I also sell privately, & give the buyer the cow/steer/bull/heifer history sheet with a picture attached. My record keeping is almost identical to Brute 23's. I keep my records in a binder which I take to the pasture with me. I do most of my record keeping in the pasture while I'm hanging out with the cows.
Couple of years ago,. I met a man that raises black Simm x ChiAngus, and ChiAngus x black Simm replacement heifers. He has 30 Simm and 30 Chi-Ang cows. He started putting these together when he got out of the Army after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. seems like he said 2005. Once he had what he wanted, he hasn't bought any more. Any cows he has that are not part of the originals he bought, are daughters of them. When a cow gets 10 yrs old, or maybe it is when she has 10 calves, he breeds her to a same-breed bull, that most closely matches that particular cow's attributes. These cows calve in December, and he weas them when the youngest reaches 180 days old. These 60 heifers are all pre-sold. He will deliver for a fee, or you have 2 or 3 weeks to come get them or lose your deposit. He has buyers on a waiting list, that will buy them , if you don't. One of my partners helped him with the weaning, etc, July 4th weekend of 2023. Clay contracted to get 20..10 of both crosses. He will get them probably July 4th weekend. When he sold some cows last month, he called the man and told him he wanted to buy some of the 2025 crop, but only 5 weren't already sold.
His prices are firm...don't matter if you want one or all sixty. Clay helped him 3 days at weaning last year, and he didn't discount those heifers one dime. Paid Clay very well for helping, but wouldn't even deduct Clay's pay from the price... he wanted to keep it two separate transactions
When he sells a heifer, you get a copy of the dam's and the bull's pedigree, EPDs etc. You get a record of the dam's previous calves' birth and weaning weights. On the heifer you buy, he gives you a written record of the DOB. birth weight, actual weight at weaning and the actual date of weaning, its entire vaccination, worming, and vet records, etc. And what his mineral program is and what he uses in the creep feeders. You will know every piece of pertinent info that you would know if you had raised her yourself. He has the cow and bull papers scanned in, and keeps the calf's records in a WORD ( I think) document...might be Excel. Probably takes him less than a minute to click on those 3 docs and print them out, and costs him 3 pieces of paper and a little printer ink. But, he sells these for more than any other commercial heifers I have seen, as much or more than a lot of registered stock.
I figure most of his clients are like me: I know nothing of Simm or ChiAngus bloodlines. If you raise Simms or ChiAngus, the names may mean something to those buyers. But, I think having all of this documented info builds trust and confidence, amongst his buyers, that this man produces some quality replacement heifers.
