Stocker Heifers: How much $$$ did we lose?

[@GilliamFarms]

We are a small operation here in NE Oklahoma and we haven't had a rain in nearly 2 months now. I started feeding hay a few days back but luckily due to the abundance of hay we made last year and the 2 cuttings we got this year we have more than enough. I was going to sell our calves from our cow/calf pairs in late september but due to the drop in Market price I decided to hold them for a late winter or early spring sale when hopefully the prices will rebound because like I said we have PLENTY of hay to carry the extra mouths thank goodness. Love your channel and good luck with the elk hunt. Our channel is seeing good growth and we are thankful for that as well...

[@Kaya084]

I’m in NE/E Oklahoma as well, Tahlequah area. We need rain so bad. Our pond is so low at the moment.

[@HurricaneCreekFarms]

@@GilliamFarms yeah, we had gotten dry, but the two hurricanes remedied that really quick for us. Glad y’all have the hay to make it work!

[@GilliamFarms]

@@Kaya084 we are all around Tahlequah as well!

[@ourlouisianalife318]

As the old saying goes you win some you lose some but at least it wasn't something you can't overcome. Thanks for sharing Bobby Lee

[@HurricaneCreekFarms]

Yeah, definitely some good lessons this year and we’ll definitely recover. Fortunately, I don’t have to rely on the farm as my primary source of income

[@ThrillbilliesFishing]

one of the best videos you have made and I watch them all. Far as the content not the out come

[@HurricaneCreekFarms]

@@ThrillbilliesFishing thanks!

[@WholesomeFamilyFarms]

I had a similar experience this year with cattle. I had a couple guys custom grazing straight beef animals for me steers and heifers. They didn’t gain worth the hoot either under a pound per day but they had a lot of pink eye issues. I ended up putting crossbreds on my farm and they didn’t gain either. I’ll never do those again. But take it as a learning experience. Just adapt and move forward! Have a good day!

[@HurricaneCreekFarms]

Yeah, live and learn. Good luck to yall!

[@jaclynalley809]

Yep, i know what you mean, that homegrown beef sure tastes good

[@randomloverboy]

Great break down! I want to raise some yearlings, but I work 50hrs a week and I know a lot of people say you have to be there with the cattle. Can you talk about your full time job part time cattle balance?

[@HurricaneCreekFarms]

@@randomloverboy I’ll try to hit on it in detail sometime. First, I have a very understanding wife that allows me to have two jobs. Second, I’ve basically given up all other hobbies, as I have no free time. I think that’s why I like out of town hunting trips. My deer hunting here at home lasts about 30 minutes before I decide I need to be working on chores!

[@carboncopies706]

You do not have to be there all the time but they have to be fed, just have good fences

[@josephbulllucero2104]

Well that kinda sucks brother? Sorry! Like you said got to keep on getting on! Keep the head up and move on. Big or small any losses never can recoup the loss unless you have that insurance? I didn’t have it lost 5 still think everyday on that cause the future loss adds up! 😢 I kind of track the market , not sure if your area was down a bit from the high? Market was squirrelly. HEY you got a lot of exercise at least? lol good luck on the hunt ok! I also heard some serious automatic gun fire in the back ground there at about 6 minutes in? Were you close to Gaza? lol . God Bless Bull Lucero USMC

[@HurricaneCreekFarms]

@@josephbulllucero2104 yeah, one of the neighbors was having a little target practice! I noticed it for sure, but just rolled on! Gun shots around here are no big deal. A little south of us, in Memphis, it can be much more serious!

[@DaughertyFarms]

Dickson my home town. I was there Monday!

[@HurricaneCreekFarms]

We really like the market up there. It’s kinda odd sending them east, knowing they probably just turn around and come right back down I-40 right past us, but they’ve always done really well there

[@DaughertyFarms]

@@HurricaneCreekFarms yea they have been very steady. Had a slight decrease in price in early-mid August.

[@55Bigdon1]

What did the LRP do for you?

