Can someone help me price a heifer?

[puzzled in oregon]

I don't even know if this is the right subforum, because it's regarding selling a heifer, but it's not about "a sale," like at a sale barn. So if it's in the wrong place, maybe someone could move it for me?

I don't know if any of you remember, but a couple of years ago, I was posting on here about my Jersey/Hereford cross cow, Bandit, that was due to calve and I thought she was too fat. Well, she calved the prettiest little heifer, who's 3/4 Jersey and 1/4 Hereford. She grew up and we bred her to an Angus bull and SHE had a pretty little heifer who's 3/8 Jersey, 1/8 Hereford, and 1/2 Angus. Whew. Probably didn't need to know all that, but what the heck... So now this granddaughter of my mama cow, is going on 7 months old and I'd like to sell her, but I have no idea what to ask. I've been handling her from day one in training to be a milker like her mom and grandma, and she's turning out to be an angel. Obviously, she's still young, but she's halter and lead trained, she'll let you touch her anywhere, including her baby udder, and she has a fabulous personality. I'd love to keep her, but I don't have the room, nor the money to keep them all in hay all winter. I'm not willing to part with either Bandit or her daughter, so little Samantha must go.

She weighs about 400 pounds at the moment, possibly more, I'm not sure, and she's weaned. She did that herself, go figure. She's much more interested in hay than milk and I'm not able to use her for letdowns like I've been doing, so I figured it's time for her to go.

Here's a current picture of her (you can almost see her under all that hair! LOL!):

How would I go about pricing her? I can look up beef prices (she IS half Angus) but she's intended as a dairy prospect. I don't know where to find prices for dairy cattle - the only thing I've found so far is slaughter prices. I'm in South Dakota, as well, and the prices for cattle here seem to be higher than down South, so if you live in or around the northern plains and have any experience with something like this, could you let me know?

This is the first animal IN MY LIFE that I'm thinking of selling, so I'm a complete NOOB when it comes to that! LOL! Help? :?

~Lannie

I don't see the orange brucellosis tag. I would consider that sort of important for a dairy/family
milk cow prospect. The milking genetics can go a long way.

 

[Lannie]

I wasn't on here when you were posting about Sammi.... but I can well relate as I have a few of the jersey crosses and such. Use them as nurse cows, and milk for the house etc. I have a hard time selling the ones I raise out of my "pets". My son and I run 150 or so beef brood cows... cow/calf operation.... but my milk cows are my "thing". I am a milk tester, but in my "later 60's" so I well understand the aches and pains. I had my ankle replaced Feb 2020 and am going to do both the knees late this fall after our hay season is pretty well done.
So glad to read the update though, to know that you found a perfect solution for the animals that you raised with care. Love the way it worked out for you.

There are days I wish I could get new knees, too, believe me. My husband had both of his replaced several years ago, but still hobbles and has lots of pain, so I figure I'm better off keeping my originals. At least they still work, and they really only hurt bad when I'm getting up or down, or negotiating stairs. Tylenol helps. I hope you feel MUCH better after yours are done. I'd still be 30 years old if I had good knees, LOL!

 

[farmerjan]

Sad to hear your husband didn't do well with the pain following the replacements. My ankle has been wonderful.... no pain... my physical therapist thinks that the knees will be good because his mom had such a good response and I am going to the same dr she had... Mako procedure, all robotic, 2 1/2 hrs total surgery for BOTH knees , and he was very impressed. For a PT to be that impressed is saying something I think. Can't take much more of this so HAVE to have them done or give up and sit in a wheelchair. NOT...... There is no pain reliever that I have found to help anymore... from over the counter to prescription.... keep trying things but .....

Could be worse, at least I have the replacements to look forward to and believing it will be better...I agree with your statement, I would still be 40 yrs old .... in fact, I intend to go back to that once they are replaced.

 

[Cada22]

Some threads we don't even get an update 10 minutes after it is posted, this one we got an update 10 years later. Pretty awesome.