Ring the Bell

[gcreekrch]

I'm tired.

 

[kenny thomas]

You are correct.

Two fairly simple things and the costs get spread across the whole calf crop. It doesn't take much gains to be worth while.

I totally agree on this. As i add Urea to stockpile my fescue the cost is spread across several cows over a period of months. Good 18% protein grass will add a lot more weight than dry hay.

 

[MACVSOG]

Maybe to me. I am in the same state as Medford

yes, you. had a relative in medford for a while. they remarked on the relatively mild climate. not too cold unless they went to the mountains for snow activities. and not nearly as hot/humid as "various parts of texas." thanks

 

[elkwc]

I've noticed that there seems to be two different mind sets in how people buy and use a cow to make money. One, and probably the most popular, is to find the cheapest cow you can find and throw the best bull on her you can afford to make as good a calf as you can get with a cheap cow. The other mind set is to buy the best quality cows you can afford and again, use the best bull you can afford. From what I've seen on CT, it seems like more people buy cows based on final price than on quality.

It seems to me that one strategy is going to be more likely to ring the bell at the sale barn/private treaty than the other, just about every time. So I guess the question is, does buying cheap cows end up making more profit... or does a few more pennies per pound to buy better cows justify the added expense?

I always liked to ring the bell and have the best price for the day when selling because I always felt it cost the same money to raise a cheap calf as it did to raise a bell ringer... except for the price of the cow. A nickel a pound more on a 1500 pound cow is $75 to get a better calf raiser, and if she lasts for several calves I think she pays for herself and then some. I figure the calf from the better cow is going to wean heavier and have more muscle, and might be twenty cents more valuable per pound in the sale ring.

Which then begs the question, how do you judge the quality of a cow. What makes one better than the other?

In this area there is way more difference in a cheap cow vs a top quality cow than $75.00. I have found the best way for me to get good quality cows is too buy a top quality cow being sold because of age that is bred. I can usually get 2-3 calves out of them and retain the heifers. Buying the best hasn't worked for us unless they were local raised heifers or cows. The cows and heifers from another area don't all adjust to our environment.

 

[Travlr]

In this area there is way more difference in a cheap cow vs a top quality cow than $75.00. I have found the best way for me to get good quality cows is too buy a top quality cow being sold because of age that is bred. I can usually get 2-3 calves out of them and retain the heifers. Buying the best hasn't worked for us unless they were local raised heifers or cows. The cows and heifers from another area don't all adjust to our environment.

That's pretty much my experience too. I'd say that with the right animal the $75 bump in price buys much more value than the money would suggest.

I don't know where you're located, and am curious about the environment your cows need to be adapted to...

 

[elkwc]

That's pretty much my experience too. I'd say that with the right animal the $75 bump in price buys much more value than the money would suggest.

I don't know where you're located, and am curious about the environment your cows need to be adapted to...

I'm in west central OK. Many of the northern genetics don't work here because of the heat and humidity. They don't shed well enough. Many can't survive on our low nutrient forages.
Currently here at the sale barn heifer pairs are bringing from $2,750 to $4,000 or more for the very top. These are commercial. Most figure at least a thousand dollar per pair. Hard for many to justify the top end.

 

[elkwc]

That's pretty much my experience too. I'd say that with the right animal the $75 bump in price buys much more value than the money would suggest.

I don't know where you're located, and am curious about the environment your cows need to be adapted to...

There will be a special replacement sale in this area Saturday. Many are guessing the top quality local heifer pairs will bring $4,500.00 or more. The northern heifers that were bought up north and developed here have been up to $500 a pair lower. The cull rate on them is higher.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

This computer cattle profit is a piece of cake.

Can you eat the cake too?

 

[Dave]

yes, you. had a relative in medford for a while. they remarked on the relatively mild climate. not too cold unless they went to the mountains for snow activities. and not nearly as hot/humid as "various parts of texas." thanks

Medford is in the southwest corner of the state. Getting close to California. I am in the northeast part of the state about 25 miles from Idaho. I have been through there years ago but it is about 400 miles from me. Where I lived on the Washington coast was about 350 miles north of Medford. Similar climate although Medford was a bit warmer. But yes not the hot/humid and not much in the way of cold in the winter.

