sedrick_hall
Well-known member
What are the advantages/disadvantages of buying cows 7-8 yrs old to start a herd?
Buying Older Cows
- Thread starter sedrick_hall
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bigbull338
Well-known member
well for the beginner you get cows that have raised a few calves.so you know they can do their job.7 or 8 yr old cows can give you 4 or 5 calves bore they need culling.sedrick_hall":u2ezdlk7 said:
stocky
Well-known member
Advantages: You can tell what kind of calves they raise, if they have udder problems, if they suckle down, if they have fertility problems, and their behavior is already established. They will be good for another 4-6 calves, you will pay about half the price for a top young cow in prime selling condition.
Disadvantages: She wont last as long as the young cow, as she loses teeth, she will have to have better feed, as the groupl gets older, there will be a higher percentage of health problems, particularly udder and hip problems.
My opinion, most of the time, to me, there is more money to be made on the 7-8 year old cows. This is especially true when there is a large price difference in the older and younger cows. If there isnt much difference, go with the younger ones.
Disadvantages: She wont last as long as the young cow, as she loses teeth, she will have to have better feed, as the groupl gets older, there will be a higher percentage of health problems, particularly udder and hip problems.
My opinion, most of the time, to me, there is more money to be made on the 7-8 year old cows. This is especially true when there is a large price difference in the older and younger cows. If there isnt much difference, go with the younger ones.
jkwilson
Well-known member
Depends on why they were sold. Culls for performance would seldom be worth the bucks unless they are way cheap. Registered breeders often get rid of older cows when they've got plenty of their genetics in the herd, and they want to get the most residual out of the cow.
Buy them with a good looking natural calf at their side and bred back for your best bet. Called a 3-in-1, but even if you don't buy the calf, you still get 3 things: You know what she can raise, you know that she bred back, and you can see how she keeps and milks.
Buy them with a good looking natural calf at their side and bred back for your best bet. Called a 3-in-1, but even if you don't buy the calf, you still get 3 things: You know what she can raise, you know that she bred back, and you can see how she keeps and milks.
MoGal
Well-known member
I guess its just me, but I don't consider them old at 7, that's a good age and they could have at least 6 more and my hubby has some that are 15 and still producing a calf every year.
john250
Well-known member
A cattle trader I know told me that he had never seen a farmers cow for sale that wasn't described as 5-7 yrs old. Meaning that, like movie stars, age is highly subject to memory. Look closely at the girls.
Dave
Well-known member
Depending on your feed situation older cows can be a great deal. I quite often buy even older cows than you are talking about and do well on them. I buy them for one bid over kill price. Get one calf out of them, put some weight on them, and sell out mid summer when they are still looking good.
One of the keys to making older cows work is having better feed than where they came from.
One of the keys to making older cows work is having better feed than where they came from.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Why does everyone think that 7&8 year old cows are old.
Thats probably low for the average age of my herd and has been for years. Heck these are the girls that know how to work.
Thats probably low for the average age of my herd and has been for years. Heck these are the girls that know how to work.
Caustic Burno":33f38oct said:
I'm with you here caustic. I think that 7 to 8 years is just getting into knowing what that cow can do!. She has settled down, is profit producing, and you will know if she is the type animals that is going to fit your program, especially if you plan on keeping replacements or raising your own herd bull. Got quite a few much older myself. ;-)
It amazes me on how many breeders will tell you how good the animals are in the line of an animal they are selling when they have never even seen if the dams or sires behind it can make 10 years in the pasture on it's own legs, with serious health issues (udder, feet, cancer, prolapse, etc, etc.).
sedrick_hall":34zin2pj said:
I quess it depends on where you buy them. Granddad bought them at the sale barn and did good. I'm not that good so I don't buy them. You could buy the from someone that needs to get out for some reason or another but the cattle have a record if you believe the owner. I don't buy them either.
We got girl's in their teens and past doing the job.
Running Arrow Bill
Well-known member
john250":21z4yaf6 said:
Guess this is the difference between a "standard operation" and a "registered operation".
Every one of our registered cattle have statistics for sire & dam, date of birth, weights at birth/weaning/12 mos old (and yearly thereafter), branded, private herd numbers, and regular updated photos of each one (no two longhorns are exactly patterned or look alike), etc. Some of our most predictable "senior" cows that spit a quality calf out every year are 8, 10, 12, 14 years with more good years left. Think most of the "success" with anyone's older cattle is selection of quality animals when purchased, excellent nutrition, timely vaccinations and de-worming, and living a "stress-free" life...lol.
Brink Livestock, a Braunvieh breeder in Kansas have a cow that has produced 23 calves for them. Seems to me if you're getting rid of cows, who've only had 4 to 6 calves, unless they have a flaw, you're getting rid of your most efficient cows.
