During what phase are calves typically marketed for the first time?

Calves are typically marketed for the first time during the cow/calf operation phase. In this phase, calves are born and raised by their mother cows until they reach weaning age, usually around 6 to 8 months old. After weaning, calves may be sold to other producers who can grow them further or may be finished for market. This initial marketing phase allows producers to capture the value of their calves at an early age before they enter further stages, such as stocker/backgrounder operations or feedyards, where they would be raised for a longer duration before ultimately being processed at a packing plant.

Calves are not marketed during the stocker/backgrounder phase since that phase focuses on growing weaned calves before they're sent to a feedyard. The packing plant is where cattle are processed, and the feedyard is primarily where cattle are fed to finish them before processing. Therefore, the cow/calf operation is indeed the correct phase for the first marketing of calves.