starting to buy cattle

[Chuckie]

Hopefully the gentleman will not bring you sickly calves if he has a good reputation for buying cattle for larger farms. If he knows one of his best customers sent you, he will not let that customer down. Knowing that you are starting off, his reputation for bringing you sick animals would not be good. But sometimes people will pull some doozies on you. I agree with Jeanne, just make sure that the weight goes with the age of the calf. If they are stunted, and small, when they begin to calve, the baby may not be able to pass through the pelvic area from not having enough room. Just ask dun and Jeanne how much fun it is when you start pulling something through a hole smaller than it is supposed to fit through. When calves are developing, minerals and food play a big part pm their reproductive system and everything else inside the cow. A heifer is born with so many eggs and as she develops, the nutrition that she receives can affect the development of the eggs that she drops to be fertilized for years to come. I have seen cows that continually drop calves that look like sticks, no matter how much clover is in front of the cow and calf. The mamma cow is not a meat wagon, but the calf is a lot uglier than she is. A good bull didn't couldn't save her offspring either. So, I would want a heifer that had a good nutrional background vs.a dickweed pasture, and sagegrass hay and a white salt block occasionally. The man that purchases from the buyer, that you like, have him check out the calves, and see if he feels the age and the growth match. Right now, fluffy hair is hard to see through. Sort of like wetting down a poodle!!!! :lol2:
Chuckie

 

[pits4life]

I just wanted to thank all that responded with their post it has been very helpful to better myself and even better equip myself for the future THANKS TO ALL.........

 

[SRBeef]

sorry for the missing info new to this but any way as you requested i am buying beef cattle which preferably is angus or angus cross . i understand about letting them settle in but they are coming from a sell barn and yes we assume they are healthy or we wouldnt buy them but in the same aspect they are sell barn cattle and it is much easier to unload them in pin/barn and work them from the get go but all info would be appreciated and i almost forgot approx weight is 250# and would guess 4 months but like i said in the beginning i am have some one more experienced than myself pick them out for the money i have ,this is just a starting point .some are more fortunate than others to purchase proven cattle but in that aspect im not one with the intial investment or the given to.....

I've been travelling and have not really followed this thread. However isn't 250# a bit light to be off their mama's and sold?

I think 250 lb calves should be growing and developing on the cow, not sold at the sale barn. Have they been weaned? A 250 lb calf taken off its cow and put on a trailer sounds like work and trouble. I would take the advice I saw above earlier and buy a couple pairs before taking on 250 lb probably unweaned calves. jmho.

Jim

 

[pits4life]

well srbeef after several opinions in other forms it might be possibly light but i have seen one of the calves and in my opion looks good and is eating on its own good and to answer the next question why dont i have it the guy was unloading at another farm and the calf slipped by and now he is having a time to get it due to the fact it is alittle wild and i told the gentleman i was concerned in that fact because believe me she has got the go go juice in her ,ears stand straight up,head up and will run every time you try to approach it ,but anyway the guy said he would get me another because he said it could take awhile to load her ,but i am getting two at that same time people say they semm to do better with a companion,sorta different in the way im starting but i beleive i will do fine i just dont have the capital to do it any other way for now ,and very true i could save but i beleive in my heart i can make work for my purpose at tthis moment in time to get my feet wet thx for your input and anymore this is a learning exp for me.....

 

[Caustic Burno]

sorry for the missing info new to this but any way as you requested i am buying beef cattle which preferably is angus or angus cross . i understand about letting them settle in but they are coming from a sell barn and yes we assume they are healthy or we wouldnt buy them but in the same aspect they are sell barn cattle and it is much easier to unload them in pin/barn and work them from the get go but all info would be appreciated and i almost forgot approx weight is 250# and would guess 4 months but like i said in the beginning i am have some one more experienced than myself pick them out for the money i have ,this is just a starting point .some are more fortunate than others to purchase proven cattle but in that aspect im not one with the intial investment or the given to.....

