Closed herd or wide open

[wbvs58]

In getting together my initial herd about 16 years ago I had a couple of BVD PI's born and lost a couple of calves but with ear notch testing and some serology and vaccinations and natural immunity I worked through that. I continued buying some registered cows over the next couple of years that were ear notched and now my herd has been closed for 10 years. Cows still get an annual vaccination for BVD and I think I do pretty good with my biosecurity. I pull up short with scrubbing everyone's boots with lysol but if the coppers come to check my firearms I might make them scrub their boots with formalin.

Ken

 

[Nesikep]

We bought cows when we started, then added a few the following year, and apart from bulls were closed for about 28 years.. I bought one heifer calf since and she's turned into a nice cow. Now I keep a bull back here and there from my own herd. I've pretty much settled on buying my bulls from the same ranch every time, the same one I got my heifer calf from and my last bull

Here's the heifer the day after I got her home


Family pic, Her son from last year, her daughter from the year before, the bull from the same ranch, and then her as a cow.. One of her daughters from the previous year didn't want to join the picture

The missing daughter from a homeraised bull

 

[gcreekrch]

Bought 1 cow and 7 3wt calves today.

Peewees stay until fall Kenny? Really light calves this time of year here are discounted some. There is a chance they won't finish before the 30 month rule that still has a strangle hold on us from 20 years ago.

 

[kenny thomas]

Peewees stay until fall Kenny? Really light calves this time of year here are discounted some. There is a chance they won't finish before the 30 month rule that still has a strangle hold on us from 20 years ago.

I expect to sell some of them in April when people need just a few to eat their grass. Then buy them back in the fall when grass gets short. Need a few for a place I get for free just to keep it clean.
Small calves, especially rough ones, are discounted a lot here. Not enough numbers to interest most buyers. When a rough looking smaller calf comes in everyone looks at me as the asking price gets lower. I paid from .80 to 1.49 yesterday. 5 bull calves 2 steers averaged 1.09.

 

[gcreekrch]

I expect to sell some of them in April when people need just a few to eat their grass. Then buy them back in the fall when grass gets short. Need a few for a place I get for free just to keep it clean.
Small calves, especially rough ones, are discounted a lot here. Not enough numbers to interest most buyers. When a rough looking smaller calf comes in everyone looks at me as the asking price gets lower. I paid from .80 to 1.49 yesterday. 5 bull calves 2 steers averaged 1.09.

Nice job, I know you will turn them into money.