opinions on these calfs for sale

[CattleHand]

everyone has a different operation but buying calves at 150 pounds to save up as replacement stock seems like the long and more expensive way to expanding a herd.

 

[dieselbeef]

true..but with my rescources being so limited that i have to buy feed from my reg job wages i cant afford to drop 7-800 on a cow or heifer.
its the long way around fer sure but ive got the land already and i sell feed so its pretty cheap also.
id like to buy some 3 ways but i can get 4 of these or 2 3ways for a 1k. the calfs i buy one at a time if need be...otherwise i cant afford the outlay

 

[hillsdown]

Diesel, so you are looking for heifers to raise as replacements for you and breed at 15 months ?

 

[dun]

Those aren;t replacement quality heifers. They need to go to the feedlot wihtout you having owned them

 

[dieselbeef]

i dget ya hilldown..i aint getti into that conv..nooooo way.
yeah im gonna buy em for replacements..and i hold the bull off em til theyre 2 also...so i hardly calf til 3....
i dont have a calfing season wither tho.i calf all yr long since i sell my animals as meat i nee to have asteady crop not an all at once harvest. i liike to butcher at between 20 24 mos so i run the bull with the cows and readys all yr

 

[hillsdown]

The only thing I am wondering as maybe I missed it but are these bottle fed dairy influenced calves or are they calves pulled off their dam at 6 weeks. The reason I ask is if they are bottle heifers is there a chance that they could be a twin and perhaps a freemartin.

 

[CattleHand]

i dget ya hilldown..i aint getti into that conv..nooooo way.
yeah im gonna buy em for replacements..and i hold the bull off em til theyre 2 also...so i hardly calf til 3....

keeping those for 2 years then breeding and then finally dropping a calf requires alot of input. I think you would be better off to save up and buy a cow for 6 or 7 hundred. Also agree with Dun, those calves might not be the best breeding stock. I would assume the guy selling these too you would think you would fatten them up and resell at the sale barn. Thats my input

 

[ga. prime]

i dget ya hilldown..i aint getti into that conv..nooooo way.
yeah im gonna buy em for replacements..and i hold the bull off em til theyre 2 also..

HD isn't refering to the the mystifying practice of calving on a 15 month cycle but rather the common practice of breeding heifers at 15 months of age.

 

[dieselbeef]

i dget ya hilldown..i aint getti into that conv..nooooo way.
yeah im gonna buy em for replacements..and i hold the bull off em til theyre 2 also..

HD isn't refering to the the mystifying practice of calving on a 15 month cycle but rather the common practice of breeding heifers at 15 months of age.

oh yeah i got ya now..i was on that sir lion thread..beyond me that is..anyways yeah i like to breed em a little later tho...maybe round 20 mos..ive had bad luck w/hiefers so i kinda hold em a little longer now than i used to...
they may be selling em for a resale deal and maybe they wont run out and ill end up doin that..i could always eat em....
im always leary of buyin a cow from someone..if its a good producing animl with no issues why wouldthey sell it to me...and the problem is i have no cash flow so gettin a cpl clafs for 350 bucks is easier to do than a unkown cow for 800..course the clafs are unknown also but its a less risk...i gotta feed em both

 

[dieselbeef]

this is good thogh..im gettin some good info and some good ideas...different ways of thinkin..since im figuring all this out as i do it its good to think a different way

 

[CattleHand]

cpl clafs for 350 bucks is easier to do than a unkown cow for 800..course the clafs are unknown also but its a less risk...i gotta feed em both

Now im not following you on this. You buy two calves for $700 and wait 2 years to get a calf. Where as you can buy a cow, a pretty nice look cow at that, for that same price. The cow can be bred right away and drop you a calf in 9 months where as you have to feed the calves for 2 years and then you can finally breed them. Im not as good as some of these guys with running the numbers but to me, the cow is the better buy. Not to mention as some of these guys have said those calves might not be the best looking cows since they were weaned so early (I wont tell you I know anythign about that). But in my mind, and the way ive been taught by my grandpa you would rather buy the cow. Just adding my opinion to that, also depend on what you are used to.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Those calves look to be 1/2 Jersey and halfway potbellied to boot. I too am wondering why they were 'weaned' from their mothers at 6 weeks.

