Ready to expand

[johndeerefarmer]

Well after three years of drought I am down to less than half my normal carrying capacity and need to expand. In the past I have always kept my heifer calves back and used them for replacements. This new Angus bull however for the last two years has given me about 85% bulls- I can't complain about the price I get for the calves, I just don't have any heifers to retain.

I am looking at either buying bred heifers or weaned heifers.

I can buy spring calving Angus heifers for $1600-1800 per head (plus shipping). If I buy them now I of course will have to feed them hay from about the middle of Nov to middle of March. Better to buy them now? Or buy them in the spring for a higher price?
Other option is buying some weaned heifers but if I can't find some that have been pre-weaned and preconditioned, I might lose a few and at $1000 a heifer sounds like would be cheaper to go with the bred heifers? Plus I won't get any calves until 2015.

What do you think?
Oh and for you fortune tellers- is next year going to bet a wet one here in north Texas? :lol:

 

[Jake]

Well after three years of drought I am down to less than half my normal carrying capacity and need to expand. In the past I have always kept my heifer calves back and used them for replacements. This new Angus bull however for the last two years has given me about 85% bulls- I can't complain about the price I get for the calves, I just don't have any heifers to retain.

I am looking at either buying bred heifers or weaned heifers.

I can buy spring calving Angus heifers for $1600-1800 per head (plus shipping). If I buy them now I of course will have to feed them hay from about the middle of Nov to middle of March. Better to buy them now? Or buy them in the spring for a higher price?
Other option is buying some weaned heifers but if I can't find some that have been pre-weaned and preconditioned, I might lose a few and at $1000 a heifer sounds like would be cheaper to go with the bred heifers? Plus I won't get any calves until 2015.

What do you think?
Oh and for you fortune tellers- is next year going to bet a wet one here in north Texas? :lol:

You are often times money ahead waiting and buying pairs in the spring. You don't have the feed or calving losses. Most generally you can get them bought for similar dollars to a bred and the work is done.

 

[BC]

Well after three years of drought I am down to less than half my normal carrying capacity and need to expand. In the past I have always kept my heifer calves back and used them for replacements. This new Angus bull however for the last two years has given me about 85% bulls- I can't complain about the price I get for the calves, I just don't have any heifers to retain.

I am looking at either buying bred heifers or weaned heifers.

I can buy spring calving Angus heifers for $1600-1800 per head (plus shipping). If I buy them now I of course will have to feed them hay from about the middle of Nov to middle of March. Better to buy them now? Or buy them in the spring for a higher price?
Other option is buying some weaned heifers but if I can't find some that have been pre-weaned and preconditioned, I might lose a few and at $1000 a heifer sounds like would be cheaper to go with the bred heifers? Plus I won't get any calves until 2015.

What do you think?
Oh and for you fortune tellers- is next year going to bet a wet one here in north Texas? :lol:

You are often times money ahead waiting and buying pairs in the spring. You don't have the feed or calving losses. Most generally you can get them bought for similar dollars to a bred and the work is done.

That maybe right, but how many times do you see calves higher in the fall than the spring like we are seeing this year. You may want to check out these sales this weekend:
At Crockett, TX there will be 900 head of bred, pairs and open heifers- http://www.easttexaslivestock.com/
At Groesbeck, TX the Heart of Texas sale http://www.johnsoncattlemarketing.com/hot.html

These sales are both this Saturday and about 100 miles apart. In addition, Buffalo Livestock Auction is expecting over 300 cows from one place at it's weekly sale on Saturday. It happens to be located in between these two special sales. Could be a good day to buy some cattle as buying power could be split.

 

[Jake]

That maybe right, but how many times do you see calves higher in the fall than the spring like we are seeing this year. You may want to check out these sales this weekend:
At Crockett, TX there will be 900 head of bred, pairs and open heifers- http://www.easttexaslivestock.com/
At Groesbeck, TX the Heart of Texas sale http://www.johnsoncattlemarketing.com/hot.html

These sales are both this Saturday and about 100 miles apart. In addition, Buffalo Livestock Auction is expecting over 300 cows from one place at it's weekly sale on Saturday. It happens to be located in between these two special sales. Could be a good day to buy some cattle as buying power could be split.

Guess I don't understand what your saying. If you pay 1500 for a bred heifer now to calve in the spring put a couple hundred worth of feed into her and then you only get 90% live calves you're better off paying 1500-1800 for a pair in the spring and have less labor and money in them. Very rarely do you save any money buying bred heifers compared to pairs.

 

[bigbull338]

if you buy bred heifers now for $1500 an feed them till they calf your better off.because if you wait till they calve in the spring that same heifer could cost you $1800 to $2000 a pair.

 

[Limomike]

if you buy bred heifers now for $1500 an feed them till they calf your better off.because if you wait till they calve in the spring that same heifer could cost you $1800 to $2000 a pair.

I agree with Bigbull. If you got the hay to feed em through the winter, I would say that is your best buy.

 

[Dave]

I can buy spring calving Angus heifers for $1600-1800 per head (plus shipping). If I buy them now I of course will have to feed them hay from about the middle of Nov to middle of March. Better to buy them now? Or buy them in the spring for a higher price?
Other option is buying some weaned heifers but if I can't find some that have been pre-weaned and preconditioned, I might lose a few and at $1000 a heifer sounds like would be cheaper to go with the bred heifers? Plus I won't get any calves until 2015.

