Beef Cow Debt

[Brute 23]

So what is the best estimate on when a cow should be sold? Is it based on age, teeth, or condition? I think we would all love to sell a fat 10 year old cow in a good packer market and get $1,000 like we saw a month or two ago here. That works out pretty good if you say paid $1,500 for the cow 5-10 years ago. But is there any way to make that happen more often?

In my opinion it's all about flesh and looks. Buyers can't see their teeth or exact age. It's going to be different for every one and even different on a cow to cow bases.

It's hard to do but those "age" cuts need to be made in the good years with lots of grass and prices are high.

That's why I'm partial to keeping replacements. I have x amount of replacements ready to go at a locked in cost. Both the heifers and cows are competing for a spot on the team every single year.

 

[Travlr]

Me too! I think it was silver that indicated that he sells cattle when they hit 10yrs. That probably makes financial sense, but I just can't pull the trigger if they keep having calves.. the last couple of years I've been pulling blood samples of the cows whenever I wean calves and sell all of the opens regardless of age. It may seem overly simple, but that is my main cull criteria.

I like to buy old cows that are due to calve and are in decent condition and get a couple more calves out of them... and then resell them for what I bought them for. If I time it right I may even make money on the resale.

 

[BFE]

Me too! I think it was silver that indicated that he sells cattle when they hit 10yrs. That probably makes financial sense, but I just can't pull the trigger if they keep having calves.. the last couple of years I've been pulling blood samples of the cows whenever I wean calves and sell all of the opens regardless of age. It may seem overly simple, but that is my main cull criteria.

So what is your replacement program retained or purchase?

 

[Brute 23]

I will also add to a comment I made on another post. I don't buy or raise ugly cattle, dogs, vehicles, houses, etc for this reason. Things that are appealing to the eye always hold their value. I'm a value/ assets person.

"Black" cattle here are a dime a dozen. You will get beat up selling a 10+ year old "black" cow. A 15+ Braford will easily bring 2 or 3 times the younger black cows salvage value. A Braford cow and Angus bull will give you the best of both worlds, IMO.

That's not the only way to do it by any means but it is one way.

 

[Lazy M]

So what is your replacement program retained or purchase?

Retained. I've learned that I can't afford to buy the same quality that I can retain.

 

[Stocker Steve]

But is there any way to make that happen more often?

Yes, sell all your cows in the fall. There are a few guys here who do that.

 

[Dave]

Yes, sell all your cows in the fall. There are a few guys here who do that.

Buy heavy bred broken mouth cows in mid winter. Ship all of them direct to the plant in mid August before the heavy run of cows starts in the fall. And when I say ship the cows, ship every last one of them. No excuses. Ship the calves the end of September or hold to mid November as feed and market dictate.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I bought a lot of females one spring. Open heiferettes, heavy bred cows, and pairs. Kept decent records. The most profitable group were colored pairs. They were discounted, weaned heavy, and had 100% calf crop.

You are not going to find a lot of colored pairs at a sale here, "but it is better to make money on 10 head than lose money on 100".

 

[Brute 23]

Yall love to romanticize buying those cows at the auction barn.

 

[kenny thomas]

In this area there is nowhere else to buy cows. That is unless you wait for a trader to buy them and take them home, add $200 and sell them as farm fresh.

 

[Dave]

Yall love to romanticize buying those cows at the auction barn.

Romanticize? I do it to make money. I make more money and do it consistently on those than I ever have on cows I owned year around.

 

[Stocker Steve]

There has been a huge increase in the amount of interest in cattle marketing. A major part of this are the sell-buy methods pioneered by Bud Williams. A small part of this are folks trying to switch to stockers. I think the declining profit for traditional cow calf operations is driving these trends.

One of the main profit factors in calculating profit levels is turns. If you keep your cows for 10 years - - how many times to you turn the inventory $ per year?

 

[Brute 23]

I love it. Keep up the good work.