 

[alacowman1]

I would like to learn.

Take what you need, and throw the rest away..

 

[Lucky]

I'm in west central OK.

We just bought a group of heifers from Carnegie, Ok. Are you close by?

 

[Lucky]

The cows and heifers from another area don't all adjust to our environment.

We've ran into this moving Cattle from South West, Tx to North East, Tx. Some never adapt. They'll be be big stout cows and just fall apart for the first year or two.

 

[elkwc]

We just bought a group of heifers from Carnegie, Ok. Are you close by?

We are 95 miles NW of Carnegie.

 

[elkwc]

We've ran into this moving Cattle from South West, Tx to North East, Tx. Some never adapt. They'll be be big stout cows and just fall apart for the first year or two.

Have seen it most of my life. The older cattle man and women always said it is cheaper in the long run to pay more for cattle raised in your area. I have learned it is true. Same using semen from AI sires from other areas. We have more fall out than those sired by walking sires we either raised or bought locally.

 

[Lucky]

Many are guessing the top quality local heifer pairs will bring $4,500.00 or more.

Be interesting to see what they bring. I was told a few weeks ago to expect bred heifers to be $4,000 in April when it greens up. The heifers we got from Carnegie are really nice but I'm a little concerned they might not adapt. We'll probably feed them until June or July to keep condition.

 

[elkwc]

Be interesting to see what they bring. I was told a few weeks ago to expect bred heifers to be $4,000 in April when it greens up. The heifers we got from Carnegie are really nice but I'm a little concerned they might not adapt. We'll probably feed them until June or July to keep condition.

Hope they work for you. There was a few heifer pairs recently at a local auction bring $4,000.00. The sale this Saturday has the best replacement market in the area.

 

[Travlr]

There will be a special replacement sale in this area Saturday. Many are guessing the top quality local heifer pairs will bring $4,500.00 or more. The northern heifers that were bought up north and developed here have been up to $500 a pair lower. The cull rate on them is higher.

And again, "in the area" means nothing if you don't have a location on your profile.

$4500 a pair is a gamble, but then in this economy I guess everything is. Does the auction reveal which animals came from up north?

 

[Travlr]

Medford is in the southwest corner of the state. Getting close to California. I am in the northeast part of the state about 25 miles from Idaho. I have been through there years ago but it is about 400 miles from me. Where I lived on the Washington coast was about 350 miles north of Medford. Similar climate although Medford was a bit warmer. But yes not the hot/humid and not much in the way of cold in the winter.

I saw a little documentary yesterday about a lady that travels the back roads of Oregon to photograph abandoned buildings. She mentioned several that were destroyed by those fires you had. Have the ranches gotten together to buy fencing by the truckload, maybe negotiate a deal?

 

[Dave]

I saw a little documentary yesterday about a lady that travels the back roads of Oregon to photograph abandoned buildings. She mentioned several that were destroyed by those fires you had. Have the ranches gotten together to buy fencing by the truckload, maybe negotiate a deal?

As far as I know most people are waiting to see if FSA is going to give us money. Also it is winter here. A lot of the areas needing fence have several feet of snow on them. No body is saying anything about fence. I don't know of any buildings that got burned. But it was a big fire. There was over a million acres burned in eastern Oregon last summer so some buildings burnt somewhere.

 

[Travlr]

As far as I know most people are waiting to see if FSA is going to give us money. Also it is winter here. A lot of the areas needing fence have several feet of snow on them. No body is saying anything about fence. I don't know of any buildings that got burned. But it was a big fire. There was over a million acres burned in eastern Oregon last summer so some buildings burnt somewhere.

I was thinking about the big ranches down in Texas that own their own Hardware stores, etc., and thinking how they get economies of scale by cutting out the middle men. A temporary co-op to get over the fencing crisis might save hundreds of thousands of dollars and only need to last 6 months or whatever.