Some need to catch Up

[Taurus]

You have it backwards Nesi. The "real" ranchers who rely strictly on cattle for their income tend to be the ones with the worst stock here. You find a hobby rancher with a good day job and every last animal in that herd is topnotch. The "real" ranchers think their bull that was worth $1500 last year is now a $5000 herd sire. Many of the CT members who do the most complaining about Hobby Ranchers have the worst stock for sale at the highest prices. Personally, I just do not trust a man who never had to work outside of cattle. :2cents:

A lot of the real ranchers with the big herds follow the same business model:
Buy 300 Sale Barn Special half starved cows with calves.
Buy ten cheap Charolais bulls.
Make money to continue the operation.

Something to think about for those who do not like talking with people...
If you don't like people asking you how much a bull costs why do you sell bulls?

Honestly, I would think that here its complete opposite of what you just said. Lot of hobby ranchers that shouldn't be in the business. Crazy pyscho dexters, inbred highlanders with eye problems, fat non-bred zebus, renting mongrel bulls to other people and someone tried turning dairy cows into beef cows are classic hobby farmers around here.

 

[houstoncutter]

Something I did many years ago when selling club calves was colored ear tags. When folks arrived or before they ever got there they had sheets of paper with the bloodlines and registrations. Everything was color coded by eartag colors which also had the prices for the different colored tags. I stated on the sheets that I didnt wish to dicker on the prices, but would be happy to answer questions about the raising and care that the animals had recieved. It also told em that if they could afford the higher priced calves they should consider the cheaper ones. End of story, I had very few tire kickers over the years. I also would not go into the corrals while they looked at the animals. If your there, you are gonna get the dickering questions.

 

[wacocowboy]

GB I still see some decent 15 moth old commercial bulls for 2500 some even come with papers and I have heard several people crying about that price when most good bulls are over 3000

JW the real rancher I know go out and spend big money on bulls I know a guy just spent 5,000 a piece on 3 Char bulls to put on commercial cows. I don't think anyone is complaining about talking to people it is the people who put your animals down and offer you a lot less than what you could get at the sale barn who get annoying.

You nailed it Nesi people want a Porsche for a Festiva price lol.

Yep I agree Taurus

Interesting idea Houston may have to try that when I get bulls to sale.

 

[Nesikep]

That is a good idea houstoncutter... I don't have many people come here looking at animals because I don't sell many off the farm.. wish I could do it with the hay though.

I am happy that I got my 18 month old Limo bull last fall for $2500, I know per lb prices have gone up about $.40 since I bought him, and he's probably 1600 or so now. I'll see how I like his calves, and if I don't like them I think it's unlikely I'd lose money on him in a year or two. Without cattle prices continuing to rise though, I don't see myself spending over $3500 on a bull, I just don't have enough cows for him to breed to make it worth it.

 

[Ozhorse]

I dont know why people think its a good idea to annoy people selling stock by criticising the animals when they are trying to haggle the price. It just annoys the seller. I dont want to argue with them. They will just say stupid things, that they know are stupid things, and that they know that you know are stupid things. It is more likely to get the seller to just reject them.

I was selling a deck of cows about two weeks ago. A private buyer had come all the way from about 5 hours away and staid in a hotel overnight. I was selling 7 rising 9yo cows, 14 x rising 7yo cows and threw in 5 x 3and 4yo cows I didnt want to sell to make up an even deck on a semi.They were all black anugus cows ultrasound in calf and on point of calving (due to start in the next few days so it was obvious they were in calf) all the oldest we mouthed (stock dont loose teeth here until they are into their teens). All very quiet to handle. No soundness or udder issues. He knew it was a forced sale due to lack of grass.

He started haggling about the price. OK, he wanted to pay the same or less than the local mincing works. I would like a few bucks more, as in $10 a head or something. We are talking I want $500, he offered $430. I didnt really like selling good cows on point of calving to the mincing plant.

He kept on going on about how old the cows are and how he cant get another calf out of them. OK, 9yo is old for commercial cows but really? rising 7yo cows are OLD too old to breed again?? I can only think he must be saying this to annoy me.

In the end I did not sell to him. I sold them for $450 to someone else.

