Registered doesn't have to be high dollar cattle. I just bought registered heifers for $2k and that's what they're bringing at the sale barn. Commercial heifer pairs brought $2875 here a couple weeks ago. I think with the low cattle numbers today you should get the best start you can on whatever budget you can afford. Better cattle will make you more money than poor cattle by raising better quality calves that buyers are willing to pay top dollar for at sale time. I'm not in any way saying that registered means better than commercial, simply that junk cattle (registered or not) will not be worth having.trappersteve":2567e7np said:As a beginner myself I think you just need to get a few nothing special cows to kinda get your feet wet and see where it goes I actually plan on raising registered stuff later on but til I know what im doing im not gonna get any high dollar stuff yet
dun":29or9ptj said:I would recommend geting good quality commecial cows and forgetting about registered for a few years. Once your infrastructre is up to snuff and you are suwared away with record keeping, health program, the start attending a few registered sales to get a feel fo that end of the business. You can keep your commercial cows and gradually add registered as you go along.
cow pollinater":29or9ptj said:Start commercial. You can't possibly know what commercial cowmen want from a seedstock producer until you've been there yourself and if you don't know what commercial cowmen want then you're dead in the water before you ever get started.
I paid that stupid tax myself. I thought I needed registered cows and that's what I bought after growing up around cattle . Most of them are getting cross-bred on purpose and only a small handful get used as seed-stock and it's just barely enough for my own use.
cow pollinater":2vpiv312 said:Start commercial. You can't possibly know what commercial cowmen want from a seedstock producer until you've been there yourself and if you don't know what commercial cowmen want then you're dead in the water before you ever get started.
bigbull338":6jlz09fw said:ok here something for you to really think about considering reg cattle.i talked to a buddy of mine that will be at a breed assoc sale tomorrow that i was supposed to go to.but due to the wet icey mess we could be in im not going.an i needed to pick up 2 pairs or bred heifers.an we was talking price an he said the open an bred heifers should go for $3000 or more.an if he is right bred cows or pairs will be $2500 or more.an he said that we should be ready to give $3000 for the cattle we wanted.an tobe ready to get blown out at that price.
There are not a lot of bargains out there right now.
AND they're PROVEN. :nod:greybeard":wan771s5 said:Them old girls that still have life for a few calves left are getting pretty expensive too. Still probably a lot cheaper than buying weaned heifers and growing 'em tho.