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Post by oldduffer on Dec 3, 2019 17:30:07 GMT -6
Opened the packet that had the April Hereford Slick and a couple of sale catalogs today. Sad to see a 100+ year breeder sell out. Didn't look at much in the issue but it happened to open to an article from a packer that said 20-25% of the cattle killed last year are yield grade 4 & 5. Help me understand the economics of feeding cattle to yield grade 4 & 5....if that's what it takes to get them to grade choice.
Let's make Herefords GREAT again!!!
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Post by coleyherefords on Dec 3, 2019 17:37:23 GMT -6
Feedlots like it. They get to sell us more feed to finish them.
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Post by timbernt on Dec 3, 2019 18:25:10 GMT -6
That was the whole reason CHB made sense. If you have ever graphed the rate of gain or feed conversion you will be astounded that an industry demands such inefficiency. The National buyer at HRC will not look at cattle fed less than 150 days. Probably a good thing the Herefords of today aren't true Herefords.
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Post by cflory on Dec 3, 2019 20:17:19 GMT -6
I buy all my grain so I want to sell when they have reached that plateau on efficiency, actually just starting to decline. For my calves it has been 1300ish lbs. After that I don't see them getting thicker or bigger bodied just FATTER! So far I have only had 2 select, one was a steer I tried to knock the horns back on entering the finishing phase which was dumb on my part. The other was a purchased heifer. What's more concerning to me is I didn't feel like we had any better than average carcass genetics but now I am starting to think we have great CHB$ after seeing how far most have to feed to reach choice. They do pay a premium for yield grades 1 & 2 at Greater so like you asked why the push to 4s and 5s? My first year hauling to Omaha I had to make two trips. First load was Trask X Trojan steers and heifers. They were the earlier maturing, fatter at the time. Second load was L1 X Trojan, didn't go for almost 60 days after and only had 75lbs more carcass weight. $3 a day to feed X 60 days = $180. 75lb carcass added X $2 hanging = $150. I made $30 MORE on the early lighter calves. On my genetic side I am seeing a combination of all three lines maximizing profit.
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Post by strojanherefords on Dec 8, 2019 17:08:50 GMT -6
Cattle feeding is unfortunately a topic that we need to have a better understanding of. If I had to guess the poor yielding cattle are the product of not enough frame to efficiently butcher when they are physiologically ready and a need to hold cattle on feed to maintain a consistent supply of fed cattle.
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Post by rockmillsherefords on Dec 15, 2019 12:50:28 GMT -6
The Simplot results are in this months HW 97% choice fed to high 3's low 4's YG They're Herefords, they're not supposed to be terminal breeding stock are they?
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Post by timbernt on Dec 15, 2019 16:28:15 GMT -6
If they are feeding to 97% choice, the conversion will suck. What the packers demand today is horribly wasteful. The amount of fat trim that is worth $.20 is astounding. Could be 200 lbs on a 1300 lb heifer. I guess the theory is to mix the $.20 fat with meat from cows costing $.38, sell $3 hamburger and use creative accounting to legitimize money from other sources. Pretty hard to stomach being at the bottom of that economic model.
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Post by rockmillsherefords on Dec 16, 2019 14:55:20 GMT -6
5.7 to 1 conversion
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Post by timbernt on Dec 16, 2019 15:27:38 GMT -6
Fantastic conversion compared to the industry.
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