Is there money in stocker cattle?
Stocker cattle represent a great opportunity to turn forages into profit for the savvy cattleman. Stocker calves represent a lot of potential gain, but also a lot of potential loss. The keys to a successful stocker program lie in pasture management, cost control and animal management.
How much can you make on stocker calves?
A producer who is buying Holstein stockers that will gain 2 pounds per day and sell for $0.65 per pound in fall can pay up to $1.09 per pound in spring and break even. Daily rate of gain has an important impact on the profitability of the operation.
How long do you keep stocker cattle?
Generally, the longest anyone will own a stocker calf is eight months, but it can be as short as two months. Advantages to managing stocker cattle is the flexibility to respond to changing conditions, such as drought, because it is designed for animals to come and go relatively quickly.
What is the difference between stocker and feeder cattle?
Parenthetical reference to stocker, feeder, or slaughter cattle is typically included in drug labeling. Stockers Refers to weaned calves grazing pasture to enhance growth prior to finishing and slaughter; they are usually younger, weigh less, and are of lower condition (finish) than “feeders.”
How many acres do you need for a stocker calf?
Calves need to be stocked at 1 to 1.5 acres per calf during the fall but can be stocked at 2 to 3 calves per acre during the spring. Gain per acre was found to range from 400 to 900 pounds and profits averaged $88/acre.
What weight should I sell stocker cattle?
In general, the value of gain on 300-400 pound calves tends to be higher than for 500-600 pound calves. Use the light-weight feeder steers as a base to view the price differences as you add weight to various endpoints. This measurement is commonly used by stocker operators.
What do you feed a stocker calf?
Feeding a coccidiostat and dewormer to calves after arrival is also recommended. Hubbard Feeds offers a line of medicated beef packs and ruminant deworming products that can easily be added to grain mixes or included directly in a total mixed ration.
What is a stocker operation?
In a stocker operation, cattle are obtained that can range from 200-650 lb. with the ultimate goal of providing a consistent pen of cattle to be sold to the next stage of the production line — the feedlot operation.
What is the stocker operation?
What is the best age to sell cattle?
Age at slaughter “typically” can be from 12 to 22 months of age for the high quality grade market. The reason for the range in age is that some calves are weaned and go directly to a feeding facility and are finished for slaughter.
How much 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 corn do I need to feed a 500 pound calf?
This rule will apply only if supplemental feed is limited to 0.75 percent of body weight. For example, if 500 pound calves were fed 3.75 pounds per day of corn (500 x 0.75 percent), expect about 0.09 pound gain for each pound of supplemental corn.