buy in question

[saltbranch]

My plan is to keep cattle long term for cow calf operation. Immediate return is not required/expected. I have put back around 8k in cash and it looks like prices are coming down and I want to buy. What would the best play be here? Buy as many heifers as I can or go cow/calf or bred cow? The 8k wont go real far, but its a start and I will be adding more later. I am not looking for registered/paper cows. Family has always done very well on mixed beef cattle and I figure to stay in that direction. On another note it appears we will be buying Red Brangus bull with papers.
Any advice from the cattletoday Brain trust?

Thank you

 

[Toad]

If I was starting out again with no experience I would buy bred cows or pairs. Heifers can add a level of problems that someone without experience may struggle with.

 

[fenceman]

I agree . older Breds and pairs. They know what their doing. Can be had cheap enough right now. Will get you a paycheck quickly. Keep the ones you like ,trade the ones you don't.

 

[skyhightree1]

If I was starting out again with no experience I would buy bred cows or pairs. Heifers can add a level of problems that someone without experience may struggle with.

I agree... :nod:

 

[saltbranch]

If I was starting out again with no experience I would buy bred cows or pairs. Heifers can add a level of problems that someone without experience may struggle with.

What kind of problems? We have 17 cows now, if I buy heifers they would run with them for time being.

 

[Sd1030]

Id say the biggest thing youd have to watch out for with a heifer is calving issues. First time calvers can be more prone to complications having a calf if you aint careful. This can be avoided by using the right bull, but for the most part you dont run into it with older cows. Also heifers sometimes take alittle longer to get bred back than older cows in my opinion.

 

[uplandnut]

I was in the same position as you last year when I wanted to start getting cattle. I went the bred cow route cause you can find them cheap at sale barns and I figured an experienced cow would be able to have a calf a lot easier than a first calf heifer. I also thought of it as a 2 for 1 deal. I was able to buy bred cows for a s little as 1.05 a pound and never paid more than 1.375 and that was for 2 heifers. Sounds like you already have some experience though if you already have 17 cows so calving heifers shouldn't be a problem for you.

 

[Toad]

If I was starting out again with no experience I would buy bred cows or pairs. Heifers can add a level of problems that someone without experience may struggle with.

What kind of problems? We have 17 cows now, if I buy heifers they would run with them for time being.

The problems I've had with heifers include not breeding as quickly, not calving as easily, not knowing how to be a momma right away, not raising as big a calf the first time, not breeding back as quickly the second time and just being more "spirited" and harder to deal with.
I started out with 4 or 5 old bred cows and 7 six hundred lb heifers. In about 9 months I had paid for 75% of the cow cost and the second year I was making money. It took me 2 years to break even on the heifers that calved the first year. Two came up open which I believe was because of the bull, I ran them in with a different bull and they bred right away. Then when they calved I had to pull a calf and the heifer had to be put down. Meanwhile my 5 cows had another set of calves without issues.
I know we all have to keep heifers and deal with the potential problems, this is just part of farming. Knowing more about what to do would have saved me a lot of problems back then. But if I had it to over again I would have had an established herd before I tried my hand with any heifers.

 

[Ebenezer]

Find a reputable person to buy from - either cows or heifers. 95% of problems solved if you can trust the source.

 

[saltbranch]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Headed to the auction Friday to see what prices look like and compare to what I can get in direct buys.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

There's good things about both options, I can't disagree about what they have said are the negatives for buying heifers, but for the long term picture and the current market I think you might be better off to buy as many heifers as you can and then cull the ones that don't do as well. You could probably buy about 15 3wt heifers that will breed late summer or early fall, that would sure make a guy a reasonable set of cows for the money, just takes some time. Or you could buy maybe 8 decent bred cows and have something to sell faster, but probably not have the quality of what you could get by buying some good heifers to breed and certainly wouldn't be able to keep them as long. I don't think either way is wrong, but I like the heifer idea with the market where it is now and with you wanting to be in the cow/calf deal longterm.

 

[BC]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Headed to the auction Friday to see what prices look like and compare to what I can get in direct buys.

Where do you go on Friday's - Cuero or Beeville?

 

[bigbull338]

go with young bred cows under 5yrs old.bred heifers can eat your lunch.

 

[saltbranch]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Headed to the auction Friday to see what prices look like and compare to what I can get in direct buys.

Where do you go on Friday's - Cuero or Beeville?

We are going to Beeville this Friday. I have never been to it, but according to the reports posted on line..it appears to be cheaper over the last 2 weeks there. At least on the reports given it looks that way.We normally sell at Live Oak and Atascosa.