price on cow-cald pairs

Help Support CattleToday:

regenwether

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 13, 2006
Messages
237
Reaction score
0
Location
Iowa
I'm looking for some fall Cow-calf pairs. Had a guy call me on an ad I put in the paper. He has 4 cows. They are young cows with Sept-Oct. Calves are on their side. Two calves are heifers two are bulls. I can see on the market report what the calves that wt. are going for. Any thoughts on what a 1st. trimester Cow would go for. They are angus cross cows. I'm in Iowa. Thank you.
 
There are too many questions to give a decent answer. What condition are they in, are they bred back, maybe not. Find out some of this first and then you can get closer. With the info you have they could be worth anywhere from 1,000 to 2,500 each.
 
With the information of young angus cows, bred in the first stage, here they wouldn't be over about 1400$ even if there pretty fancy, 1200$ to 1400$ would be my recommendation on a starting point for the cows, then ad the calf value. You will be doing pretty good if the seller will do it that way, because right now good pairs won't split up for what there bringing. Say a young black pair with a 300lb calf might bring 2500$ or more, but the calf is only worth 675$ and the cow say 1400$ so your starting out in the hole, but you have a good cow that will make money. Doing it your way is how I price pairs when buying privately, but not everyone will do it that way.
 
I was thinking around $1500 for a 1st tri cow. Depending on the wt. and sex of the calves I was thinking 6-800 for the calves. That's around $2200. I guess supply is another factor. I have not bought anything since last spring.
 
regenwether":2gw29w2r said:
I was thinking around $1500 for a 1st tri cow. Depending on the wt. and sex of the calves I was thinking 6-800 for the calves. That's around $2200. I guess supply is another factor. I have not bought anything since last spring.
800 for calves born in September/October. Are you sure?
 
There is on Aug. calf. 800 would be high I would admit but look at the Market report for 3-400 lb. steers.
 
Depending on breed/ condition etc, its hard to tell. I've seen cows on Craig's list that I wouldn't haul off and they want premium for them. I would have to see the cows first, why is he selling 4 pair? How much does he want for them? He contacted you remember, be very careful and don't pay him until their on your trailer unless you know him. I would find a reputable breeder and get some, personally. I bet you my bottom dollar he's not selling his very best cows. I'm gonna assume that the one aug calf will not weigh 300lbs nor will the other three calves. How are you gonna know the age of cows?
I have seen where special bred cow/pairs sales are getting to be popular in sale barns about once a month here locally.
 
Kscattle":1tzizodo said:
Depending on breed/ condition etc, its hard to tell. I've seen cows on Craig's list that I wouldn't haul off and they want premium for them. I would have to see the cows first, why is he selling 4 pair? How much does he want for them? He contacted you remember, be very careful and don't pay him until their on your trailer unless you know him. I would find a reputable breeder and get some, personally. I bet you my bottom dollar he's not selling his very best cows. I'm gonna assume that the one aug calf will not weigh 300lbs nor will the other three calves. How are you gonna know the age of cows?
I have seen where special bred cow/pairs sales are getting to be popular in sale barns about once a month here locally.
Yep, people all the time make the Salebarn out to be a bad place. But personally I like buying cows that have been mouthed and pregged, I know the vets don't always get the right on, but it's better than going out in a field somewhere and loading some going on what the owner thinks.
 
I agree on the salebarn 100%. On the farm here nobody ever thinks they could have an open cow. I know when the vet checks them at leasst there is for sure a calf in there. Same way with age. A young cow on the farm stays young until she is 12 or older. :nod:
 
kenny thomas":2oe4xgd8 said:
I agree on the salebarn 100%. On the farm here nobody ever thinks they could have an open cow. I know when the vet checks them at leasst there is for sure a calf in there. Same way with age. A young cow on the farm stays young until she is 12 or older. :nod:
Yep, and the owner can be telling you just like he really thinks, time can slip away on ages and without checking there is no way to say ones bred.
 
denvermartinfarms":1eqruuxz said:
kenny thomas":1eqruuxz said:
I agree on the salebarn 100%. On the farm here nobody ever thinks they could have an open cow. I know when the vet checks them at leasst there is for sure a calf in there. Same way with age. A young cow on the farm stays young until she is 12 or older. :nod:
Yep, and the owner can be telling you just like he really thinks, time can slip away on ages and without checking there is no way to say ones bred.
Exactly! I've been guilty of this myself when I think " she's still a young cow, why does she look so poor" then I look through record book at her born on date. Time slips away and you look at the girls and remember when she was born, and think, that was just a couple years ago......wrong
I guarantee if I sell only 4 cows, I won't sell my good ones. Their gonna be my rejects. Granted my rejects might be just what someone else's looking for too.
 
The guy is getting rid of the girls cause he runs just a spring herd. Most people here do and don't like messing with fall calves. I've been running both a spring and fall herd for some time. I get along fine. Just have to remember a few things. Creep those calve in the winter. Provide a high protein ration to those lactating cows. When the blizzard does come, have some type of wind break/shelter.
 
Fall calving cows coming from spring calving herds have fertility problems. You can make excuses for them, but the results speak for it self. 10% discount on market value of the cow for low fertility and I wouldn't plan on keeping any replacement heifers or breeding bulls from them.
 
I disagree with the fertility issue. Particularly with 1st. calf Heifers. If fertility was an issue why don't I have one with my fall herd. Sure there are a few every year as there is in every herd. Most of my culling stem from age. A lactating Cow does not hold up well during the winter when they get older.
 
I breed all my cows to calve in early spring. If some miss then I breed them to calve in the fall. I sell these animals as cow/calf pairs all the time. I just don't like animals that don't get bred to calve in the spring. So, if you buy a cow/calf from me with a fall calf its because she missed the first time I put the bull in.

It might have been her. Maybe the bull didn't find her. Maybe shoulda coulda woulda. Who knows. I want my cows to calve in the spring LOL. If she can't calve with everyone else she goes down the road. This could end up being a great animal for a hobby farmer, but I need all my calves on the ground at the same time. It makes life a lot easier for me.
 

Latest posts

Top