Raising vs buying replacement heifers
- Thread starter blueridge
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
Dusty Britches
Well-known member
Mike - that's some good advice on the second statement.
We raise and buy replacement heifers. let me tell you - it is a whole lot easier and cheaper to by breeding ready heifers than to raise them right now.
2 years ago, I'd have to say it was cheaper to raise them, b/c their cost had gotten ridiculously high. It was high enough for my neighbor to actually change his management practices so that he could raise and sell them. Getting him to change anything is like getting Congress to do something intelligent.
If you raise them - you should have a way to keep them away from the bull and other cows so that they won't get bred too early and so you can give them the nutrition they need.
We raise and buy replacement heifers. let me tell you - it is a whole lot easier and cheaper to by breeding ready heifers than to raise them right now.
2 years ago, I'd have to say it was cheaper to raise them, b/c their cost had gotten ridiculously high. It was high enough for my neighbor to actually change his management practices so that he could raise and sell them. Getting him to change anything is like getting Congress to do something intelligent.
If you raise them - you should have a way to keep them away from the bull and other cows so that they won't get bred too early and so you can give them the nutrition they need.
bigbull338
Well-known member
when you raise your own heifers you lose 2calf crops.because you start with a weaned calf.then feed it for 9 months till its breeding size,an its 16 months old ready to breed.breeding takes give or take 3 months.then she is 19 months old.an calving at 24 to 28 months old.at a cost of prolly $1200 or more pre head at calving.with corn going sky high add 10% to the cost.now a bred heifer will cost $1200 to $1400.sale 2 calves from her an thats $1200 in 2yrs.an the heifer you raised is at -$1800 because it takes 7 months for her to wean a calf.so id buy heifers bred or calved out insted of raising them.Dusty Britches":3dwyrd17 said:
novatech
Well-known member
The only reason to raise your own replacements is for some type of genetic improvement which you have been developing.Usually in regesterd cattle not commercial.
You can take the money you will save and improve your genetics by buying replacements.
Replacements should be ready to breed or already bred when you buy them. They are where they should be to make you money,improve your herd, not cost you money and lower your quality.
You can take the money you will save and improve your genetics by buying replacements.
Replacements should be ready to breed or already bred when you buy them. They are where they should be to make you money,improve your herd, not cost you money and lower your quality.
While I can buy them cheaper, I prefer to raise my own. You know everything about them and have a better chance of them staying in your herd longer. Even the best (not necessarily the most expensive) heifers I've bought don't hold up as good as the scrubs I've raised here, most likely pee-poor management on my part, but that's what works for me.
cfpinz
cfpinz
Bullbuyer
Well-known member
blueridge":2fxg17wb said:
I think what is being said is make sure the heifers you buy will work in your environment and in your management approach.
aplusmnt
Well-known member
MikeC":3ewaw537 said:
I heard Crowder feeds his so much that he had to open up a feed store to stay above the curve :lol:
rgv
Well-known member
I wold buy some bred heifers. but seems like all they ever sell is black ones around here.
Cattle Rack Rancher
Well-known member
I think I have the ideal set up. I sell my best heifers to a guy who breeds them and feeds them. Then I have the option to buy them back. This way, I get heifers that I know work in my environment and if for some reason they don't catch or they don't turn out for some reason, I'm not obligated to take them back. There's got to be lots of people out there who feed and breed them to sell them as breds. It works for me anyway.
DiamondSCattleCo
Well-known member
I've heard the whole "its cheaper to buy replacements than it is to raise them", and I can't quite get my pencil to work the same as those guys.
Around here, replacement heifers that are ready for breeding will sell for around $800. Thats approximately meat price. If its costing you $800 to raise a calf from conception to breeding in my area (I can't comment on costs elsewhere), you're awful high cost and won't make money raising cattle.
For me to keep a cow for one year, I've got $300 into her. This gets me a calf to weaning. I've got another $150 worth of feed into that calf to get her to breeding. Note that I do not pour grain to my breeding stock. Just good forage and a balanced mineral.
The point one poster made about a year with no calf is a valid one, however weaned calves are still only selling for around $500. Knock the $300 off that from the cow costs, thats $200 income you've lost. You're still only sitting at $650 costs on that replacement heifer.
Think of it this way: If it cost more to raise replacement heifers than it does to buy them, why would anyone raise them to sell? The guys selling have to be making money, otherwise they wouldn't be doing it. So if they can profitably raise replacements, why can't you?