Roadapple":qh46hb9x said:
Roadapple,
I would think this was a Donor cow, and age may have nothing to do with the number of her offspring. When you flush an animal you "should" be flushing an animal that is an exception in their herd and has proven herself over time (which would lean towards an older female), but I have seen heifers and very young females flushed because of what is on paper or what they "assume" the animal should potentially do...or it's just because she won a national championship! ;-)
Sometimes this practice works, but more often it does not. There are allot of females out there being flushed that should never be considered as candadites. I think it takes the 7 to 8 years to prove the "entire" package, so why would breeders want to ship them at this point, I just don't understand it. Making money is one thing (and the calves on the older cows will do that)...but repeatedly breeding unproven lines of stock due to never keeping an animal long enough to get an honest evaluation is another. I'm sure they look good on paper though!
;-)sedrick_hall":agrxx8jr said:
I have no problem buying a quality older animal. They will be profitable. Just do your research on them, and find out why they are selling. Make sure it was not cause they broke down in one way or another. If you are changing their environment, you also need to make sure the year an easy adjustment (nutrition, stress), and then let em rip. There is usually a reason those cows have been around for a while anyway, and it's most likely because they were making someone happy, and giving them profit,....but that's not always the case. Good luck!
Victoria
Well-known member
Older cows can be a great deal - they sell for cheaper than a bred heifer so that is an advantage. My question is always if she's that great of a cow why is she being sold? If it is a complete dispersal or a drought then that might be a good reason but if not then if she were that great she'd probably still have a home.
To me one of the biggest advantages of buying an older cow is she comes with baggage. She's already learned how to do things and her way may not be your way. I prefer to get mine as calves, I don't even like bred heifers much. I want them young so they get used to my way of doing everything and they know me well before I have to calve them out.
We have bought some old cows. When BSE hit they were $500. for a pregnant cow with calf at side. We bought a few old ladies from a dispersal. They were about 10 years old and we only got a couple of years out of them but we made money on them. Wouldn't do it on a regular basis though.
To me one of the biggest advantages of buying an older cow is she comes with baggage. She's already learned how to do things and her way may not be your way. I prefer to get mine as calves, I don't even like bred heifers much. I want them young so they get used to my way of doing everything and they know me well before I have to calve them out.
We have bought some old cows. When BSE hit they were $500. for a pregnant cow with calf at side. We bought a few old ladies from a dispersal. They were about 10 years old and we only got a couple of years out of them but we made money on them. Wouldn't do it on a regular basis though.
Rustler9
Well-known member
We have several older gals in our herd that are still going strong. We have bought older cows from time to time and been able to get some good genetics that we didn't have. Many times these will be cattle from a breeder that we know so we aren't concerned about getting problem cows. I bought a King daughter at the sale in Missouri in September, she's twelve years old, looks like she's five, heavy bred to a good bull and I have next year's mating planned. Should get several more calves from her. As long as you feed the old girls good, they usually do fine. Of course, our breed of choice is known for longevity and productivity. I hear folks talk about selling their old cows " 8 to 10 years old" and smile. To me they're just getting started good.
sedrick_hall
Well-known member
Thank you all for your comments. My plan is to buy older cows to start my herd, I'm doing this for several of reasons.
1. Money...I don't have the money it takes to buy a bred heifer or a young pair.
2. Time...I don't want the hassle of buyings heifers. Too much work involved with growing em out, breeding em, calving em and pampering em to breed back on time.
3. Known/Unknown...I know what type of cow I'm getting.
I plan to do my homework, no sale barn cattle and I definitely want to know where they came from.
Also, what breeds besides Brahman and Brahman-influenced breeds do well in the South?
1. Money...I don't have the money it takes to buy a bred heifer or a young pair.
2. Time...I don't want the hassle of buyings heifers. Too much work involved with growing em out, breeding em, calving em and pampering em to breed back on time.
3. Known/Unknown...I know what type of cow I'm getting.
I plan to do my homework, no sale barn cattle and I definitely want to know where they came from.
Also, what breeds besides Brahman and Brahman-influenced breeds do well in the South?
I don't see anything wrong with buying older cows> Especially right now. Older cows are gonna cost around $700. If you have the feed to take care of them, you should be just fine.
Another thing is that right now, depending on where you live, fall calvers are cheap. We are a strictly spring calvin oufit, but we bought 26 pairs, with little calves for $875/pair. We have the feed to maintain the cows, so tell me what is wrong?????
We all need to adjust to this market. These pairs can wean just in time for all the backyard farmers to buy grass calves, and we can sell the cows bred in August. Money ahead? I think so because we don't have to keep the cows, and the calves will sell.
Another thing is that right now, depending on where you live, fall calvers are cheap. We are a strictly spring calvin oufit, but we bought 26 pairs, with little calves for $875/pair. We have the feed to maintain the cows, so tell me what is wrong?????
We all need to adjust to this market. These pairs can wean just in time for all the backyard farmers to buy grass calves, and we can sell the cows bred in August. Money ahead? I think so because we don't have to keep the cows, and the calves will sell.
houstoncutter
Well-known member
If these cows have some ear to em, go for it, if the are a F-1 of some sort go for it, but if they are straight bred English or continental breeding be careful
