disease: raising heifers vs buying cows

[angus9259]

Entering the "buying cows vs raising heifers" debate but not trying to steal the original thread . . .

I'm a HUGE fan of buying cows and NOT raising my own heifers. That said, I'm also tired of the issues with bringing new head into herd. I brought ringworm in (not lethal, but not wanted). I bought one cow from a respected closed herd that turned up positive for Johnes. I brought in a cow that struggled with a particular strain of Coccidiosis that didn't seem to affect my cows. I have to screen every incoming cow for Johnes. I brought in hairy heel wart and and lumpy jaw . . . again, all from respected herds. These things all go around and are all manageable, but there is a cost associated with managing it that isn't always in the cost calculations.

I'm closing back up . . . at least until I have to hyper manage my next group of calving heifers :?

 

[Angus Cowman]

Entering the "buying cows vs raising heifers" debate but not trying to steal the original thread . . .

I'm a HUGE fan of buying cows and NOT raising my own heifers. That said, I'm also tired of the issues with bringing new head into herd. I brought ringworm in (not lethal, but not wanted). I bought one cow from a respected closed herd that turned up positive for Johnes. I brought in a cow that struggled with a particular strain of Coccidiosis that didn't seem to affect my cows. I have to screen every incoming cow for Johnes. I brought in hairy heel wart and and lumpy jaw . . . again, all from respected herds. These things all go around and are all manageable, but there is a cost associated with managing it that isn't always in the cost calculations.

I'm closing back up . . . at least until I have to hyper manage my next group of calving heifers :?

why would you have to "Hyper manage" your calving hfrs
I calf hfrs out anywhere from 15 - 40 a yr and I don't have to hyper manage them
check them every morning and sometimes in mid day if I think one is looking close in the morning and then in the evening
I don't spend much more time if any with my hfrs than I do with my older cows
breed to a good calving ease bull and take pelvic measurements on your hfrs so you know what you got

 

[angus9259]

"hyper" was the wrong word. heifers take more work - at least as far as I've ever experienced. even having to watch them closer is "more" management than cows require. then (at least for me) - there will be one that doesn't know how to momma. there will be one that needs "assistance" (at least for me) and that good reliable calving ease AI bull . . . will throw a big one.

Which aren't the only management issues with heifers. There's feeding them separately that first year as they grow and nurse. There's having a whole other area to keep them at/after weaning so they don't run with the bulls I'll be raising to sell and they don't run with their mommas who are getting bred back. Then there's breeding the heifers a cycle before the cows to make sure they've got plenty of time to breed back. These are all the things I've experienced relative to raising my own heifer - may not be true for everyone.

And suddenly I'm talking myself back into selling all my heifers and buying bred cows instead. I'm glad we had this conversation! :lol:

 

[1982vett]

All that extra work would drive me crazy too. :lol:

 

[dun]

All that extra work would drive me crazy too. :lol:

I'll drink to that!

 

[Angus Cowman]

All that extra work would drive me crazy too. :lol:

I'll drink to that!

heck if I had to do all that I would never keep or calve a hfr out
pass the bottle :cowboy:

 

[1982vett]

All that extra work would drive me crazy too. :lol:

I'll drink to that!

heck if I had to do all that I would never keep or calve a hfr out
pass the bottle :cowboy:

But some of us don't have gate openers...

 

[pdfangus]

I have always raised my own heifers and I did not do all that stuff.

those heifers were expected to pull their weight right along with the cows.

I work a full time job and leave home at 5:30 in the morning and we checked em when we got home.

the last time my partner bought some cows and brought us another bug to go thru the whole herd ( this was over twenty years ago ) I put my foot down and closed the herd.

we raised our own heifers and used our own young bulls for cleanup behind AI.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Entering the "buying cows vs raising heifers" debate but not trying to steal the original thread . . .
These things all go around and are all manageable, but there is a cost associated with managing it that isn't always in the cost calculations.

I buy in discounted bred heifers and bring them into a seperate farm for 4 to 6 weeks to vacinate and sort. After I get done with treating and culling I have another $100 each into the keepers. After I cull the poor mothers and poor milkers I have more money yet into them, so they are not a big discount anymore.
I think buying proven cows at a dispersal may be a better deal. Not sure how many of these there will be this fall, since calf prices are up and hay prices are down locally.