Question for the board

[jallen]

I'm kicking around ways to lessen my input costs and labor hours related to my cows. I'm considering selling out this fall when my calves are ready to wean. I've got 15 cows and my bull, so sell 15 pairs and the bull. My hay expense each year is 2400 plus a lot of labor I wish I could get rid of. The plan would be to rebuy in the spring with some heavy breds that need to eat in a bad way. Resell in the fall when the calves are ready. Somebody tell me why this is a bad idea??

 

[jallen]

This would be a yearly thing, run nothing over the winter. I should add that I'm selling out in 3-4 years regardless when I build a house on my place just to get them out of my hair during that time. Will get back in when house is done.

 

[M.Magis]

I've considered the same thing. The biggest problem I've come up with is the possibility of not finding the cows I want for the price I want to pay.

 

[jallen]

That's what I feel will be the biggest hurdle. When I got in a few years ago I knew nothing about it. Luckily I took some good advice and bought rough looking heavy breds with a little age on them. A few were dandy cows and some were downright thin. The thin ones liked like different animals by the end of summer. I'm talking major weight gain all while raising a calf. I think the key is buying the right cows at the right price point. I'm looking for less labor too, I like to travel and hunt a lot in the winter and it makes it hard to deal with cows all winter plus the hay and mineral expense I have. Not to mention not having to have a bull running around eating all my grass. Could probably add a cow or two to replace him.

 

[Bigfoot]

Nothing wrong with your plan. I used to pick up thin kill cows every spring. They would gain better than calves lots of times. Plus, a shocking number of them would be bred.

 

[jallen]

Bigfoot, I've seen first hand how quick they can turn around with some wormer and good fertilized grass under their feet. I'm wanting to buy breds and sell calves and cows before hay feeding time. I really think not having to deal with them over the winter will be awesome for me. I work an hour from home and never have time to do anything but cows during daylight hours. That alone off of my shoulders would make it worth it to me I believe.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I'm kicking around ways to lessen my input costs and labor hours related to my cows. I'm considering selling out this fall when my calves are ready to wean. I've got 15 cows and my bull, so sell 15 pairs and the bull. My hay expense each year is 2400 plus a lot of labor I wish I could get rid of. The plan would be to rebuy in the spring with some heavy breds that need to eat in a bad way. Resell in the fall when the calves are ready. Somebody tell me why this is a bad idea??

I do similar buying opportunity girls in the spring sell the pairs in the fall.
The problem is market fluctuations along with finding quality girls and not problems. I maintain a small resident herd and load up to what conditions allow.
Year before last bought 19 girls couldn't find that many last year ended up
Buying nine, sometimes it is better to come home with an empty trailer.
The down side to this is you better know what your doing and have the facilities to hold them until they figure out where home is.

 

[Dave]

I have done this a lot over the years. I had to buy them a little earlier than what it sounds like you are thinking. I still had some hay feeding with the way I did it but I cut my wintering cost in half. I am not an unrealistic haul from desert country where cows get culled at an early age because of their environment. Those cows do great on good grass. I have also done Bigfoots idea of buying thin cows out of the butcher pen. I love a thin cow with lots of signs of lice. Easy to cure and they will pack the pounds on.

 

[True Grit Farms]

Well if you would of bought last spring and sold last fall, you'd of lost $500. dollars a head. That's the only gamble that I see.

 

[midTN_Brangusman]

Well if you would of bought last spring and sold last fall, you'd of lost $500. dollars a head. That's the only gamble that I see.

ATLEAST!

 

[jallen]

I've got a friend that has been in the business for a lot of years who will help me with the buying aspect at no cost. I didn't put the cows in holding pens when I first got in. Straight to the pasture and within a couple weeks everybody was calmed down good enough to worm, etc. I may not be so lucky next go round though, lol.

I'm kicking around ways to lessen my input costs and labor hours related to my cows. I'm considering selling out this fall when my calves are ready to wean. I've got 15 cows and my bull, so sell 15 pairs and the bull. My hay expense each year is 2400 plus a lot of labor I wish I could get rid of. The plan would be to rebuy in the spring with some heavy breds that need to eat in a bad way. Resell in the fall when the calves are ready. Somebody tell me why this is a bad idea??

I do similar buying opportunity girls in the spring sell the pairs in the fall.
The problem is market fluctuations along with finding quality girls and not problems. I maintain a small resident herd and load up to what conditions allow.
Year before last bought 19 girls couldn't find that many last year ended up
Buying nine, sometimes it is better to come home with an empty trailer.
The down side to this is you better know what your doing and have the facilities to hold them until they figure out where home is.

 

[jallen]

Very true. I guess if that were to happen id be hay and bull shopping in the fall. The other issue I see is buying breds but selling opens. That scares me a bit but I could always buy a yearling bull to get them bred before reselling and I guess part ways with the bull as well.