What do you think?
Oh and for you fortune tellers- is next year going to bet a wet one here in north Texas? :lol:

I just happen to have a load of angus and black white faced heifers for sale. At that $1600-1800 per head price you can send a truck and I will load them up.

 

[Jake]

if you buy bred heifers now for $1500 an feed them till they calf your better off.because if you wait till they calve in the spring that same heifer could cost you $1800 to $2000 a pair.

Depends on how you value feed and death loss. What's it cost to get those heifers that you buy now through the winter?

 

[M.Magis]

if you buy bred heifers now for $1500 an feed them till they calf your better off.because if you wait till they calve in the spring that same heifer could cost you $1800 to $2000 a pair.

Depends on how you value feed and death loss. What's it cost to get those heifers that you buy now through the winter?

I have to agree with Jake. Once you factor in feed, labor, and death loss, you're better off buying pairs in the spring.

 

[Jake]

if you buy bred heifers now for $1500 an feed them till they calf your better off.because if you wait till they calve in the spring that same heifer could cost you $1800 to $2000 a pair.

Depends on how you value feed and death loss. What's it cost to get those heifers that you buy now through the winter?

I have to agree with Jake. Once you factor in feed, labor, and death loss, you're better off buying pairs in the spring.

Calving out heifers is so romanticized that often times it doesn't pay. When you consider all opportunity costs involved if you are set on buying cattle pairs are often the way to go. At least then you have a better idea what you have as well.

 

[J&D Cattle]

Calving out heifers is so romanticized that often times it doesn't pay. When you consider all opportunity costs involved if you are set on buying cattle pairs are often the way to go. At least then you have a better idea what you have as well.

What size calfs do you like on your pairs? What size or age do you not want to risk it with?

We just bought some bred heifers but these were fall calvers and already have 3 of the 7 with calves on the ground. If looking for spring calves I would wait and buy something in the spring. Wintering just costs to much even with cheap hay.

 

[bigbull338]

you boys are talking about about comm bred heifers for $1600 to $1800.an most that have those heifers for sale will add $300 to the price once they calve.i can barely get reg weaned heifer calves for $1600 to $2000 a hd.

 

[Dave]

Jake, didn't you notice that I am ready to load up his truck. I have heifers for sale and you are trying to talk him out of buying heifers....... a little help here. Granted it is a bit of a haul from here to Texas but I would be willing to negotiate a bit to help with the freight.

 

[johndeerefarmer]

I see several problems with waiting until spring. One they are already predicting herd rebuilding for the next few years and increasing prices (more record highs.) So not only will the prices be higher because I am buying a live calf instead of a bred heifer, but also probably because all classes of cattle will be higher due to the increased demand.
Still gotta do some calculations on what it's gonna cost me to feed them thru the winter. Farmer's Almanac is saying wet and cold. If that's so then more feed than normal

 

[Jake]

Jake, didn't you notice that I am ready to load up his truck. I have heifers for sale and you are trying to talk him out of buying heifers....... a little help here. Granted it is a bit of a haul from here to Texas but I would be willing to negotiate a bit to help with the freight.

:tiphat: Sorry Dave. Hey JDF, I know where you can get some fine heifers

 

[Jake]

Calving out heifers is so romanticized that often times it doesn't pay. When you consider all opportunity costs involved if you are set on buying cattle pairs are often the way to go. At least then you have a better idea what you have as well.

What size calfs do you like on your pairs? What size or age do you not want to risk it with?

We just bought some bred heifers but these were fall calvers and already have 3 of the 7 with calves on the ground. If looking for spring calves I would wait and buy something in the spring. Wintering just costs to much even with cheap hay.

To me it doesn't matter how big the calf is but the bigger the better. Often times you can buy a 250# calf at the side for the same you can buy a newborn pair. At that point they are pretty cheap. Seems like every year if you pay attention you can pick up some pairs with a little older calf at side and get a decent buy. Not to mention if your buying heifers an older calf can help you breedback % because she has been cycling that much longer.

 

[Dave]

Jake, didn't you notice that I am ready to load up his truck. I have heifers for sale and you are trying to talk him out of buying heifers....... a little help here. Granted it is a bit of a haul from here to Texas but I would be willing to negotiate a bit to help with the freight.

:tiphat: Sorry Dave. Hey JDF, I know where you can get some fine heifers

:tiphat: Thank you Jake. The heifers can be seen on Cattle Range now or Western Video next week. But other than selling these heifers I have to agree with you. I always preferred to buy pairs in the spring. It seems like I always ended up doing better on them.

 

[johndeerefarmer]

Kansas is a little far for me. I am trying to find some within 2-300 miles if I can.
What's shipping running these days? $3.25-3.50 a loaded mile?

 

[BC]

My suggestion was to take possession when cattle are available. I suggested those sales because they were all on the same day and about 100 miles apart. The sale in Groesbeck is an annual sale that has a good following. The other sale may have some that are worth the money because of buying power being spread out.

I understand your thinking on buying in the spring. Here in Texas we see people get a bad case of grass fever and run the price up on pairs and bred cattle even stocker calves just so they don't have to feed.

 

[Jake]

Kansas is a little far for me. I am trying to find some within 2-300 miles if I can.
What's shipping running these days? $3.25-3.50 a loaded mile?

Probably in that range I don't just you buy anything out of the north. It was just a shameless plug for Dave.

Bc I understand where your coming from but everyday you're not feeding then is savings. I'm of the opinion that cow prices don't have enough upside potential to counteract feed cost and death losses.