libertygarden
Well-known member
So I took my second round of calves to market (Paris, TX) last Wednesday. They were 4 heifers, 1 bull calf that I got in an August cow/calf sale. Needless to say, both the cows and calves were distressed but in the last 5 months they managed to put on weight, at least enough to recover half my purchase price (not including hay and cubes). These are the results and observations.
1) bull red angus, 245# at 205, $502.25
2) heifer red angus, 475# at 140, $665.00
3) heifer red angus, 370# at 172, $638.00
4) heifer red angus, 295# at 145, $427.75
5) heifer black angus, 410# at 195, $799.50
Number 2 and 5 were maybe a month apart, yet #5 brought in 55 more. Of the lot, I liked #3 the best, but even her brought in 23 less than the black angus. All claves were weaned ( or almost weaned as I seldom saw them nurse) when I bought them, not because they were too old, but it seemed to me like the mothers had dried up during the drought. Number 1 and #4 were ugly as sin, their mother's were definitely dry when I bought them. I'm surprised the bull calf, #1 (nuts and all) brought in 205.
So my take away from this is to cull any cow that gives me red calves and keep only those that drop black. The red angus mother of #5 already dropped another black calf in October, so she is staying, plus she's a good mother. The mothers of #1 and #4, I'll probably sell as heavy bred or as a pair in due time. The other two I'm not sure.
1) bull red angus, 245# at 205, $502.25
2) heifer red angus, 475# at 140, $665.00
3) heifer red angus, 370# at 172, $638.00
4) heifer red angus, 295# at 145, $427.75
5) heifer black angus, 410# at 195, $799.50
Number 2 and 5 were maybe a month apart, yet #5 brought in 55 more. Of the lot, I liked #3 the best, but even her brought in 23 less than the black angus. All claves were weaned ( or almost weaned as I seldom saw them nurse) when I bought them, not because they were too old, but it seemed to me like the mothers had dried up during the drought. Number 1 and #4 were ugly as sin, their mother's were definitely dry when I bought them. I'm surprised the bull calf, #1 (nuts and all) brought in 205.
So my take away from this is to cull any cow that gives me red calves and keep only those that drop black. The red angus mother of #5 already dropped another black calf in October, so she is staying, plus she's a good mother. The mothers of #1 and #4, I'll probably sell as heavy bred or as a pair in due time. The other two I'm not sure.