Replacement Heifers

[bigbull338]

but when you look at it like that most herds can cull from 8% to 10% of their herd yearly.so they need 10 new cows a year give or take.like me im culling 25% to 33% of my reg herd due to the age of the cows.dont want to gamble on them getting sick and dieing.then im buying back reg cows this winter.

 

[greybeard]

The biggest thing that producers overlook when pricing weather to Buy/Raise their replacements is the number of producing cows that need to be taken out of production in order to make room for the replacements. When pricing these scenarios take into consideration for every replacement you attempt to add to your herd you need to take out almost 1 full producing cow to make room (pasture - limited resources).
For more information on this subject and interest pertaining to replacement livestock check out my web site http://www.Heifer.PRO
Thanks
Kit West

Well yeah--That's the whole point of buying (or retaining) replacement heifers--replacement of other producing, or formerly producing females, and of course, to replace seasonal or annual culled females.
Unless one is just expanding their herd because they opened new pasture or acquired more pasture, all your heifer acquisitions are generally replacements of other animals and all other variables remaining the same, you can only have just so many pairs on any piece of real estate without being overstocked for the resources available and in that case, you will begin to see diminished returns on the investment regardless of whether the replacements or home raised or bought from another producer.

 

[RanchHeifers]

You are right. You are replacing one animal that is no longer profitable with one that maybe profitable. Hopefully. So if you are raising your replacements you must already have removed the animals you are going to replace to make room for the potential money makers. Those potential money makers will take time to become profitable. This is the point where you must ask the question - Is it more profitable to Raise or Buy. If you can buy an animal 2 months before it calves then that means that you were able to keep a money making cow on the place longer. At least 1 calf longer. That is the place where producers may not look at what is more profitable. Everyone has a perspective on what works for their operation. There are strong arguments for/against both aspects
Kit West

 

[HDRider]

You are right. You are replacing one animal that is no longer profitable with one that maybe profitable. Hopefully. So if you are raising your replacements you must already have removed the animals you are going to replace to make room for the potential money makers. Those potential money makers will take time to become profitable. This is the point where you must ask the question - Is it more profitable to Raise or Buy. If you can buy an animal 2 months before it calves then that means that you were able to keep a money making cow on the place longer. At least 1 calf longer. That is the place where producers may not look at what is more profitable. Everyone has a perspective on what works for their operation. There are strong arguments for/against both aspects
Kit West

All that makes perfect sense. Maybe my original question should have been more related to herd expansion. My mistaken use of terms.

With the high cost of pairs & bred cows, how many are growing their herd by "retaining heifers"?

I understand opportunity cost and time cost of money. Assuming you want to invest time, and not cash, is there an apparent advantage in raising your own cows versus buying cows. Are most of you doing both?

I also get the bull issues, the need of new bull rotations and such.

 

[bigbull338]

im growing my herd by doing both keeping select heifers and buying bred heifers cows or pairs.i hadnt bought any cows since 2010 till i started buying this year.

 

[greybeard]

im growing my herd by doing both keeping select heifers and buying bred heifers cows or pairs.i hadnt bought any cows since 2010 till i started buying this year.

You sure picked a high priced time to start buying huh?
I bought a few late spring-early summer last year and about cried when I counted out the $$$$, but told the breeder: "give me a call next spring if you have anymore like these".
He called 3rd week of June 2014. Price almost doubled. I passed on them.
I may regret that decision next year....

 

[Limomike]

The biggest thing that producers overlook when pricing weather to Buy/Raise their replacements is the number of producing cows that need to be taken out of production in order to make room for the replacements. When pricing these scenarios take into consideration for every replacement you attempt to add to your herd you need to take out almost 1 full producing cow to make room (pasture - limited resources).
For more information on this subject and interest pertaining to replacement livestock check out my web site http://www.Heifer.PRO
Thanks
Kit West

RanchHeifers.. thats a good site you got there, interesting reading.
As far as what I do.. I raise all my own replacements. I really dont know exactly what all the costs are that go into them; I am more concerned with what I am getting, and know where I get it from. With my own, I know all that. Plus, I can cull out some of the replacements once I see they are not going to cut the mustard when they are at breeding age. My costs are relatively low when I hold em back and feed em. I give my replacements our own hay (not bought) and mostly creep feed them thru the winter. During the spring and summer months all the mainly get is the grass in the catch pen they are in.
I figure the cost of buying some is probably a little bit more than me raising them. I would rather buy heavy bred cows if I was going to add to my herd.

 

[bigbull338]

im growing my herd by doing both keeping select heifers and buying bred heifers cows or pairs.i hadnt bought any cows since 2010 till i started buying this year.

You sure picked a high priced time to start buying huh?
I bought a few late spring-early summer last year and about cried when I counted out the $$$$, but told the breeder: "give me a call next spring if you have anymore like these".
He called 3rd week of June 2014. Price almost doubled. I passed on them.
I may regret that decision next year....

with the quality of cattle im trying to buy i expect to pay for them.i figure they will cost me $2500 to $3500 to get cattle bought.compared to what stock cows are bringing im still getting them at a fair price.i cant see giving $2500 for just stock cows.

 

[WalnutCrest]

Each breed has it's own issues. For us in Aubracs, fullblood and purebred females are nearly impossible to find. I'm doing what I can with the cows/heifers I have, (a few of whom are donors for my ET program) and semen and recips ... so, my cost of replacement females is going to be quite a bit different than someone elses for as long as I'm needing to do this to grow my numbers.

I do have a pretty slick deal worked out with my ET guy ... he has a nice herd and is a fall calver; he runs a tight 45 day breeding window ... and so, routinely 10+% of his cow herd is open ... we're using the best of those as potential recip cows for our program. This year is a trial run to see how it works; we're sexing two preggo recips on Monday. Pretty excited about it. If either one is carrying a bull calf, that recip and her confirmed bull calf are heading off to another breeder; if more than one bull calf, we'll be looking for a home for him ... all heifer pregnancies are staying put at our place.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

We keep our heifers, don't buy any. Our ~two years old heifer's value would be around $1700-1900, depends from each heifer. I personally like much more to grow reaplacements by ourself, because you can watch the heifer since birth and see how she grows, how fast she developes, how she behaves in different situations, also you know atleast her dam and can imagine how that heifer gonna perform as a cow. When you buy heifer , you know very little about her. Sometimes very nice looking heifer can have not such great calves.
But everybody choose what they think is the best for them.

 

[RanchHeifers]

Its all about perspective and you truly believing in your process - then you can not go wrong. Buying vs Raising is a highly debated subject. One can only continue to have an open mind and be willing to learn all they can about each process and put to work the things that work best for your perspective. Wage war on costs and Depreciation. Depreciation = Replacements - Here in Wyoming we can raise a heifer fairly inexpensively because we do not put a lot of extra inputs into them. We believe that if a heifer is feed the same as the older cows - she gets bred and has a calf - she will be a profitable cow. If she does not get bred or does not have her first calf then she has failed at the lowest cost possible and there was a reason she wan not meant to be in our herd. That is a good thing. I look at some failures as a way of weeding out the low/no profit animals. Not every replacement is meant to be part of your herd.
Breed Heifers - Build Herds
Kit West
http://www.Heifer.PRO