Price of beef

BIG RUH

Member
We get our freezer beef from the BIL. They're black
angus and he raises them from start to finish and
we do our own butchering. Well he sold some the
other day and got $2000 apiece for them. Going to
cost more for our freezer beef this year.
 
Blame it on the value of the dollar. I've said before that the 1st steers I sold were in 1971 and I got 36 cents a pound. According to the US gov. CPI inflation calculator that equals $2.10 a pound today.
 
People always say,
Why is ham so high?
Two hind legs on a hog is why.
Cross them with an octopus, and the price will come down,
There will be hog in the middle and hams all around.
 
I took a load four weeks ago,averaged $2103 a head. They've dropped a little,I took some Monday,only averaged $1913. (both actual checks after deductions) The gas man was telling me that a guy out east of town showed him the check he got five weeks ago for 5 Holstein steers. Said he got $11,000 for them.
 
The news was just talking about huge increases in food coming this winter.
I don't even go out to eat anymore. I would rather eat better and cheaper at home.
 
We don't eat much beef, simply because we like the other meats better. I suspect drop in demand will temper prices before long.
 
Price of beef in the grocery store will result in severe sticker shock.

Looked at a black Angus roast a couple of weeks back. Don't remember how many lbs it was, but sticker was $34.00. It stayed in the counter.
 
There is a huge lack of supply right now, which is the reason for the prices. Remember those droughts in Texas and other southern states for the last couple of years?? The extra supply of beef on the market then has now dried up, and during the drought, the ranchers did not have feed to re-build their herds. Now they are rebuilding, but there is not much in the way of supply. Buying cattle right now would be a big mistake, price is way too high. However if you happen to have any ready to sell, sell them now, you will get a great check for them.
 
And I'll bet you thought that was super good money, It was good money back then , basically the same as $2.10 is now.
 
My Dad said that during the drought in central, NE in the early 1900's, the farmers/ranchers drove sheep into the Platte River to drown them to save the grass for the cattle. The Platte was so shallow that they walked on the backs of the dead sheep with a pole to push the heads of the sheep that didn't drown under water.

He helped his Dad drive 2-year-old steers to market in Grand Island; the steers sold for $3 per head!

The family moved out of Nebraska in 1908.
 
Big My guy grain feed the calf for 60 days before slaughter. He put up some this spring and sold me a 1100 lb calf for 1.45 rail weight. Fast forward to last month he sold 21 OFF the pasture that brought almost 2 thousand a piece at the sale barn. They definitely are up but nothing like having it in the freezer when you want it.
 
Beef industry is complicated to understand. Several year drought in parts of the country forced cow calf herd liguidation. Many guy that got out are not going back in. High feed costs contributed. Weather is getting better some restorcking occuring. The heifer cow ratio is getting higher. Indicates cow calf herd is building to some degree. Beef cattle restocking can not turn on a dime. Have to think past the putting in a microwave for a minute mentality.
Exports continue to increase as Japanese, Europeans pay twice the price we do for retail beef.
Bottom line beef prices go in cycles. This herd is now the smallest since 1950. Dry weather, high commodity are easing up. Given enough time the American Farmer will drive beef on the hoof to at or below the cost of production. This cycle is justing going to take longer to see a drop in prices.
Packers, wholesalers, and retailers I have no idea how they will adjust their prices
 
Even at $2/lb it'd be hard to buy land,fence,equipment,stock and start a beef operation.That's why the numbers continue to drop.
I've given up two farms in the last 3 years I used to graze cattle on because the fences had gotten in poor shape/old etc and the cost to fence it was a lot more than the owners wanted to spend and I can't blame them.I've culled hard and am happy with fewer cattle doing my part to drive the prices up(LOL).
 

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