Calf prices comparison

[Little Joe]

I bought 2 pairs off the farm the other day for $3000/ pair. Cows are half Hereford half jersey, calves out of black angus bull. 2 black mot heifer calves. I bought them based off pictures and when I went to pick them up I felt like I made a bad deal because the cows probably only weigh 800 each. But the cows are good and gentle, are excellent mothers and have a bag full of milk and calves are thriving. I did lay awake the night I brought them home thinking how I got skunked on this deal but then I thought if they’ll raise this calf and breed back I should be able to sell the cows in the fall as spring calvers for $2000-$2500 straight off the farm. This was a Facebook deal and there were people lined up to come get them so seller says d first person to make a deal gets them so I did. Cows are gentle enough that I believe they could be halter broke and milked, around here on Facebook a cow like that is worth some $$$$, so might try halter breaking and milking them. If bottle calves weren’t so stinking high, I’d see if they’d raise another calf, one looks like she gives enough milk to do it.

 

[MurraysMutts]

I bought 2 pairs off the farm the other day for $3000/ pair. Cows are half Hereford half jersey, calves out of black angus bull. 2 black mot heifer calves. I bought them based off pictures and when I went to pick them up I felt like I made a bad deal because the cows probably only weigh 800 each. But the cows are good and gentle, are excellent mothers and have a bag full of milk and calves are thriving. I did lay awake the night I brought them home thinking how I got skunked on this deal but then I thought if they’ll raise this calf and breed back I should be able to sell the cows in the fall as spring calvers for $2000-$2500 straight off the farm. This was a Facebook deal and there were people lined up to come get them so seller says d first person to make a deal gets them so I did. Cows are gentle enough that I believe they could be halter broke and milked, around here on Facebook a cow like that is worth some $$$$, so might try halter breaking and milking them. If bottle calves weren’t so stinking high, I’d see if they’d raise another calf, one looks like she gives enough milk to do it.

I tried to buy a lil cow darn near exactly like u described. She was 6 months bred and a 4 yr old. She got awful close to 3k by herself. I thought for sure I'd get her for 2k or so.

Those little milkers raise $2500 calves too.....

 

[Little Joe]

I tried to buy a lil cow darn near exactly like u described. She was 6 months bred and a 4 yr old. She got awful close to 3k by herself. I thought for sure I'd get her for 2k or so.

Those little milkers raise $2500 calves too.....

Good thing with a cow like that, there’s other routes you can go with her if you have to and want to put in a little work.

 

[Little Joe]

I tried to buy a lil cow darn near exactly like u described. She was 6 months bred and a 4 yr old. She got awful close to 3k by herself. I thought for sure I'd get her for 2k or so.

Those little milkers raise $2500 calves too.....

These 2 are supposed to be full sisters and are 4 and 6 years old.

 

[Lucky]

I'm wondering if the money is in buying open heifers for $3k getting them bred and selling them this fall for $4k or more. If you had a good low birth weight bull it wouldn't cost you anything but time.

 

[kenny thomas]

I'm wondering if the money is in buying open heifers for $3k getting them bred and selling them this fall for $4k or more. If you had a good low birth weight bull it wouldn't cost you anything but time.

What kind of open heifer is worth 3K. Even if weighing 800 thats 3.75 a lb.

 

[SmokinM]

What kind of open heifer is worth 3K. Even if weighing 800 thats 3.75 a lb.

Just saw where they sold some F1 BWF in Staunton yesterday 732# @ $3.90. That wont miss by far.

 

[kenny thomas]

Just saw where they sold some F1 BWF in Staunton yesterday 721# @ $3.90. That wont miss by far.

I thought of that after I sent it. But feeder heifers don't usually mean breeder type heifers.
But @Lucky you could be on to something.

 

[Dave]

Having done that 2013 to 2016 I have some experience. I would buy 70 head. 10 of them didn't breed. Here those 1,000 lb non breeders are selling for $2.50/lb. I sold 50 head on the video to get potential customers from a wider area. 50 head filled a pot load. The remaining 10 bred heifers sold at a local auction for less money because they were not as good for a lot of reasons. To get top dollar I did timed AI to a drop dead heifer bull. Vaccinated for everything under the sun and did PI testing so I could say they tested PI negative. Then there is feed and pasture cost. Along with sale commission. I pushed a pencil on this last week. I watched 70 head of reputation black heifers sell in a group. Would have been a little over $200,000 to buy them. If the 50 sold on the video brought $4,000 a head it would cover the purchase price. It comes out but there isn't much room and this is a lot of money invested. A hiccup in the market could cost a lot of money.

 

[Lucky]

What kind of open heifer is worth 3K. Even if weighing 800 thats 3.75 a lb.

We looked at buying 750# 12-14 month old open Brangus heifers this year and they are around $3,250. Good open Angus heifers are around $3,000. I was thinking they'd be around $2,500 and could save some money instead of buying replacement cows but not happening. I guess we're just going to have to suck it up and buy some cows. 2 yrs ago we bought 25 fancy bred Brangus heifers for $2,400 and I thought that was crazy. This year the same man is at $4,400.