[@HurricaneCreekFarms]

Fortunately, the market was good, so it didn’t pay out. It’s simply insurance against the market falling. I’m not super familiar with all the market options, but the best way I have heard it described is that it is basically like buying a put. We buy the LRP every year, but hope that we don’t need it.

[@jvenema86]

so wonderful beautiful video Bobby i love it see so nice

[@robertbronson1639]

I mean that ain't no real blowup. Lots of options with heifers i guess. Maybe try the double numbers, with a low birth weight angus for 30 days? Sell a bit early, but turn out the tail end pee-wees, and the bred heifers for a second check for the holidays?

[@swinsonadventures2121]

You made money, you just gave it to the insurance man and the banker.

[@HurricaneCreekFarms]

@@swinsonadventures2121 that’s right!

[@flyhigh5056]

Always the constant..

[@EighteenWheelerPilot]

What's the profit margin like on calves from your ranch that you raise to low 700's in weight?

[@zaccorter78]

Dip into some dollar cost averaging, brother

[@Darrin-hb1nj]

Stocker calves are hard when prices are high.

[@joshhorvat8247]

What about the option of just running cow/calf pairs? Eliminates having to buy feeders every year.

[@HurricaneCreekFarms]

That’s an idea. We like not having so many to feed through the winter, though. The stockers have been really profitable the last few years, with this being our first year at a loss. I’d probably consider maybe going the other route and selling the cowherd and running stockers on all the pasture. Not planning to do so, but it would be nice to not have to worry about putting up hay and dealing with animals in the mud all winter.

[@jimarcher7665]

Kinda sad when the Auction mart made more money selling them twice than you did feeding them all summer

[@HurricaneCreekFarms]

Yeah, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. We’ve done well several years in a row. Sad that all of agriculture operates on these thin margins and you have to plan for years like this

[@jimarcher7665]

@@HurricaneCreekFarms was it possible to keep heifers and breed them and sell as breds?

[@HurricaneCreekFarms]

@@jimarcher7665 yeah, but many of these weren’t ready for a bull just yet. And we found out last year that selling bred heifers ain’t near as simple as sending feeders to the auction. That was our backup plan if the market had totally crashed or done anything crazy.

[@bobbywhite2294]

Try semo livestock fruitland MO

[@dennisfowler2138]

What kind of ag loans are yall using? If not are you going out on a limb with your own collateral?

[@HurricaneCreekFarms]

@@dennisfowler2138 line of credit through farm credit

[@dkmullenix]

What level of LRP insurance did you do? Did it pay out?

[@HurricaneCreekFarms]

I think we had them at around $2.15, so it shouldn’t pay anything. I guess we don’t know for sure, but I’m definitely not counting on it.

[@terryholt2906]

Well just didn’t bank,but as you said it could have been worse,is raising cow/calf just takes too long ??

[@HurricaneCreekFarms]

Cow/calf definitely takes longer and the pain of having to keep them through the winter

[@TerryWarrenSr-x5h]

If you sell in Mo. Could you have made more money?

[@HurricaneCreekFarms]

No, these brought really good money, they just didn’t gain weight like they should have. The interest really hurt us, too. We’ve always considered sending them to west plains, but they keep bringing better money than we expect. As long as they bring as much as the market is in those other areas, we’ll be loyal to those guys as long as they are good to us.

[@calebjones983]

I wonder what's the number you would have made if you'd brought half as many broke my cows and raised a calf out of them this year

[@freddylove9914]

That sound bad BOBBY

[@robertensign8786]

I’d just buy more pairs or bred cows instead of trying to run yearlings/feeders. Cow calf is the way to be with these cattle prices. Just my ,02

[@true5188]

Sound like ww3 in the backround sounds

[@strathmournholsteins]

If you’re not earning your learning

[@Pjfriend]

It sounds like you should have been in the hay business only , but to look at it for income tax off your paycheck, I myself feels like it as a hobby 😢and not having to support the Democrat in taxes

[@HurricaneCreekFarms]

The market for cow hay isn’t great around here. Horse hay can be a different story.