Cow Calf vs Steer

[tytower]

Heard the expression " rather have steers and feed one to sell one,cow and caf feed two to sell one"

What do you guys feel about this ?

 

[msscamp]

I think it's somewhat inaccurate. Buy a steer, feed him out, sell him and he's gone - no chance of future profit. On the other hand - buy a cow, breed her, provide proper nutrition, calve her out, sell the calf, the cow is still there to produce another calf. Do this enough times, the cow is paid for, and your profit margin just went up. How much it went up is dependent on methods of management, and your individual operation.

 

[tytower]

Agree cow is paid for but each time you feed up a calf for sale you have to feed the cow too ,so factor in the feed cost and it gets costly.

Assuming of course that you feed the calf on to say 12 months of age

 

[BC]

You can run 2 to 3 yearlings on the same grass that one cow-calf pair would eat. You are marketing grass.

 

[Dave]

It also depends on the margin between the purchase price on the steer and the selling price.
You can also buy bred cows. Calf them out, raise the calf, and them sell both of them. Again it depends on the purchase price and the margin between purchase and expected sale price.

 

[Brute 23]

A cow calf operation is like owning a resuraunt and steers are like buying and selling houses.

 

[msscamp]

Agree cow is paid for but each time you feed up a calf for sale you have to feed the cow too ,so factor in the feed cost and it gets costly.

Assuming of course that you feed the calf on to say 12 months of age

Depends on what you're using to feed with. Depending on your area and market - truck weaning solves the whole problem of feeding a calf to 12 months of age.

 

[Bez>]

Hopefully someone will keep doing the cow calf thing - otherwise it is going to get tough buying grassers.

Bez>

 

[msscamp]

Hopefully someone will keep doing the cow calf thing - otherwise it is going to get tough buying grassers.

Bez>

Very good point!

 

[Brute 23]

Hopefully someone will keep doing the cow calf thing - otherwise it is going to get tough buying grassers.

Bez>

 

[Jogeephus]

I like my mommas but have thought about this a bit. On average, it seems it would take about 4 or 5 to net the same as I net on a calf but it looks like I could turn more than one rotation each year but I would have a higher capital outlay.

Also, I don't know if I would want steers. I think heifers might give you more flexibility. If the market got a little tight I could breed them and sell bred heifers.

Sorry just kinda rambling.

 

[backhoeboogie]

cow and caf feed two to sell one"

What do you guys feel about this ?

You can also sell two. What makes you keep the cow? Sell them all. No difference in numbers. If pairs are high, you can sell as 3-in-1's. So you are now actually marketing three instead of two. If the market is bad for anything, it is not the time to sell but rather buy.

 

[cowsrus]

I,ve always been a cow/calf man, but lately I,ve been considering going to buying calves in the early spring and grazing them into the fall and selling them. Most of my cows are old and I need at some point to get rid of them. Calves would mean no hay to bale, no getting out in winter to feed, no worrying about breaking ice. It,s really tempting .

 

[Dvperez81]

cow & calf ALL THE WAY !!

 

[tytower]

Another consideration is the bull. If you cow & calf you must run a bull or AI if you can or lease one ,but its an extra cost .