Have been watching the fall sales around here. One Hereford sale averaged $7,100 and another $8,600.00. No Angus sales yet. I had sold one 3 y/o bull and was planing to sell siine more 3-5 year olds and replace them. We have 3 groups of cows that are 20 head or less. I have decided to not sell anymore and retain 4-5 we raised. Can’t justify 7-20 thousand for a bull for 7-10 cows. Is was planing on less than 6. Have talked to Angus breeders and Rutgers who feel it would likely cost me 8 thousand or more for the same quality we have. We have some nice calves sired by AI sires. Was wondering if this market had changed others plans. Some bred Angus heifers brought $7,000 this week. 700-800 pounds. I maybe selling our breds.
Bull sales and replacement
- Thread starter elkwc
- Start date
I will be buying some bulls over the next while. I’m not going to let the prices change my plans. The way I figure it it will likely cost 3 to 4 thousand difference between the ones I sell as culls and what I buy to replace them with. Maybe more, maybe less. So if the bulls I sell were used for 4 years it cost me about $1000 a year to use them. Plus expenses. At current market prices bulls are cheap. We used to figure to pay the price of 4-5 good steer calves for a good bull. For this outfit that would be in the $15K-$20K range these days. But it does hurt to write the cheque.
But you are right, for 7-10 cows the math changes.
But you are right, for 7-10 cows the math changes.
farmerjan
Well-known member
We figure the same pretty much... used to be 4-5 calves could buy a bull. With current calf prices, doesn't take as many to buy a good bull... We sold 2 bulls and figure we can buy a pretty decent one for what the 2 of them brought... over 7K.... 3-4 calves will buy a bull like that also. There was a "small" bull sale here local, and the overall average was in the 6-10,000 range... a couple were way high, over 25,000... several fairly decent ones were in the 5-6,000 range... We were not really looking at his bulls, went to visit with some locals....never hurts to look....might have bought one that was % limi but another neighbor was determined to buy him so that was fine.....have our eye on another sale we have gotten some real good producing bulls from... looking to maybe buy one... have one more with some age that will get sold next year...
Id bet big that many are leaving a few intact.
farmerjan
Well-known member
The local bull sale has been going on for 20 plus years. All registered, they showed alot when the kids were in FFA and such... These were not "random bulls"... he has shipped them all over the country...
I imagine that there are some that are leaving bulls intact, but this guy and the one they "partner with" at the sale, who has the Lim-Flex... percentage limi bulls... have some pretty decent ones. Have bought a couple of the limi ones in the past... still have one now.
The other sale we want to go to, has several different breeds that they promote... and we have 2 of their bulls from a couple years ago and we like them, so thought we would go look. There is also another local farm that had a bull sale for 25 years, they have scaled back, but still raise a few. We have had 5 of their bulls over the years; they are big believers in GRASS GENETICS.... and their bulls have LONGEVITY. Sold 2 that were both over 10, at the time... and 1 that was not quite as old... Have 2 now, and one is pushing 10 so next spring will be his last breeding season. He is a little slower getting around than he was, but he got the ones settled he was with the last go round... will be preg checking his group in another month but have not seen a heat since he came out...
The youngest one we had on nearly 40 cows last winter, and I think there were 3 open... 2 were OLD cows... not a complaint there. Most all are calving/have calved now... calves are not real big but up and going good...
Since I made this post have talked to several. Some that planned to sell are going to keep their bull another year. Others have left some. In this area many have scattered small acreages and 5-20 cows on each spot. Many feel the bottom Enders of the yearlings will be around 6 and on the 2 year olds around 8. Usually nothing I would use in them.
We have had bulls we bought not make it a year. Makes it expensive if you give 8 thousand or more and get 8 calves or less. Bought insurance for the first time this spring. $1,300.00 dollars for one bull. Not an option on several bulls. I like to develop our bulls. Going to look at some weaning bulls hopefully I can buy one some cheaper. Everyone I have talked to are planning to do similar. Plan to AI next spring and try to raise some. I have found that to be a cheaper option. Everything we retain this year was AI sired. I just moved on when a $5,000.00 bull didn’t make it a year and sired 10 or less calves. Now at 8-20 thousand for one have changed my thought process
Your market is better than ours. The average of our steers and heifers is just over $2,100.00 with 30 plus left to sell. I always figured to give what the average was of the steers and heifers times 4 head for a good bull. I gave $16,000.00 last spring but will only do that for a top bull every 3-4 years.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
I think you have a good idea to use your own bulls that you raised. You keep heifers to add back in the herd so why not bulls. If you sell the calves for 2500 and pay 10,000 for one back are you sure you are getting one thats better. Your calves will match your grazing, your management, your feeding. All of that is a plus.
That is basically my thought process. If I sell a bull I want as good or better than I sold. Left a bid last spring at a sale for $10,000.00. Didn’t get a bull. With the increased prices I feel some breeders are leaving bulls I would castrate. So not planning to pay 5-6 thousand for what should have been a steer and no better than I raise.
Kenny last week we sold a group of unweaned but worked with a round of shots calves. The bigger end was mid March. Planned to sell 6 weeks earlier. But due to my medical issues didn’t get them sold. The big end were mid February-March calves. The big steers weighed 820 off the cow with no creep. Part of the cows were sired by a bull we bought from Bobby Logan in 14. The calves were sired by a Horned Hereford bull. The others in the group were sired by an Angus bull with excellent numbers. His calves same age 50-60 lbs lighter.
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
820lb steers off the cow should've been 2400 dollar calves easy.
There's gotta be some good genetics there. Should've left a couple of them bulls it sounds like to me!
There's gotta be some good genetics there. Should've left a couple of them bulls it sounds like to me!
