DOC HARRIS
Well-known member
When the question comes up in every herd as to whether to purchase the replacement heifers or to raise them from your own cow herd, there are many talking points to consider before being comfortable with your decisions.
If you are thinking about purchasing them you must have a considerable amount of capital on hand immediately, you must know EXACTLY what kind of genetics and phenotype you are going to be working with for many years in the future so as to minimize your mistakes and maximize your future profits. You must carefully investigate their health status, and know the general history of the herd from which they will come. And you can undoubtedly determine factors that are important to your own particular circumstances.
If, on the other hand, you are considering retaining heifers from your own herd genetics, and raising them from calves, you also have some of the same factors to consider. You must CERTAINLY be satisfied with the genetics of which your current cow herd possesses, you must determine if your present management protocols are adequate and sufficient for the raising of strong, healthy future brood cows, and you must determine the same incidental factors as you would for the one's you would purchase.
AND, the difference in COSTS and EXPENSES (if ANY(?)) would certainly be paramount to the satisfactory decision you would make as to whether you would - - RAISE or PURCHASE.
Two weeks ago Lee Leachman, on his DVAuction program on Thursday nights titled "NO BETTER BULL" itemized the expense sheets for Ten Years and arrived at an average for the cost outlay for those ten years for both Purchasing and Raising Replacement Heifers. Naturally, every operation would have different factors to consider because of differing locations, management practices etc., but this was done with a location simulated at a site in the Sandhills of Nebraska for a period of ten years in order to arrive at an average. I won't go into the extensive financial considerations utilized in the study as it would take many, many pages - (probably far more details than most of us would employ!), but here are the conclusions at which they arrived in a nut shell:
Calculated Costs of Developing a 2006 born Preg-Checked Heifer - $1129. ($494 plus her market value of $635 at weaning).
Cost of Purchasing Females ( ten year average ) almost exactly the same dollar amount as raising the heifer, within $3.00 or $4.00.
The conclusion: The decision to raise or buy replacement heifers is "NOT" an economic decision. It is about a wash with respect to costs.
A breeder can run MORE cows when he BUYS replacements.
This factor tips the scales toward "Purchasing" replacements.
There will probably always be discussions back and forth as to which is the most desirable, but the bottom line seems to be - which procedure will result in a better herd down the line, and make more profit?
DOC HARRIS
If you are thinking about purchasing them you must have a considerable amount of capital on hand immediately, you must know EXACTLY what kind of genetics and phenotype you are going to be working with for many years in the future so as to minimize your mistakes and maximize your future profits. You must carefully investigate their health status, and know the general history of the herd from which they will come. And you can undoubtedly determine factors that are important to your own particular circumstances.
If, on the other hand, you are considering retaining heifers from your own herd genetics, and raising them from calves, you also have some of the same factors to consider. You must CERTAINLY be satisfied with the genetics of which your current cow herd possesses, you must determine if your present management protocols are adequate and sufficient for the raising of strong, healthy future brood cows, and you must determine the same incidental factors as you would for the one's you would purchase.
AND, the difference in COSTS and EXPENSES (if ANY(?)) would certainly be paramount to the satisfactory decision you would make as to whether you would - - RAISE or PURCHASE.
Two weeks ago Lee Leachman, on his DVAuction program on Thursday nights titled "NO BETTER BULL" itemized the expense sheets for Ten Years and arrived at an average for the cost outlay for those ten years for both Purchasing and Raising Replacement Heifers. Naturally, every operation would have different factors to consider because of differing locations, management practices etc., but this was done with a location simulated at a site in the Sandhills of Nebraska for a period of ten years in order to arrive at an average. I won't go into the extensive financial considerations utilized in the study as it would take many, many pages - (probably far more details than most of us would employ!), but here are the conclusions at which they arrived in a nut shell:
Calculated Costs of Developing a 2006 born Preg-Checked Heifer - $1129. ($494 plus her market value of $635 at weaning).
Cost of Purchasing Females ( ten year average ) almost exactly the same dollar amount as raising the heifer, within $3.00 or $4.00.
The conclusion: The decision to raise or buy replacement heifers is "NOT" an economic decision. It is about a wash with respect to costs.
A breeder can run MORE cows when he BUYS replacements.
This factor tips the scales toward "Purchasing" replacements.
There will probably always be discussions back and forth as to which is the most desirable, but the bottom line seems to be - which procedure will result in a better herd down the line, and make more profit?
DOC HARRIS
