Comments on this heifer (pic)?
- Thread starter tom4018
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Texan
Well-known member
Very nice heifer. In my opinion, she's a little small to be seven months old, though.
Crowderfarms
Well-known member
Tom, she's not bad, but my feelings on Heifers is Ship Em'I had a bunch I had threatened to keep this year and I sold them last week. Wise move. I kept one out of 15.I'll probably send her off with the next load in a couple weeks.[/u]tom4018":1r8m85n5 said:Here is a Charlois heifer we are considering keeping.
Born 3/17/2005, weight tape has here at 375 Lbs on 10/8/2005.
Her reg. number is F1016020
Crowderfarms
Well-known member
I like taking Heifers to the bank. Once in a while, I'll keep one, but she has to be real special. I would just as soon buy Bred Cattle., Or better yet, Pairs.msscamp":2svl3b7u said:
J&T Farm
Well-known member
Im wondering your reasons too? I know alot of people who just dont like to keep em.msscamp":1n2k2wb4 said:
The heifer looks good but I also think your tape is inacurate. She should weigh as least 500-550 at that age IMO.
Texan
Well-known member
Sell heifers when cattle are high. You can always keep 'em when cattle cheapen up. A heifer saved now might bring $700 plus to feed, or for a replacement heifer order. Take that $700, add the maintenance for two years, and then you might have the first calf ready to sell out of her (if all goes well). That will make her a fairly high-priced young cow. Not an appealing proposition to me. Not to mention, that you will have your youngest females going into the most productive times of their lives at the bottom of the cattle cycle, price-wise. Another loser, in my opinion.
But if money is no object, or if you've been working for years on getting what you want, keep her if you like her. Assuming that she just weighs 575, right here at weaning time, I don't think I'd want her for a replacement. I don't care anything about keeping any Char cows that only wean 575 pound calves at seven months.
But if money is no object, or if you've been working for years on getting what you want, keep her if you like her. Assuming that she just weighs 575, right here at weaning time, I don't think I'd want her for a replacement. I don't care anything about keeping any Char cows that only wean 575 pound calves at seven months.
Crowderfarms
Well-known member
Well said Texan. As Usual. That's why mine get shipped.
jscunn
Well-known member
So what do you suggest we do about replacements?? Go to the sale barn (I dont think so). You have no idea what those cows are bred to or been through, you run a high risk of taking some elses junk. Buy from someone private treaty? Then you usually pay too much for them.
We keep heifers as replacements, if you are breeding just for terminal cattle then buy all means dont keep replacements, but we are not just selling cattle at weaning. We are keeping 75% of last years steers for custom fed beef and will sell or keep the top 50% of last years heifers as replacements. The other 50% will go to the auction. We try to design our breeding program to produce good functional females so we can keep them as replacements. If we were to cut are herd in half then the top half would have all but 3 cows born on the place and all but 2 would have been born before 1999. That tells us our breeding program is working.
We keep heifers as replacements, if you are breeding just for terminal cattle then buy all means dont keep replacements, but we are not just selling cattle at weaning. We are keeping 75% of last years steers for custom fed beef and will sell or keep the top 50% of last years heifers as replacements. The other 50% will go to the auction. We try to design our breeding program to produce good functional females so we can keep them as replacements. If we were to cut are herd in half then the top half would have all but 3 cows born on the place and all but 2 would have been born before 1999. That tells us our breeding program is working.
Rustler9
Well-known member
Good looking heifer-if you like, keep her. That's what I do. I would not want to buy replacement heifers myself unless I knew exactly who and where they came from. Buying replacement heifers from an unknown source can give you lots of time pulling monster calves as well as taking on other problems.
ALACOWMAN
Well-known member
they sho aint ;-)Beefy":30vlpmrj said:
Dusty Britches
Well-known member
Texan":1g0hf9cj said:
The other side of that coin is that it is cheaper to raise replacements than to buy them right now. For the first time ever, my neighbor is keeping 200 replacement heifers. Some, he plans to sell when they are 12 months old, but most will replace his cull cows. When heifer prices drop, he'll sell all calves.
Texan is right. Sell when the market is high and keep when the market is low. But, having said that, my herd is getting on up in age. I am needing some replacements and want to keep a few heifers out of the cows that have stayed fertile for many years, easy keepers and throws good babies. I know their past and somehow I can justify keeping them knowing their history. I hope the market stays up for a long time. But I am losing money when I do retain a heifer at this point.
So many new people are seeing the prices staying up on the cattle and they want a piece of the pie too. Right now, people want the heifers to start herds. One day, the market will fluctuate for a few months and some of the new guys will get scared and start dumping the heifers and cows that were meant to be their brood cows. Then the prices will go down further if a lot of people cut and run if they over saturate the market. That is the best time to retain and purchase heifers. I am not following my own advice, but, I do need to increase my herd. I will just do it a little at a time. Then when I get my herd population up, then I can sell all day long.
So many new people are seeing the prices staying up on the cattle and they want a piece of the pie too. Right now, people want the heifers to start herds. One day, the market will fluctuate for a few months and some of the new guys will get scared and start dumping the heifers and cows that were meant to be their brood cows. Then the prices will go down further if a lot of people cut and run if they over saturate the market. That is the best time to retain and purchase heifers. I am not following my own advice, but, I do need to increase my herd. I will just do it a little at a time. Then when I get my herd population up, then I can sell all day long.
Tom, I meant to say that she is a thick heifer. She should throw you some babies with meat on their bones if you decide to keep her. Good cow throwing heavy calves = money in yo' pocket." What more could you ask for unless she had a million dollar bill attached to her neck.
I think this Char heifer has some Angus in her. Am I correct?
As far as replacements, I keep some of my heifers some times depending on how hard I am culling at the time or plan to the next year. I have purchased at "replacement heifer" sales where you are buying certified bred heifers. I have had good success but no where near 100% I usually end up culling some of them.
Here's what I do. If I have cows that are easy calvers, easy keepers, good dispositions, and recover quickly when I pull their calf, then I start watching their calves and how they grow off. If I know I will be needing replacements in the future then I will pick some from the cows as keepers based on the above statistics. My keepers are usually at least a third calf.
As far as replacements, I keep some of my heifers some times depending on how hard I am culling at the time or plan to the next year. I have purchased at "replacement heifer" sales where you are buying certified bred heifers. I have had good success but no where near 100% I usually end up culling some of them.
Here's what I do. If I have cows that are easy calvers, easy keepers, good dispositions, and recover quickly when I pull their calf, then I start watching their calves and how they grow off. If I know I will be needing replacements in the future then I will pick some from the cows as keepers based on the above statistics. My keepers are usually at least a third calf.
