Im new to the cattle industry.. Im fixing to be buying (yes I know this is a horrible time to be getting into it but I have to for certain reasons) but could someone explain to me the benefit to registered cattle.. Is it worth building a herd that is registered.. I am located in Mississippi and pretty sure our local market could careless about registration.. What are your thoughts and opinions?
Registered Cattle
- Thread starter schamblee
- Start date
Raising Registered cattle to sell into the commercial market is not a a recipe for profit. Crossbred cattle have the advantage of hybrid vigour, replacements are cheater, less paper work and documentation to name a few benefits.
I'm fighting with myself over this one. Recently got a reg bull and a crop. I keep heifers and like the Sim and Simangus direction. I'd be breeding up though. So probably apples to oranges to your situation.
Do you plan on selling breeding stock if the quality is there?? If not I would think it's a waste of time. If so, it's going to be an uphill battle becoming established. (I'm speaking to myself here too)
Lots of real good commercial stuff out there too. You've just gotta be good with your eyes.
How ya plan on marketing?
Do you plan on selling breeding stock if the quality is there?? If not I would think it's a waste of time. If so, it's going to be an uphill battle becoming established. (I'm speaking to myself here too)
Lots of real good commercial stuff out there too. You've just gotta be good with your eyes.
How ya plan on marketing?
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Starting out registered stock will get your clock cleaned.
Your selling your name and reputation and you have neither.
Your selling your name and reputation and you have neither.
I guess that is part of my question.. What is the market for registered cattle? Who buys a registered cow and why would they? Does beef bring more off a registered cow?
bird dog
Well-known member
Since you are new to cattle, start out with some mid age or older and cheaper cows that have a few calves under their belt. Learning the ropes can be expensive.
GoWyo
Well-known member
Registered cattle are really only worth what they will bring by the pound. The premiums from selling breeding stock requires either years of breeding and building a good reputation and selling most of your calves commercially while building your reputation or spending piles of money and rubbing shoulders with the money people who do it for the tax write offs. This is my observation having taken the long route starting in 2008 and finally getting a customer base built up over this 16-year journey.
GoWyo
Well-known member
I will add that I grew up ranching commercial cattle until I left home in 1984 and then raised commercial cattle from 1995-2008 before purchasing our first registered cattle, so I have been at it for a while before going the registered cattle route, and that was a gradual transition to replace commercial females with registered females. This fall I shipped the last two commercial females and we are now 100% registered cattle.
simme
Old Dumb Guy
Think about it this way. The real value is in the quality of the cattle - registered or not. Poor or average quality cattle do not get a premium for being registered. IF the quality of the cattle is high, then being registered MAY bring a premium IF you have a reputation AND a market established. That won't be the case for someone starting out in the cattle business.
So, my answer is no. Same as everyone else.
Here is my take on the registered business. There are many places that are very successful in registered seedstock. May sell bulls for $8 to 10k. They usually have good cattle, been in business for years, have a pretty large herd, a pretty good reputation, spend lots on promotion and marketing, and most everybody in the area has heard of them, and worked hard to get there and work hard to stay there. They did not sell $10k bulls in their early years.
There are some that impersonate seedstock producers. Got money from somewhere, put some cows together from somewhere, build some fancy barns with nice driveways and lawns, spend more on promotion than on cattle and soon have a big production sale with a hollywood atmosphere and pretend to sell a lot of very expensive cattle. They flame out in a few years and reinvent themselves another day.
A small seedstock wanna be can produce bulls similar in quality after a while, but may be able to sell those bulls for $3 to 4k. Cause he don't have the reputation, numbers, and marketing plan. Is there $4 to 5k difference in the worth of the bulls from the big guy and the little guy? Probably not, just in the selling price. There are many more people that want, hope, think they are seedstock producers than there are real seedstock producers. Sounds confusing, but I think it is sort of the way I have described. Almost like an exclusive club with unwritten and unknown entry rules. Some people get it figured out and make it work. Lots put an effort in and give up after a while or continue with registered stock and try to break even on the extra effort and expense required.
Edit to add: Examples I gave are real world. But there are lots of situations in between as well. Main point is that big success with registered seedstock is more than just a decision. The bigger the operation (in numbers), then more likely to attract more customers to build the reputation.
So, my answer is no. Same as everyone else.
Here is my take on the registered business. There are many places that are very successful in registered seedstock. May sell bulls for $8 to 10k. They usually have good cattle, been in business for years, have a pretty large herd, a pretty good reputation, spend lots on promotion and marketing, and most everybody in the area has heard of them, and worked hard to get there and work hard to stay there. They did not sell $10k bulls in their early years.