Well if you would of bought last spring and sold last fall, you'd of lost $500. dollars a head. That's the only gamble that I see.

 

[M.Magis]

Well if you would of bought last spring and sold last fall, you'd of lost $500. dollars a head. That's the only gamble that I see.

I was going to mention that as well. Anyone that bought last spring to sell in the fall took a bath. But I like to think last year was an anomaly. Still, you never know.
I wouldn't worry about selling breds as long as you can buy the cows right. The cows I had in mind, I'd be buying for one bid over kill price, because that's where they'd be headed if I don't buy them.

 

[jallen]

Same here, I'm wanting them bred but rough. There is no shortage of them around here the majority of the time. Plenty of guys run twice what they should and their cows look awful. I see the kind I need for sale all the time and generally at the right price.

Well if you would of bought last spring and sold last fall, you'd of lost $500. dollars a head. That's the only gamble that I see.

I was going to mention that as well. Anyone that bought last spring to sell in the fall took a bath. But I like to think last year was an anomaly. Still, you never know.
I wouldn't worry about selling breds as long as you can buy the cows right. The cows I had in mind, I'd be buying for one bid over kill price, because that's where they'd be headed if I don't buy them.

 

[True Grit Farms]

The price is still decent and I think you'll do fine. But why isn't someone else buying those thin bred cows? I try and questions every decision I make concerning money.

 

[Nesikep]

If you're running 15 head now and storing hay for winter, you'd probably be able to run 20-30 on a seasonal basis.. I'd consider overstocking slightly and selling calves when they're 5-6 months old, and perhaps as many cows as needed so that the fall forage holds out, then sell the rest of them in the fall.. Having weaned the calves they should put on some more fat... Only problem is there's always lots of cows for sale in the fall and the price will reflect that.

You'll always be at the mercy of the markets, and there may be times when it's not going to pay as well as you'd hoped, other times it might be better than expected, you just have to prepare yourself for that.

 

[jallen]

I agree. The market will fluctuate no stopping that. It's about freeing up some of time more than anything right now. I'm going to give it a whirl when my calves are ready to go. I'll hold onto the cows as long as the grass allows then sell out. I can probably ship the bull within the next 30-45 days. He's with a cow right now but my notes indicate every cow has been paid a visit and I'm not seeing any return trips so far.

I know I'll miss having them for those months but I won't miss the headache it brings on nor the expense of hay and mineral, etc. I figure I will replace with about what I have now this first year, maybe a few more but not many and see how it goes. I'm working hard to get rotational grazing going so helpfully I can get to the point I can run 25 or more seasonally. My grass has to improve before that can be done though. I may see this isint the route I want to go but I see no need to concern myself with really improving the herd I've got right now. If I wasn't selling out when I build a house in a few years it would be one thing but I see this as an opportunity to experiment a little.

If you're running 15 head now and storing hay for winter, you'd probably be able to run 20-30 on a seasonal basis.. I'd consider overstocking slightly and selling calves when they're 5-6 months old, and perhaps as many cows as needed so that the fall forage holds out, then sell the rest of them in the fall.. Having weaned the calves they should put on some more fat... Only problem is there's always lots of cows for sale in the fall and the price will reflect that.

You'll always be at the mercy of the markets, and there may be times when it's not going to pay as well as you'd hoped, other times it might be better than expected, you just have to prepare yourself for that.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Your right you might not be when one of those salebarn girls clear half the fences in the country and a soccer mom with a minivan full of kids broadside the worthless thing. Haven't had many through the years that wouldn't calm down, been a few never got out of the pen and were resold in the next couple weeks. One couple of months ago made the return trip.

 

[JMJ Farms]

The price is still decent and I think you'll do fine. But why isn't someone else buying those thin bred cows? I try and questions every decision I make concerning money.

I'm the same way. While I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with her, by the time I convince myself to buy her she usually sold :lol2: Probably costs me some good deals but I tell myself it saved me some trouble. I don't see a way to lose much money as long as the market doesn't drop tremendously. My guess is the market is somewhat leveled out. May be some more room for feeders to drop but I suspect the slaughter cows will be fairly steady. As long as you don't lose any and can put on cheap weight you should break even at the very worst.

 

[TexasBred]

I'm kicking around ways to lessen my input costs and labor hours related to my cows. I'm considering selling out this fall when my calves are ready to wean. I've got 15 cows and my bull, so sell 15 pairs and the bull. My hay expense each year is 2400 plus a lot of labor I wish I could get rid of. The plan would be to rebuy in the spring with some heavy breds that need to eat in a bad way. Resell in the fall when the calves are ready. Somebody tell me why this is a bad idea??

I'm wondering where all the labor comes from with 15 cows and a bull and putting out a roll of hay ever 3 days.