Cow/calf pairs

[ASRG]

At Innisfail, AB yesterday prices were anywhere from $1500-$1870 for pairs with most decent fairly young cows in that mid 1700 area. There was a ready and willing crowd of buyers.
Yearling prices were fairly strong for the right kind. Generally around $1.50/lb for steers 550-650 lb. with heifers the same weights around $1.38.
This puts a grass steer close to $900 and heifer about $840....
If that steer puts on 200 lbs. by September would weigh 800? Would need $1.20 to sell for $960? $60 isn't much to work with considering selling/trucking costs,salt and mineral, vaccination cost?, fence maitenance, interest, etc.?
I think the cow/calf pairs might be a better buy?

[15444]

That's the new name of the game. I bought some of my grass yearlings back this spring because I was looking for $800 across the board. This fall, I'll be looking for around a thousand. I doubt I'll be backgrounding calves (my own or others) this fall as I am betting calves will hit the $900 area this fall, $800 for sure.

[15444]

Also, it's not much of a steer if he only puts on 200 lbs. Either that or he's starving.

[grassfarmer]

There are only 100 days from June 1 to September 8th so I would think a 2lb/day gain would be reasonable given the grass condition I see most yearlings run on. Depends on the cattle I suppose - if the cattle are very green they could do a lot more - if the grass is not very green or plentiful they could do less. I would think 2lbs/day is a reasonable figure to use in the discusion is it not?

[15444]

Most grass guys I know bank on 250 lbs gain on grass in that same time period. Some can hit the 350-400 lb gain mark. I know one neighbour that grasses about 300 yearlings each year and gets pretty peeved if they gain anything less than 200.

[blackjack]

We have grassed yearlings for years and used to seem to get a premium in August but the last few years the margins have tighten so much...going to run cow-calf pairs on the mariginal land and crop the better land.If we gained 2.10 on strs after shrink we would be happy enough.Open hfrs different story did not usually start putting on the grass flesh till the end of sept to oct..