He had a bit of grass, I dont. He can sell the calf off them in 6-8 months for $450 and sell the cow for $450 - $600 (he has grass to put more weight on the cows). He can double his money standing on his head in less than a year on a bad market. If it rains in the spring and we dont get that El Nino they keep talking about the cows would be $800-$900 and the calves $600. He had been all his life in the game and had a good farm and was in his 70's or something and good luck to someone clever enough to put themselves in his position - but..

Why does he have to annoy me with rubbish like "they are too old"? All he had to do was state what price he was willing to go to and then keep his mouth shut. Does he want me to argue with him and say "Im just a newbie and you have been farming all your life so why are you telling me BS about my cows? Shouldn't we just talk about price?"

 

[SPH]

I think the biggest frustration when you are the seller is some buyer who isn't in touch with the market prices is trying to tell you that you are overpriced when he's not giving you a reasonable offer. All you have to do is go grab the latest market reports and say "well if I took this animal to the sale barn today I could get this much a pound for them." If I wanted to sell them at sale barn price I'd just take them to the sale barn, wouldn't be wasting time having people come out to the farm to look at private treaty that may not go home with anything. Most guys have a good idea what their cattle is worth - not saying there are not guys that are overpriced because they do exist but especially in the purebred business a reputable breeder probably has a good idea what his peers are getting for their cattle and where his are at in comparison. If someone wants to pay sale barn prices then go to the sale barn and buy your bull or females there but I will bet you they probably will not be anywhere near the quality that you will find by buying private treaty from a reputable breeder. Like someone above said, if all you care about is the money end of it then by all means you can make a living buying at the sale barn cheap and turning a profit later when the prices are good. But if you are trying to build a herd or raise cattle that will perform well and care about the quality of cattle you are raising you probably aren't going to get that buying at sale barn prices.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

It is simple this is what I want for this animal no more no less. If you want it buy it pay me.

 

[cloud9cattle]

Several producers need to catch up with time and follow the market better. I hear from several farmers talking about how well their calves and cull animals are selling at auction. Just thrilled to death on the money they're receiving. Then I hear from the same ones how high a new herd sire is or replacements are etc... just complaining their rear ends off. I always thought to make money you have to spend money. Don't get me wrong I like buying as cheaply as possible too, but I don't expect to buy future herd bulls for the same prices as slaughter bulls or sale barn bulls. Want one for that price go to the Sale Barn. Don't agree with a price someone is asking for a bull or replacements etc... offer a price he'll either take it or he won't. Don't stand there complaining acting like he's trying to rip you off telling him you haven't ever spent that much on a bull etc... Last I check you haven't ever made that much for your feeders or culls either. If the animal is out of your price range just move on. Also people still stereo type breeds from decades ago. The dispositions, hard calving, etc... I think we all tend to do that more than we should because things do change. I'll admit I pick on the Char's, Limousin's, and Black Angus :hide: . I'm sure many of the problems with the breeds has changed now. The hard calving association with Simmental sure has, but a few will never accept it. There is always going to be some in the wood pile but things change with time for better or worse, we need to try and keep up. Here we're mostly cow calf producers but I do sell a few seedstock replacements so I've been on both sides and I understand what each is after.

I like everything in this statement. One reason why after our first year raising replacements we will be selling entire herd and purchasing fewer purebreds with better genetics. If we want to raise females that people are proud to have we need to give our program a fighting chance. Only way to do that is purchasing the best females we can find even if that means we have 10 head vs 20. I love this thread. Good Stuff!

 

[Calhoun Farm]

The problem I have in my area is most cattle men or wannabe cattle men will discount char and Hereford cattle simply because its not black. I've seen junk solid black calves out sell scale buster char calves in two separate barns several times. This attitude isn't shared the farther west of here you go.

 

[Nesikep]

RBB, are you sure you wouldn't accept a higher price for your cattle?

I don't mind bargaining, but when I do, it's usually somewhere around 10% increments.. such that a $2500 item I'd try and get $250 off.. but I wouldn't look at it if I wasn't ready to pay the full price. You know there are sellers out there selling tractors "In great shape" that have done nothing but mucking out dairy barns for 30 years, everything is rusted solid on it, and when you go there you see it's a wreck... I usually just turn around, but I could see that as an instance to lowball the price.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Nesi most of them suck wind pretty hard when they hear the price. Never had the chance to turn down more money.

 

[Nesikep]

Neither have I!.. that'll be the day!