TO SELL or not to sell? That is the question.
When you’re cruelly sliding through your fourth dry year, there’s only one thing giving reprieve – the cattle market.
But as some producers take advantage of red hot prices, others are left wondering whether or not to take the gamble on their dwindling herd numbers.
For western Queensland beef producers Paul and Margaret Vetter, the decision to truck two decks of cattle next week was a tough one.
“It’s hard when you haven’t got the weight in your cattle, but still the prices are better than they were 12 months ago,” Mr Vetter said.
He estimated the 40-50 cows and one old bull they’ll be selling will weigh in 100 kilograms lighter than in a typically good season.
The Vetters have own and operated Cooladi Park, 16 kilometres north of Cooladi, since 1981.
They received 12 millimetres a few weeks ago, barely adding to the 150mm they’ve received this year.
Scarce rainfall and poor calving rates over the past few years has seen their Droughtmaster-based herd of typically 1400-1500 head, drop to 40 per cent capacity.
Mr Vetter said they were hanging onto their remaining 550 head in hope of rain, but were “running out of options”.
“We’re feeding steers that we could sell, but we’re feeding in hope we will get a reasonable summer and prices should still be there next year and prices still be good.”
But feeding is an expensive game. When QCL caught up with the Vetters, their Anipro representative had refilled their troughs a few days earlier, upping the sour proportion from 65pct to 85pct in a bid to make it last longer.
Their maiden and second-calf cows had been guzzling close to one litre of lick per day, compared to the hoped 500-600mL.
“We’ll keep them going to see what they can do,” Mr Vetter said.
