Selling old cows

[bigbull338]

sell the old cows and dont think twice about it.i look at selling my cows once they are 10yrs old.because at that age or older you run the risk of them getting sick and dieing.

 

[bird dog]

Some times it just don't make sense. 600 lb steer will bring $900. 1200 lb open cow will bring $600. Old (large) cow pairs bringing $800 to $900 don't look like a bad deal.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Sold a couple from .35-.45 last week. They were pretty poor. Got a couple more with more condition that might break .50 but that's still dang low.

Ever try feeding some cull cows?

 

[WalnutCrest]

We lost our oldest cow last week ... two days before her appointment with the butcher.

She was 23. The flavor on that ground beef would have been sublime ... alas.

Thanks for everything, Cassie. I hope your 9yr old granddaughter can keep on ...

 

[WalnutCrest]

Sold a couple from .35-.45 last week. They were pretty poor. Got a couple more with more condition that might break .50 but that's still dang low.

Ever try feeding some cull cows?

Worm them. Fix their rumen bacteria and get them something to eat that's not to difficult to deal with (i.e., no round bales wound super tight).

 

[J&D Cattle]

Sold a couple from .35-.45 last week. They were pretty poor. Got a couple more with more condition that might break .50 but that's still dang low.

Ever try feeding some cull cows?

I haven't. With just a handful it wasn't worth having them standing around in the way to me at this time. We didn't have much in them when we bought them as well.

 

[Dave]

I have bought a few thin cull cows in the past during the late winter and kicked them to spring grass. Helps take off the spring flush of grass and nothing gains like an open cow. That and a heavy cow brings more per pound than a thin cow. So you not only get the gain but increase value on the weight that was originally purchased. I learned to be careful not to buy real old cows. They don't gain weight nearly as well.

 

[slick4591]

I some times feel like a slime ball, when I read threads like this. I have never felt any emotional attachment to a cow. She did her job, and I have to do mine.

I'm with you BF. I've only been doing this for 7 years but they all have a price or a reason to leave. I don't like leaving money on the table.

 

[J&D Cattle]

I have bought a few thin cull cows in the past during the late winter and kicked them to spring grass. Helps take off the spring flush of grass and nothing gains like an open cow. That and a heavy cow brings more per pound than a thin cow. So you not only get the gain but increase value on the weight that was originally purchased. I learned to be careful not to buy real old cows. They don't gain weight nearly as well.

We needed cash flow so we gambled on some with an "O" for old on the tag last year and calved them out. They were wore out before we got them home but luckily all calved and raised a calf. One died a couple months ago but the low price we gave and the good calves they raised will net us a nice return. We will gamble again on most of them for one more calf and pick up some additional SS or BM cows soon. Probably steer clear of "O" though going forward.

 

[WalnutCrest]

A couple of approaches that have worked for us with older cows:

1 -- Buy old (8-12 yr old cows) 3rd trimester cows. Calve them out, turn out with a bull for a very narrow window, cull all opens at weaning time via butcher (grassfed ground beef at good prices) or sale barn, based on the volume needed (if any) by the beef marketing operation, and possibly keeping the top half (?) of the heifer class (using our current-weight as a percentage of hip-height-at-weaning-projected-to-mature-weight ratio; all of which is easy to determine w/ a spreadsheet and a frame score chart and the accompanying formulas) and sell the rest of the heifers and all of the steers via the highest market (off the farm to others wanting to raise good grassfed beef, sale barn, veal market at local restaurants, etc.).

2 -- Buy old (8+ year old) open and very thin cows ... worm them, fix their rumen (often really thin cows have really crapped out rumens and need good gut bacteria to have a shot at fixing themselves), then feed them until they are rounded a bit over the hips, then, depending on market, our need for cash, and the off-the-farm beef demand, beef them, breed them (to sell after they've entered at least the 2nd trimester), or just flip them as fatter-open-cows.

Also, often before making animal-specific keep / cull decisions, we'll take a good look at the teeth and let that be whatever tie-breaker we would have otherwise needed. Excepting teeth-related decisions, typically, calm animals stay longer, as do deep / wide / shorter animals.

 

[Stocker Steve]

How do you "fix a rumen" ?

 

[WalnutCrest]

Sautee it with a little salt and pepper, some butter and lemon squeezed on it at the end.



... you introduce good gut bacteria via a probiotic of some sort.

 

[Stocker Steve]

yogurt ?

 

[greybeard]

yogurt ?

:lol: :lol:
Pretty expensive 'fix' for the amt it would take to fill a cow's rumen..can barely afford it for myself, but do, as a pretty sorry alternative to ice cream.

 

[Supa Dexta]

I some times feel like a slime ball, when I read threads like this. I have never felt any emotional attachment to a cow. She did her job, and I have to do mine.

I'm with you. Some bulls I don't like to see go, just cause I liked them. But I get over it quickly.