 

[Little Joe]

We looked at buying 750# 12-14 month old open Brangus heifers this year and they are around $3,250. Good open Angus heifers are around $3,000. I was thinking they'd be around $2,500 and could save some money instead of buying replacement cows but not happening. I guess we're just going to have to suck it up and buy some cows. 2 yrs ago we bought 25 fancy bred Brangus heifers for $2,400 and I thought that was crazy. This year the same man is at $4,400.

You can probably buy feather neck Hereford heifers for that $2500, bred to a homo black bull you’d get some good baldie calves.

 

[Lucky]

You can probably buy feather neck Hereford heifers for that $2500, bred to a homo black bull you’d get some good baldie calves.

Probably so. 3 of our black baldy cows have calved so far. 2 all blacks then a baldy today.

 

[bird dog]

You can probably buy feather neck Hereford heifers for that $2500, bred to a homo black bull you’d get some good baldie calves.

I bought two of like you mentioned out of the open cow pen to give them another chance.. I paid around $1.85 lb for them and they averaged 1050. They had tags in their ears like the registered breeders use. Their was nothing said on them so I don't know if they couldn't get them to breed or they failed a pelvic exam or what. They bred up for me in a months time.

Reselling them my be the best deal but I need cows so I'll chance it.

 

[Heronfish]

A lot of talk here about heifers being too expensive, my question is, compared to what?

If you want to compare to past prices, absolutely. But you cannot compare to the past, just like we cannot predict the future.

Right now, all we can do is compare one class of animal to another and make our decision from there.

 

[Travlr]

A lot of talk here about heifers being too expensive, my question is, compared to what?

If you want to compare to past prices, absolutely. But you cannot compare to the past, just like we cannot predict the future.

Right now, all we can do is compare one class of animal to another and make our decision from there.

Gotta say that raised heifers are looking better than bought heifers at these prices...

 

[kenny thomas]

A lot of talk here about heifers being too expensive, my question is, compared to what?

If you want to compare to past prices, absolutely. But you cannot compare to the past, just like we cannot predict the future.

Right now, all we can do is compare one class of animal to another and make our decision from there.

I understand how you view what's currently going on with prices and hope they stay this way for years to come.
Prices up and down seem to have been on an 11 year cycle give or take for a lot of cycles. This might be different or could be close the same. I respect people keeping your own heifers because of the cow families.
My thought only and don't bet the farm on them. Here is my example.
Keep a 550 calf now it will be a long time until she is old enough to breed.
A good 1 in 20 wont breed at all.
9 months later before they begin calving and another 1 or 2 will have problems calving and loose a calf or the heifer.
At least 1 wont milk or not accept the calf. 2 wont breed back on time.
So by then its 2028 any your selling a few calves maybe at a price much less than now.
By late 2028 or 2029 when the heifer is fairly productive how much will you have in them.
By then I hope I'm still able to handle cows and I think i can buy young cows with calves by their side for less than the heifers will sell for now. The cycle will happen again, its just a matter of when.
I hope all of you have made a million by then because someone else is going to loose a million.
Remember this is just the thoughts of an old man. I wish you all well.

 

[Heronfish]

Gotta say that raised heifers are looking better than bought heifers at these prices...

Only if you dont believe in opportunity cost

 

[Heronfish]

I understand how you view what's currently going on with prices and hope they stay this way for years to come.
Prices up and down seem to have been on an 11 year cycle give or take for a lot of cycles. This might be different or could be close the same. I respect people keeping your own heifers because of the cow families.
My thought only and don't bet the farm on them. Here is my example.
Keep a 550 calf now it will be a long time until she is old enough to breed.
A good 1 in 20 wont breed at all.
9 months later before they begin calving and another 1 or 2 will have problems calving and loose a calf or the heifer.
At least 1 wont milk or not accept the calf. 2 wont breed back on time.
So by then its 2028 any your selling a few calves maybe at a price much less than now.
By late 2028 or 2029 when the heifer is fairly productive how much will you have in them.
By then I hope I'm still able to handle cows and I think i can buy young cows with calves by their side for less than the heifers will sell for now. The cycle will happen again, its just a matter of when.
I hope all of you have made a million by then because someone else is going to loose a million.
Remember this is just the thoughts of an old man. I wish you all well.

I would concur.

If it is your prediction the market will fall (And there is a 50 50 shot it will), do you want to be locking into a risky long term asset that won't provide a saleable product for 20 months?

At the same time, if at any point in the last 5 years a producer decided the price was too high, he was wrong. The only way to lose money in the cattle biz was to not be in it.

 

[kenny thomas]

There are people who lose money no matter what the market is doing or whether its cheap or high. Also there are a few that make money almost every year cheap or high. A lot of it is about management and having a good plan.
As I have said before I can buy the same cows in June for hundreds cheaper than in April. That in itself is a profit.
I dont always make a profit but yes the last year has been very profitable. Will next year be the same. Better have LRP just in case.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Keep a 550 calf now it will be a long time until she is old enough to breed.
A good 1 in 20 wont breed at all.
9 months later before they begin calving and another 1 or 2 will have problems calving and loose a calf or the heifer.
At least 1 wont milk or not accept the calf. 2 wont breed back on time.

If I was producing that low quality of replacement heifers then I'd surely sell every animal I had and go into a different line of work. Haha