cypressfarms
Well-known member
alftn":3fr0mjvn said:Do not let people on this board , have to much influnce in your decision, start with a five year plan and run with it ....
I agree with alftn about not letting people on this board make a decision for someone. However, there are some people who've posted above that really know what they are talking about.
From my small producer point of view, here's what I see with the cattle "market".
To be a successful seedstock producer it's not good enough to have great quality, you must have the connections/customer base. This isn't developed overnight. (I'm a cow/calfer), and I buy my bulls (and occasionaly a cow or two) from seedstock producers. The bulls I buy are a minimum of $2000 normally, for a 2 year old ready to breed - but this cost pales in comparison to what a "dud" bull would cost in lost revenue.. I would NOT take a chance on buying a bull from someone that I know little about when purchasing such an important part. Think about it; if the bull is a dud and doesn't breed your cows, what recourse do you have? Your basically out of a whole year of calves, and I can't afford that. I would rather buy from a established seedstocker that I know will back everything up. Nothing against new people entering the market - this is just my take.
Commercial, on the other hand is a whole different ballgame. I don't have to have "connections" to make money. If I manage my cows and bulls right, I'll be able to sell all of the calves (at the stockyard or other venue). I may not get as much, but feedlot calves are a very liquid asset. I can bring my calves to the stockyard Sunday and have a check in my hand Monday. The price may go up and down, but the feedlot calf remains a very liquid asset. You can't say that about seedstock.
In the end the decision if yours, ofcourse. There are some very experienced members on here, though, and they wouldn't just tell you something that isn't true. There have been many train wrecks on this board that the experienced members saw coming. Some were averted because of this board. Chances are if a "guru" tells you something, he/she is genuine (why else would they stay around long enough to be a guru?)
Good luck!