I agree with the attitude and handling aspect. Some of the bought cows we have are not very people friendly. We try to buy more at some of the herd dispersals, and lately have bought some very decent handleable cows. Got a nice chunky bull calf on the ground yesterday out of a bought cow. Too bad it wasn't a heifer, potential keeper.... oh well. We are just looking at some of the pros and cons of keeping some of the heifers we raised/weaned off of cows. We do keep the ones we really like, no question... but the ones that we look at and say, she's an okay heifer, nothing special nothing stands out..... I don't see the advantage of keeping them.
Since we don't feed alot of concentrates, and grow our heifers maybe a little slower than some, for us it is just a matter of economics for the average heifers. Got 5 now, that are just decent heifers.... out of first calf heifers, that all are very calm and handled regularly. But if they are going to be worth 5-700 and still will be 2 years before they have a calf to sell, it is not worth it. If they were really nice ones, then yes... but they are just okay decent ones. At least for me. Someone might think they are pretty nice. I'm kinda hoping that if prices are decent today, that someone might think they are pretty nice next week.
I agree with Stocker Steve, I think it is a little early to see a good return from retained heifers. I am thinking that starting next year we might retain some more and then breed some to sell as breds in 20-21. Or sell with calves by their side. We actually have never sold bred heifers. We usually don't sell anything bred unless they are short bred... but might do it next year or the year after. We either sell as feeders or raise them to breed. So trying to look ahead for the POSSIBLE rise in the cattle cycle. I do know that if we see any big rise in prices like we saw in 2013-2015, there will be alot of cattle leaving our place and then we can start over with a core group.
I know of several farmers that sell off all their calves every year and never retain and then just buy some breds when they have to replenish. I have never understood it if they have some good cattle. But again, many do not have the facilities or want to put in the time/money/effort to raise up their own. We can and do, but I am just getting pickier this year. I am afraid we might have a really bad winter and that will be harder on the weaned youngstock, and more costly. Would rather have the cow/calf pairs and be able to feed the hay and sorghum/sudan rolls to them and supplement a little with some protein and let the cow do the work rather than have a bunch of 5-700 lb weaned cattle needing more feed.
I am also hoping for some nice calves out of this heavily muscled young Limi bull we bought this past year. Got him on 14 cows that should be bred and I am thinking he will get put on another group this winter. I don't like to over use him, but I think since the 14 should be bred now, and since the pastures he is being rotated around on now are good grass, all he is doing is eating and growing so should be ready for some more ladies by mid Nov.. The biggest thing is disposition of the calves, but I hope to put these cows with his new calves at a pasture in the spring where I will be in and out more and can work on the "calmness" factor. He's not especially high strung, but a little more than the angus we have. But what a build..... and I think we are losing some of the "beefiness" build of our beef cattle. Just me..... I want them built like a tank if they are beef animals, and I like a dairy animal that has a little more "beef" on her than what some want the "dairyness" to look like. But again, my "dairy" cows all have to preform on mostly grass and hay, not a ton of fed silages etc.