Young farmer here, trying to gain ground in our operation. We have a little known breed with not much demand. What characteristics do you look for in seedstock? Heifers and bulls. Are you against buying yearlings, esp heifers? Are longevity and efficiency even sought after anymore? What kind of stats should I keep on my cows and calves to attract people? Carcass stats dont have any purpose in the salebarn, been told that by a buyer. We have no EPD's with our association, although we can get papers on everything we sell. Again, little to no added value. Thanks in advance......
Selling Seedstock
- Thread starter GHzFarms
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
darcelina4
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2017
- Messages
- 203
- Reaction score
- 20
Why are you choosing to raise that breed? There are many breeds that the papers do add value.
With the non mainstream breeds I would think it can be difficult. If you can market freezer beef for the calves not suitable for breeding would be better than stockyards. Work with your association members and learn from them. Good luck and have fun.
cbcr
Well-known member
What breed are you raising
darcelina4 said:
Barzonas are medium sized beef cattle made for performance. Very maternal based, efficient and easy to care for. They range stocks and rough ground way better than other breeds. DNA test higher in RFI than any other breed in Igenity database. Calving ease due to shape and small BW.
wbvs58
Well-known member
Birth weight would be a usefull stat to start with.
Ken
Ken
cbcr
Well-known member
GHzFarms said:
I sent you a private message.
Son of Butch
Well-known member
Birth weights, weaning weight, pounds weaned per cow exposed.GHzFarms said:
Feed costs per cow. (yearly purchased feed divided by number of cows fed.)
p.s.
Jeanne is declaring November as post your location month. Perhaps you can kick it off early.
Click on your own name, then click User Control Panel, click Profile and 1/2 way down on page
add your location where it says location and submit.
Knowing in which State each member is located helps everyone with the most suitable advice. :tiphat:
It might even help you by generating interest in your cattle from others in your State.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Young farmer? had herd since 1989. You mean your family started back in 89? and you have continued with the breed?
Anyway, are you just now trying to sell registered cattle? You say you "can" get papers, do you register them?
Yes, longevity and efficiency are important. But, fertility is top of the list. Cows need to be producing a calf every year.
Weights are key sales info. BW, WW, YW - cows weight, etc.
Anyway, are you just now trying to sell registered cattle? You say you "can" get papers, do you register them?
Yes, longevity and efficiency are important. But, fertility is top of the list. Cows need to be producing a calf every year.
Weights are key sales info. BW, WW, YW - cows weight, etc.
Feed costs are tricky cuz we raise all our own corn and hay. Ive tried to make a little headway in calculating feed costs with the fats, but its hard to keep a daily tally of everything we put through the grinder, roller, and free choice hay. I will say if Barzonas and Herefords are in the same pasture, the Herefords wont hardly leave the hay ring while the Barzonas are out on the stalks all day.
** I did list my state in my profile
Barzona ranchers are very practical cattlemen and stink at selling. We have no Marketers. Personally we register all our cows and bulls, and replacements as buyers request. I am trying to pick up the marketing slack, as my dad was a typical breeder who thought "they will call if they want". Its been a very uphill battle, thus why I'm wondering what stats actually matter to buyers. We've sold to every corner pf the U.S. and even bulls up to the Arctic Circle in Canada. Theres more cattle out there, but many are used in crossbreeding programs and not registered. I dont mind making stats, i just dont want to waste time on ones that dont mean anything.
** I did list my state in my profile
Barzona ranchers are very practical cattlemen and stink at selling. We have no Marketers. Personally we register all our cows and bulls, and replacements as buyers request. I am trying to pick up the marketing slack, as my dad was a typical breeder who thought "they will call if they want". Its been a very uphill battle, thus why I'm wondering what stats actually matter to buyers. We've sold to every corner pf the U.S. and even bulls up to the Arctic Circle in Canada. Theres more cattle out there, but many are used in crossbreeding programs and not registered. I dont mind making stats, i just dont want to waste time on ones that dont mean anything.
Redgully
Well-known member
I feel for you, it is very difficult being in one of the more uncommon breeds. I breed red polls and it is a struggle to sell them as seed stock. I have talked people into trying a bull and them being amazed how well they went. But lucky for me it is more about keeping the breed alive than trying to make money. Just a hobby. I like to go to the odd show, not to win but you think your cattle are good and shows really let you know where you are at and what others are doing and where you can improve. One thing i like to know when buying is that animals pedigree, is it a healthy fertile family. Has the cows consistently produced a calf each year and bred for many years. Birth weights are always a biggy, but to me more so calving ease. 200, 400 and 600 day weights are a good guide as to what the breed is going to produce. I was surprised by a few people looking for more moderate growth rates because their experience was high growth rates equaled higher problems.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
To clarify on Redgully's post. In US, weights would be for birth, 205, and 365. Noone expects the cattle to be weighed exactly on 205 or 365. We take their weight and adjust: WPDA x 205
Hope that helps.
But, the number one thing is a cow family that consistently raises a growthy calf each and every year. Fertility.
Hope that helps.
But, the number one thing is a cow family that consistently raises a growthy calf each and every year. Fertility.
I just started using a BW tape at the pastern to at least estimate it on a few nocer cows that dont mind me messing with em. I think its even too high because Barzonas are narrower framed at birth than an Angus or Simm, so if the tape gave me a 70# in reality we are closer to 60#. We do have a scale now, but its still a pain to get my father to actually use it. Hopefully we will use it more and more often.
