I’m pondering to sell or not to sell

I’ve studied cattle prices for years. I’ve so much I have become an expert at one thing, and one thing only.

I have no idea most of the time if the price I get for my calves will be anywhere near the price that is quoted on the USDA market reports each week, it’s a guessing game.

Most of the time, my calves bring about three-fourths of the top selling calves that I read about on the most recent market report. I guess that’s not bad in a way, but it always leaves me wondering what I could have done better to get those calves to bring top dollar.

I’ve swapped from red angus, to black angus, to brangus cows. I’ve tried Angus, Polled Hereford, Maine Anjou, Limousine, and now lim-flex bulls.

I’ve fed all types of feed rations to my cows from liquid feed to distillers grains and even some high end feeds. I’ve swapped minerals, wormers, pesticides and herbicides. You’d think I’d have the biggest, broadest and prettiest calves there are.

Somehow every time I haul calves to the sale barn, I see some that look a notch or two better than mine. I’d sure like to know what those folks are feeding their calves.

Whenever I have a set of calves about ready to go to town I start reading those market reports trying to determine the trends. Will they bring more the following week or should I hold them a while longer?

I always question if this is the right time.

A few years ago. I held a pot load of calves a week too long, according to the market report, and I cost myself about $2,000 dollars on one load of calves. The market really dropped within a week when I sold them.

These last few years, I’ve been researching getting into a niche market so I’m not so tied to the ups and downs of the stock market and the future markets. It seems they find any excuse they can to drop the price week to week.

Oh well, with all the worry, I still ain’t movin’ to town and gettin a job sitting behind a desk. I like my wore out feed truck and a ranch horse that’s a hare snorty on a cool morning.

I ain’t meant to be cooped up inside.