I've been travelling and have not really followed this thread. However isn't 250# a bit light to be off their mama's and sold?

I think 250 lb calves should be growing and developing on the cow, not sold at the sale barn. Have they been weaned? A 250 lb calf taken off its cow and put on a trailer sounds like work and trouble. I would take the advice I saw above earlier and buy a couple pairs before taking on 250 lb probably unweaned calves. jmho.

Jim

As cheap as cows are right now especially SS heavy bred, I am beginning to wonder if our chain getting yanked. Seen good heavy SS going for 350 to 400 that have several calves left in them.

 

[pits4life]

please explain yourself burno since i am the one seeking you alls opinions and guidence . For one i am trying to get my feet wet without a huge investment and what is cheap to one isnt to the other not all bankrolls come in the same size....

 

[Chuckie]

P4Life,
Caustic is king of chain jerkers, so he maybe afraid of being bit himself. So don't take it personally. I wonder if his SS cows are Social Security cows, which are old cows, that might have a few eggs left. Those are easy to unload as prolapsers at the sale barn too. Little calves are easier to start with, for your children and you getting your feet wet. An older cow will not gain you any more knowledge than a small calf, that you can grow with. If you want to make a killing on something the first year, pan for gold or buy a truffle hunting pig. Check on the price of truffles first!!!!!
Chuckie

 

[Caustic Burno]

please explain yourself burno since i am the one seeking you alls opinions and guidence . For one i am trying to get my feet wet without a huge investment and what is cheap to one isnt to the other not all bankrolls come in the same size....

All right as this whole thread has seemed unbeliveable.
You say you have limited resourses I can respect that and you are buying 250 to 300 pound calves.
There are many reasons for a beef producer to sell calves that light and none of them are good.
You would have to ask yourself in todays market and prices why is he choosing to loose his butt.

Lets get back to the bank roll, for arguement sake lets keep everthing simple.
You pay a dollar a pound for a 250 pound heifer(current price here) and lets say she is 3 months and it cost a dollar a day to upkeep her.
To get her to breeding age of 14 months if she has grown off enough being pulled off the cow that early is going to cost you 335 dollars.
You now have a gestation period of 283 days at dollar a day and pray she doesn't have calving problems with your inexperience or the price just went up drastically.
You have another 205 days in the precious newborn before you sell.
Now you have spent 250 dollars to buy the heifer 335 dollars to get her to breeding age another 283 dollars until calving and another 205 until weaning you have spent nearly eleven hundred dollars to produce that calf.

You buy a SS heavy at eight months for 400 she calves out and raises you a 600 pound calf at 205 days.
You have 605 dollars in a 7 month old calf haul the dam back to the salebarn and sell at slaughter prices, what you paid for her. Lets say you get 350 for her that 600 pound healthy calf has cost you 255 dollars,, much cheaper per pound and you can bet healthier.
You have 215 days until she is old enough to breed 283 days gestation and 205 weaning.
So now you have spent a total of 950 bucks to get that calf.
You started out with a much healtier heifer who is going to have much better growth off momma until weaning with a lot less stress reducing your calving difficulties big time on a heifer.
Calving heifers is a gamble to start and even greater if you end up with stunted pot bellies.

You are not saving money you are not minimizing problems with the calf as you will never do as good a job as the cow in raising a calf.
Buying calves as young as you describe through the sale barn to start a cow herd is going to be more costly and have a lot more potholes in the road to getting to where you want to be.
If anyone tells you this is the cheapest or easiest way to get into cattle your leg is getting wet and its not raining.
You would be miles ahead from where you are now buying an old Jersy nurse cow and buying day olds for her to raise.

 

[backhoeboogie]

You would be miles ahead from where you are now buying an old Jersy nurse cow and buying day olds for her to raise.

There's money in that if you get beef calves to graft.

