Why steers that are cut or pinched late bring a lower price?
I cut/pinch my calves, they are not stags! You may not think so, but absolutely everybody else in the cattle industry does. If bull calves have been cut or pinched after a few months of age, their testosterone levels have been running high for too long. They will retain a bullish look to them, which is thicker necks, buggy eyes, hairy sheaths, square heads, etc. Late cut steers ride more, fight more, are cark cutters, and take longer to finish. It is also hard for feedlots to find U.S. slaughter plants that will even accept them. Feedlots will not have late calves mixed with regular steers, so we have to sort accordingly. Remember – Top $$ Dollar is spent on Top Products! Our hard work and long hours presorting pays off in the long run for the buyers. Here is why… We fax every buyer as soon as we are finished presorting, so they know exactly how many head of each class of cattle is at the sale before they leave their homes.
