49 acres of good river bottom pasture divided into 4 fairly equal paddocks. Fences are great, water source good, working facilities in place and very good. It has been very well taken care of as a cattle farm, the new owner doesn't know much and wants me to help him make the most out of it with cattle. I told him putting groups of ready to breed heifers with bull , getting them bred and selling them every 6-7 months. Maybe there are better ideas? He wants to stay with cattle and not do anything else.
The situation
- Thread starter tncattle
- Start date
Ky hills
Well-known member
I have been doing similar to that for several years, only I have been buying weaned heifers and keeping them around a year, selling them in a bred heifer sale. I have tried buying a few yearlings in the spring ready to breed, but hasn't worked nearly as well as bringing them in younger, and growing them.
Putting together groups of replacement quality heifers can be challenging. Sometimes several are culled along the way before the sale for various reasons. I have been rebuilding my cowherd in recent years, in part to supply my own home raised heifers for the program.
Putting together groups of replacement quality heifers can be challenging. Sometimes several are culled along the way before the sale for various reasons. I have been rebuilding my cowherd in recent years, in part to supply my own home raised heifers for the program.
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
Bred heifer market is soft here, and trending down.
Stockers would be less complicated if you have a good buyer.
Basically you would cull all instead of breeding some.
Stockers would be less complicated if you have a good buyer.
Basically you would cull all instead of breeding some.
tncattle
Well-known member
Do you mean a buyer when it's time to sell? Seems like stockers have a better chance at sickness as they're younger and the heifers I've done this with are older and their immune system more developed.Stocker Steve":wfyuspc0 said:
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
A buyer who will buy you good calves that you can manage when it is time to re stock.
Son of Butch
Well-known member
True, but replacements should continue down too.Stocker Steve":c4eoh3k4 said:
The real mistake was if you bought replacements when they were high last year and then got nailed selling them this spring.
Dave
Well-known member
I bought a load of heifers early this spring so I did it after the market dropped. I paid nearly $500 a head less than I did last year. But what bred heifers sold for last week on Superior was pretty near my break even. I sure wouldn't advise anyone to work that bred heifer market right now.Son of Butch":3fxv1n4s said:
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
There are six 50 to 150 cow sized beef operations around me. Five of six are expanding. Should be plenty of beef to export :nod:
What's the stocking rate? Considering the fact that he's a newcomer, raising calves makes the most sense to me. Your biggest expense would be the cows, but I think there is a lot less risk selling calves than messing with stockers or trying to get bought heifers bred, for a rookie. In down years you can tighten your belt when it comes to input costs, but if he starts with the right kind of cows and breeds them to top the market, I don't see much downside. Once he gets more experience he can branch out and maybe specialize in something. For a small place like that, I think learning how to AI and raising registered cattle would be the most bang for his buck, if he has or gets an eye for good cattle.