There are some that impersonate seedstock producers. Got money from somewhere, put some cows together from somewhere, build some fancy barns with nice driveways and lawns, spend more on promotion than on cattle and soon have a big production sale with a hollywood atmosphere and pretend to sell a lot of very expensive cattle. They flame out in a few years and reinvent themselves another day.
A small seedstock wanna be can produce bulls similar in quality after a while, but may be able to sell those bulls for $3 to 4k. Cause he don't have the reputation, numbers, and marketing plan. Is there $4 to 5k difference in the worth of the bulls from the big guy and the little guy? Probably not, just in the selling price. There are many more people that want, hope, think they are seedstock producers than there are real seedstock producers. Sounds confusing, but I think it is sort of the way I have described. Almost like an exclusive club with unwritten and unknown entry rules. Some people get it figured out and make it work. Lots put an effort in and give up after a while or continue with registered stock and try to break even on the extra effort and expense required.
Edit to add: Examples I gave are real world. But there are lots of situations in between as well. Main point is that big success with registered seedstock is more than just a decision. The bigger the operation (in numbers), then more likely to attract more customers to build the reputation.
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it is worth the same as commercial with beef. The only people willing yo pony up are those looking for cattle to breed with.
If you're looking at doing beef directly to consumers I'd learn what good cows look like and start looking for the deals. Get a good bull and proceed.
With registered you would have the option to sell beef with the culls and breeders with the good ones. Just a matter of finding folks that believe in your program. you'll have to start out on the low side of the price scale for people to give you a chance.
I'd choose proven lines, not new flavors of the month as I often see here. There are many more knowledgeable folks on here than me. Listen to them
Travlr
Well-known member
Not saying it can't be done... but succeeding in registered cattle means selling breeding bulls, embryos, and semen. You will need to know what you are doing and have a customer base.
Either way you will do better if you have an eye for good cattle. If you know what the local buyers are paying for, and can supply their needs. And you'll need to understand a lot of other things as well. We are here to help, but eyes on the ground are always useful. If you can find a local mentor, you should.
And if you go to your profile at the top right where your name is, and click and scroll down to Account details... you can put your location in so we know more about what applies to your questions.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
I ran registered for years until 2012.
Started in commercial back in the stone age.
Unless you're really a large operation it's hard to survive a drought like 2011.
I was on the small side but had name and reputation.
Only 20% of your calf crop is seed stock quality if you're looking for constant improvement as you should be. The rest are hamburger mashing the scales at the salebarn with the commercial. You can't beat the commercial calf hybrid vigor on the scale with a purebred.
You make up that difference selling your seed stock, running a pen of bulls has it's own issues. It's a lot more than selling paper.
I never was large running 37 cows .
The 2011 drought was a three year drought that by the end I was at 12 cows trying to save the pasture.
You can't play the game there.
So my journey back to where I came from.
You're a grass farmer first.
Texas is in drought every year with occasional wet years as a mentor of mine said.
Started in commercial back in the stone age.
Unless you're really a large operation it's hard to survive a drought like 2011.
I was on the small side but had name and reputation.
Only 20% of your calf crop is seed stock quality if you're looking for constant improvement as you should be. The rest are hamburger mashing the scales at the salebarn with the commercial. You can't beat the commercial calf hybrid vigor on the scale with a purebred.
You make up that difference selling your seed stock, running a pen of bulls has it's own issues. It's a lot more than selling paper.
I never was large running 37 cows .
The 2011 drought was a three year drought that by the end I was at 12 cows trying to save the pasture.
You can't play the game there.
So my journey back to where I came from.
You're a grass farmer first.
Texas is in drought every year with occasional wet years as a mentor of mine said.
redcowsrule33
Well-known member
I'm third generation running commercial cows. I have some registered stock that run with them, partly for raising a few bulls for myself and a few others but mostly because I enjoy fiddling with them. Never wanted to be in it for the money. Most of my bulls get cut based on needs and how they turned out. If I wouldn't use him myself he gets cut. I've seen many outfits come and go, buying the reputation names and gone once they figure out it's an art and science not just breeding with bulls of the week.
Mrcopier
Well-known member
I think you answered your own question. Your area doesn't really care. I would go cross breed. Tried the registration road and it didn't matter where I lived either so I switched to crossbred stuff
WFfarm
Well-known member
At our local auction barn feeder sales and fat cattle sales they hardly ever identify cattle as registered. They will identify vaccinated and backgrounded calves. Registered cattle bring no premium in these sales. Some people buy registered cows as if it gives them an easy way to identify quality cattle. Just like the med student who graduates last is his class is called Doctor, the runts of a registered herd calf crop and called Registered Cattle.