Caveat: If you've already got Heinz 57 cows, don't raise your own replacements. If you've got F1 cows, make sure you're breeding back to a PB bull of one of the breeds in the cow, so you don't end up with a mutt cow.
Rod
Around here, replacement heifers that are ready for breeding will sell for around $800. Thats approximately meat price. If its costing you $800 to raise a calf from conception to breeding in my area (I can't comment on costs elsewhere), you're awful high cost and won't make money raising cattle.
For me to keep a cow for one year, I've got $300 into her. This gets me a calf to weaning. I've got another $150 worth of feed into that calf to get her to breeding. Note that I do not pour grain to my breeding stock. Just good forage and a balanced mineral.
The point one poster made about a year with no calf is a valid one, however weaned calves are still only selling for around $500. Knock the $300 off that from the cow costs, thats $200 income you've lost. You're still only sitting at $650 costs on that replacement heifer.
Think of it this way: If it cost more to raise replacement heifers than it does to buy them, why would anyone raise them to sell? The guys selling have to be making money, otherwise they wouldn't be doing it. So if they can profitably raise replacements, why can't you?
Caveat: If you've already got Heinz 57 cows, don't raise your own replacements. If you've got F1 cows, make sure you're breeding back to a PB bull of one of the breeds in the cow, so you don't end up with a mutt cow.
Rod
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
My sentiments on this are in align with cfpinz. The only thing I can add is that I have better luck with calves born on the place. They don't know anything different. A cow born here who is fed well has no reason to go elsewhere. (nor any excuse to do so)
great ideas from everyone -- should have found this site a year ago before i started.
since some of the heifers that are being born this spring are not from a pure blood bull, we will probably take them to the sale. a few are from a registered Brangus and will consider keeping them. I can get more replacement heifers from the same guy this year for 750/head.
since some of the heifers that are being born this spring are not from a pure blood bull, we will probably take them to the sale. a few are from a registered Brangus and will consider keeping them. I can get more replacement heifers from the same guy this year for 750/head.
Tc
Well-known member
im with dcc . most of yall are saying the man raising replacments is just breaking even selling at 12 to 1400.i cant see that. i say raise your own is a bit cheaper.>>>>TC
flaboy?
Well-known member
I do and have done both. I usually only raise my own if I see a really nice calf that looks like a winner. I used to raise all of my replacements but it didn't take me long to figure out that not all of them turn out good and I have all that time and money tied up in them by then. It is MUCH easier for me to buy bred replacements, see how they do and haul them if necessary. I do two buys to one raised replacements this way. By this I mean it will take me 2 years to see how good a cow/calf I raised. Buying, I can do two and cull if necessary in the same period.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
blueridge":1lantmnx said:
Raising heifers is a loser except from the point of retained genetics. Your money ahead to buy 3 in 1's
novatech
Well-known member
What does everyone see in heifers? I would rather buy one that has had at least one calf I could look at. It is not so much what the cow looks like as what she will produce and how efficient she is at doing it.
Dusty Britches
Well-known member
I see a lot of analysis of the actual feed costs, but it seems to me several other costs have been forgotten -
1. Facilities - if you have them, you are ahead of the curve. If you don't - do not put 6 month old heifers in with the herd and expect them to reach their potential. Feeding them seperately is the only way to ensure they have a chance. And we haven't even discussed the potential of them getting bred before they are 80-85% of their mature body weight.
2. Time and effort - think of how much time it takes to manage one herd. You can expect to spend at least 50% more time taking care of the heifers until they reach breeding weight. And then think about the extra time you will need to monitor and manage those heifers until they produce a live calf. I think most ranchers do not put a value on time or do not put enough value on time. It is a limited resource, too.
3. Added costs of worming and vaccinations for these heifers for 3 years of non-production.
1. Facilities - if you have them, you are ahead of the curve. If you don't - do not put 6 month old heifers in with the herd and expect them to reach their potential. Feeding them seperately is the only way to ensure they have a chance. And we haven't even discussed the potential of them getting bred before they are 80-85% of their mature body weight.
2. Time and effort - think of how much time it takes to manage one herd. You can expect to spend at least 50% more time taking care of the heifers until they reach breeding weight. And then think about the extra time you will need to monitor and manage those heifers until they produce a live calf. I think most ranchers do not put a value on time or do not put enough value on time. It is a limited resource, too.
3. Added costs of worming and vaccinations for these heifers for 3 years of non-production.
