Menu
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New media
New media comments
New profile posts
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Forums
Cattle Boards
Beginners Board
Can I afford Highland cattle?
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Help Support CattleToday:
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Victoria" data-source="post: 429632" data-attributes="member: 1258"><p>Here Highlands are dirt cheap. Interesting the difference down there. </p><p>Once you get a Highland they are cheap keepers. They don't eat much and will eat pretty much anything. They have very few calving problems. In 50 years of having them around here we have had one pull - that was one that was bred Charolais. They are good beginner cows as far as disposition goes. They are a little shy but respond well to one person if you spend the time with them.</p><p> There are a lot of factors to your question which I can't answer not knowing your area but you will need to answer:</p><p>1) How many cows can realistically be raised on your 6 acres?</p><p>2) If you bought quality (probably expensive) cows from this breeder would they let you sell the calves as purebreds in their sales? You may be able to recoup the price on the cows and then make more than sending them to auction if the market is there.</p><p>3) Do you have any fences, chutes etc set up or is that money out of your pocket as well?</p><p>4) What would a Highland calf sell for at auction? Would you be better off doing cross breds - having the Highland cows to look at but breeding them to a different breed bull. We have used Red Angus, Hereford and Charolais bulls on Highland cows with good results. The price up here is higher than a pure Highland. You get docked for hair coat but not as much.</p><p>5) Are you willing to sell the meat privately? Highland meat can be good for people who want smaller portions with less fat. </p><p></p><p>My suggestion is to talk to your breeder, find a vet in your area and talk to him (they can be a great source of unbiased comments if they are good) and talk to an auction market representative. Maybe even a butcher. </p><p>They are nice cattle to just sit and look at. Here they can pay for themselves, just not much profit. Can't tell you for sure about your area. Good luck!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Victoria, post: 429632, member: 1258"] Here Highlands are dirt cheap. Interesting the difference down there. Once you get a Highland they are cheap keepers. They don't eat much and will eat pretty much anything. They have very few calving problems. In 50 years of having them around here we have had one pull - that was one that was bred Charolais. They are good beginner cows as far as disposition goes. They are a little shy but respond well to one person if you spend the time with them. There are a lot of factors to your question which I can't answer not knowing your area but you will need to answer: 1) How many cows can realistically be raised on your 6 acres? 2) If you bought quality (probably expensive) cows from this breeder would they let you sell the calves as purebreds in their sales? You may be able to recoup the price on the cows and then make more than sending them to auction if the market is there. 3) Do you have any fences, chutes etc set up or is that money out of your pocket as well? 4) What would a Highland calf sell for at auction? Would you be better off doing cross breds - having the Highland cows to look at but breeding them to a different breed bull. We have used Red Angus, Hereford and Charolais bulls on Highland cows with good results. The price up here is higher than a pure Highland. You get docked for hair coat but not as much. 5) Are you willing to sell the meat privately? Highland meat can be good for people who want smaller portions with less fat. My suggestion is to talk to your breeder, find a vet in your area and talk to him (they can be a great source of unbiased comments if they are good) and talk to an auction market representative. Maybe even a butcher. They are nice cattle to just sit and look at. Here they can pay for themselves, just not much profit. Can't tell you for sure about your area. Good luck! [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Cattle Boards
Beginners Board
Can I afford Highland cattle?
Top