Maybe its me...

[skyhightree1]

Maybe it's me but has anyone noticed the heifers running through the sale barns are getting less and less? It seems that way to me. I think alot more people are holding on to them.

 

[Nesikep]

My cows just aren't giving me any heifers this year.. I wrote out 8 tags for heifers, figuring on 23 cows they'd get used up.. I have one tag left over at 3 to go (*yawn*, someday they'll calve)

 

[skyhightree1]

I gotcha my next round of calving will start in june/july I have mixed feelings about it cause I retain all my heifers and at the same time I want steers to sell.

 

[bigbull338]

your right either the heifers are staying on the farm for replacements.or they are being sold private treaty for top dollar.i sold 3 heifer calves this year.and i hope to sell more next year.ive got a friend that sells his heifers as fast as he can wean them.

 

[skyhightree1]

your right either the heifers are staying on the farm for replacements.or they are being sold private treaty for top dollar.i sold 3 heifer calves this year.and i hope to sell more next year.ive got a friend that sells his heifers as fast as he can wean them.

I wasnt sure if anyone else was seeing that at well. I think alot more craigslist sales are keeping a bunch out of sale barns.

 

[Limomike]

your right either the heifers are staying on the farm for replacements.or they are being sold private treaty for top dollar.i sold 3 heifer calves this year.and i hope to sell more next year.ive got a friend that sells his heifers as fast as he can wean them.

I think what Bigbull says is what is happening.. I personally sold 5 heifers on Monday... at the sale barn. they were a little under 500lbs, averaged $952 for each of them. They were not ones I would have kept for replacements anyway, so it was good to get them gone.

 

[cowgirl8]

Liking how that sounds, i'll have 125 angus cross heifers to sell..or, maybe we'll hold onto them. We should have wished for more heifers, i was cursing them early on since we were having so many compared to bulls.

 

[highgrit]

Sky, keeping all your heifers is a bad way to manage your herd. I like keeping heifers back, but only the nicest ones. One day you will wish you sold your marginal heifers. Two cull heifers can buy one really nice bred heifer.

 

[Hook]

Highgrit is right. We only held back less than 10% last year. And we had 70% heifers.
This year it's roughly 50% and I have yet to figure out which ones to hold back

 

[kucala5]

We were thrilled to get 11 of 19 gals this year. In the past we'd be hoping for boy babies. The heifers we don't keep for ourselves, we'll sell as bred heifers.

 

[kenny thomas]

Just keep in mind that with normal cattle cycles that heifers kept during the high prices are never the most profitable. First they are worth so much there goes a lot of the profit for that year. Second by the time they are in their prime the prices may very well go down. Then when the cycle comes again they are old cows that are not as productive. Keep heifers in the cheap cattle times and they will be real productive during the good part of the cycle and ready to cull by the next low part of the cycle. With 500 lb heifers worth well over 2.00 a lb I just dont see keeping heifers now. Get the profit while its there.

 

[Limomike]

Sky, keeping all your heifers is a bad way to manage your herd. I like keeping heifers back, but only the nicest ones. One day you will wish you sold your marginal heifers. Two cull heifers can buy one really nice bred heifer.

I totally agree highgrit.

 

[wacocowboy]

only heifers I take to the sale barn are trash my good heifer I keep and sell private for more money

 

[skyhightree1]

Sky, keeping all your heifers is a bad way to manage your herd. I like keeping heifers back, but only the nicest ones. One day you will wish you sold your marginal heifers. Two cull heifers can buy one really nice bred heifer.

Just keep in mind that with normal cattle cycles that heifers kept during the high prices are never the most profitable. First they are worth so much there goes a lot of the profit for that year. Second by the time they are in their prime the prices may very well go down. Then when the cycle comes again they are old cows that are not as productive. Keep heifers in the cheap cattle times and they will be real productive during the good part of the cycle and ready to cull by the next low part of the cycle. With 500 lb heifers worth well over 2.00 a lb I just dont see keeping heifers now. Get the profit while its there.

VERY VERY TRUE statements you all have made. Hg I kept the heifers just to build the herd #'s up and yes that definately is a bad thing to do but was looking at it from #'s aspect instead of just keeping the best ones. KT you are right I guess I will be culling here soon gotta strike while the iron is hot.

 

[bigbull338]

well ive got a bull thats having 90% heifers this year.so that means there wont be meny calves going to town this fall.im only holding back 1 reg heifer this year.

 

[Limomike]

well ive got a bull thats having 90% heifers this year.so that means there wont be meny calves going to town this fall.im only holding back 1 reg heifer this year.

Bigbull. how did you get so lucky?? :lol:

 

[Nesikep]

On 20 calves this year, I've got 7 heifers, 3 I can't even consider,
1 looks nice, but both her sisters turned out to be garbage,

1 of them might be nice, but turn out to be a bit framey, I can live with that if I have to, she should produce well.
1 is from a second calver, very nice, I hope she gains well enough...
1 is from a cow that had vaginal prolapse, BEAUTIFUL heifer, She's a milk thief, but I know her mother has lots of milk, On the maternal side, no other cows have had prolapse..
And I won't keep anything from the 3 remaining cows to calf...
And I'd be culling 3 or 4 head this fall, with 4 heifers coming in for next year

 

[bigbull338]

mike i dont know but if my new venture holds out ill be wanting all heifers.so i can sell the very top end of them.knowing that the cows will prolly have all bull calves next year.