I have to agree with CattleHand, dun and the others on this. The numbers just don't pan out.

Just my 2 cents.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

Katherine

 

[dieselbeef]

cpl clafs for 350 bucks is easier to do than a unkown cow for 800..course the clafs are unknown also but its a less risk...i gotta feed em both

Now im not following you on this. You buy two calves for $700 and wait 2 years to get a calf. Where as you can buy a cow, a pretty nice look cow at that, for that same price. The cow can be bred right away and drop you a calf in 9 months where as you have to feed the calves for 2 years and then you can finally breed them. Im not as good as some of these guys with running the numbers but to me, the cow is the better buy. Not to mention as some of these guys have said those calves might not be the best looking cows since they were weaned so early (I wont tell you I know anythign about that). But in my mind, and the way ive been taught by my grandpa you would rather buy the cow. Just adding my opinion to that, also depend on what you are used to.

you do make a good point..but if the cow wont calf or has craziness issues or etc..ya know what i mean....then the cow doesnt come out so well when i try to unload her at the barn wher as if i seel the calfs after 2 yrs they will sell mostly on wieght gain and make me alittle. also i would hafta feed that cow for at least...maybe 12 mons before that calf would hit the ground..its almost a equal risk but i think if the calfs didnt werk out i could sell em for more fater they gain 600 lbs...
i dont know...buying a good cow round here is tuff..nobody wants to sell a producer so ya really hafta watch what yer buying...grief is something i dont need

 

[Tatertot]

I find it interesting that no one thinks these calfs are replacement material. Yet you are still talking about buying them. I have to wonder why you even asked the question in the first place. I can buy heifers at the sale barn for $500 all day long that would put me way ahead of the game you are planning out for yourself.

 

[dieselbeef]

im taking it all in...yall know more than i do..dont get it like im not taking any advice. i appreciate all the input. most likely ill try to save up a little more and buy some decent calfs at a little higher price...ive been looking and have seen some better ones listed locally...im gonna rty to post some of those pics..yall will like these better

 

[dieselbeef]

like this one better...400 bucks

 

[dieselbeef]

heres another one the same person has for sale..im gonna go get em both sat for 750 if they still have em

 

[dieselbeef]

how bout that dun...all by myself..thanks buddy

yall think these are better....i sure do

 

[dieselbeef]

cant answer those ques til i see em in person..im gonna try to get over ther sat to see em. he actually has some 400 lb 6 mo hiefers for sale also that are on pasture. ill be looking at them.

yall are thinkin there dairy calf bottle babys

 

[CattleHand]

Your not getting a steal on that one calf for 400 bucks. Its hard to tell from the picture though, but Id still say he's not a steal.
I also still think you are going about expanding your herd the hard way. You are right alot of people arent out to sell their best cows, but if ya go to the sale barn you can usually catch a4 year old or 5 year old taht will do you just fine. Or talk to neighbors, especially if you have older neighbors that are down sizing. Also you said you didnt want a crazy one, but I wouldnt just rule the crazy ones out. If they will stay in the pasture, those are some of the best deal you can find.

Also the questions sirloin are asking have no relative importance that I can see. Whether their ear tags are in order or not arent that important, all it will show is either did he use a complete set of ear tags, or did he sell some already. Neither of which matter as you are looking at the ones he has to offer. Left ear or right ear, i dont see how that matter. If he had one that had 6 tags in each ear and i still liked the way they looked id buy them and cut the tags out : ). Also what would the size of his trailer have to do with anything? All that would show would be the size of his operation, which you can see by visiting lol. Anways thats my additional 2 cents.