5 times the cost of a heifer. A bred heifer would cost about $1,300 to purchase. Full-grown cows can cost as much as $4,000 to $5,000 per cow.

When should I sell my calves?

The best time to sell calves is when the market is high. Traditionally, February and March are the best times of the year. During this time, wheat and oats are readily available for grazing and growing calves.

How much does a baby calf cost?

A baby cow, or calf, costs an average price of around $150 to $300. This price range depends on its age and whether it's weaning.

What is the best weight to butcher a steer?

Buy Standard to Good feeder grade steers weigh- ing 600 pounds and full feed a finishing ration until they yield a slaughter grade of Good. This may be 800-900 pounds, depending on gain rate and feed conversion.

How much does a 2 year old steer weigh?

With that foundation of our genuine heartfelt thanks to them, I'll go on to explain how the process unfolds. Lets assume an average sized two year olds steers weighs approximately 1,000 lbs; that weight is called the “live weight”.

How much does a 2 year old calf weigh?

The 2-year-old weighed 1,082 pounds (4.9), 3-year-olds 1,184 (5), 4-year-olds 1,255 (5), 5-year-olds 1,279 (5.1), 6-year-olds 1,301 (5.2) and the 7-year-olds 1,304 (5.2). One should note that cows keep growing until they reach 7 years of age in this data set.

How do I market my calves?

Several marketing options exist for those who have backgrounded their calves. They can sell them privately, take them to the local auction market, sell them on the video market or a combination of those using one or several value-added programs.

Can you butcher a 7 year old cow?

While it is undeniable that meat gets tougher as an animal ages, Danforth says it is possible to get flavorful and tender meat from an older animal.

How much does it cost to raise a calf to slaughter?

If you retain ownership of the calves and they are the type of calf that can go through a growing period during the winter and grass pasture in the spring and summer, then to a short feedlot phase and the total cost after weaning to slaughter is about $520, then the total cost is $905 per head (using cow cost to ...

How do you make money with cattle?

Does it pay to wean calves?

The bottom line is weaned calves are typically worth $20 to $40 more per head than otherwise equal non-weaned calves, before accounting for weight gain during the weaning period. These results, combined with vaccination protocols, can help producers send more profitable calves to the marketplace.

What is the current hanging weight price for beef?

1. When it comes to beef price per pound, expect to pay $5.09 – $6.17 per pound (hanging weight).

What month are cattle prices the highest?

The seasonality patterns, however, are generally consistent over 10 years, with the highest prices occurring in March, April and May and the lowest prices occurring September through December. This pattern also seems logical because about 76 percent of the annual calf crop is born in the first 6 months of the year.

Are cattle prices going up in 2022?

At first glance, 2022 cattle prices are higher than 2021. At $140, slaughter steer prices are 17.5% above 2021 prices, but even with higher prices, farmers and ranchers will travel a rocky road to profitability, paved with inflation and higher input costs in 2022.

What breed of cattle brings the most money?

What breed of cattle is most profitable? Angus: This is the most popular breed of beef cattle. Their meat quality is excellent and they provide 50 percent of their weight in the meat.

Is now a good time to sell cows?

Data from the USDA over the past 10 years suggest that the best time to market cull cows is not in the fall of the year. Prices are generally lowest during the months of November and December, while the highest prices are received during the months of March, April, and May.

What is the most profitable cattle to raise?

Beef cattle are generally the most profitable and easiest livestock to raise for profit. Beef cattle simply require good pasture, supplemental hay during the winter, fresh water, vaccinations and plenty of room to roam. You can buy calves from dairy farms inexpensively to start raising beef cattle.