 

[novatech]

Getting your feet wet and learning is a good idea. Since you said money was tight then why would you buy something you are guaranteed to loose money on. If you want that kind of lesson then get after it.
I would advise that you start off with something you may actually break even on. There is already several good suggestions on here for that.
No matter what you buy if you have to feed it you will loose money. (Given the fact that purchasing feed limits you to the feed store with only a couple of cows.) It is an absolute fact that you will loose your butt if you do not have good forage/grass to start with. If you do not you are putting the cart before the horse.

 

[Roan]

Very good advice as usual Caustic! May not be as cute as a new calf, but if your first one is runny crazy at someone elses farm, just imagine what you would have walked into. Calves like that are no fun and bound to get sick which would be even more money, and thats if it doesn't die. Like was stated, there are a lot of bred cows that are nice out there, just something to think about.

 

[Chuckie]

If the fear was in a calf getting sick and dying, then there would be no cow/calf operations. All of them have to be weaned at some point. Many sell at a younger age because they don't want to feed them. Start small, and see if you like it. Are you planning on turning big profits this year? Is this going to be a learning experience for the family and grow with it? Then see if this is something you really want to do for years to come? If I had larger cows, the size could be more intimidating.

You did say there were children involved in this, didn't you?
Chuckie

 

[backhoeboogie]

If the fear was in a calf getting sick and dying, then there would be no cow/calf operations.

A calf wean on the trailer is stressed. Stressed animals get sick almost with a guarantee. That calf wants to go home - period - all he knows is momma. They are high risk for everything. If they have been exposed to anything in the sale barn, their stressed, they're sick. They've been exposed.

A heavy bred cow just wants green pasture. They'll jump fence at their home pasture to get to green grass and never go home. You'll get a return on her this year - and next if you keep her.

 

[Caustic Burno]

You did say there were children involved in this, didn't you?
Chuckie

He did, and a scared calf will hurt you fast, they have one thing on their mind and that is flight.
Then you get a more dangerous animal after it becomes a pet. The tame gentle cow will hurt you when you least expect it. She thinks nothing about getting right on top of you, all she has to do is swing her head at a fly or try to kick another cow away from the feed trough.

 

[alacattleman]

when i was buying calves form the barn,,first priority before worming and ususal vaccinations, i made dam sure they were gonna live, quarantine and doctor just like the had shipping fever, couldnt take a chance that they didnt,, its a nightmare to control but getting a upper hand and heading it off in the long run was great insurance for me

 

[dun]

A calf wean on the trailer is stressed. Stressed animals get sick almost with a guarantee.

And yet there are producers on these boards that do it all the time and don;t feel bad about doing it.

 

[AudieWyoming]

A calf wean on the trailer is stressed. Stressed animals get sick almost with a guarantee.

And yet there are producers on these boards that do it all the time and don;t feel bad about doing it.

My thoughts exactly, I just read a post from DieselBeef on another topic. Wanted to paste this one over there.

 

[dun]

A calf wean on the trailer is stressed. Stressed animals get sick almost with a guarantee.

And yet there are producers on these boards that do it all the time and don;t feel bad about doing it.

My thoughts exactly, I just read a post from DieselBeef on another topic. Wanted to paste this one over there.

I saw it too. And then people give salesbarns a bad name because they buy exactly what they sell through them.

 

[Chuckie]

Lots of people don't consider cow/calf operations. They only buy feeder calves from the sale barn, or from certain people. I have seen people buy calves to show, that wanted no part of a human hand, and were halter broke. Cows that are gentle usually will have more gentle calves. Not that you are going to buy showstock, but the people that halter broke the calves can walk up to the cows now, and scratch their back legs, and the cow will lift their back leg for more scratching.

Just an example of messing with a younger calf vs. a large cow. You can get wild calves and wild cows both. This can be argued back and forth all day long. I can send you to a man's house that started with the calves, and he can walk up to any of his cows now. He is not that far from you.
Chuckie