Stocker Steve
Well-known member
Son of Butch":15wmggeq said:
Herefords ;-)
Vet says cows open ? Advice
- Thread starter Lrj505
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Herefords ;-)
Workinonit Farm
Well-known member
Lrj505":1jlxxymp said:
Thank you for clearing that up. I thought that was what you meant...…… 11 hundred for the bunch, not each.
I bought 5 young, open, wet bags, a few months ago for not very much money. turned them out with the bull and 2 weeks later one of the 4 yr. olds came up with a calf. and one looks like another one maybe springing now .Lrj505":336881zv said:
76 Bar
Well-known member
Too thin to expect successful conception as is the one previously shown being bred.
BCS Info:
https://www.beefmagazine.com/genetics/breeding-systems/0401-body-condition-scoring
http://extensionpublications.unl.edu/assets/pdf/ec281.pdf
Katpau
Well-known member
Where are you located?
This does not make sense to me. 140 bales at 60 pounds each comes to 8,400 pounds or 4.2 tons. You valued that at $1100 which comes to $262 per ton and $7.85 per 60 pound bale. Hay in my area is expensive because most of it is shipped in over the mountain, but I still don't pay $262 per ton for even decent quality alfalfa delivered and put up in my barn. Grass sells for $115 to $175 depending on quality and quantity. The average 60 pound bale grown here brings about $4 to $4.50 if you pick up. That would be $133 to $150 per ton.
This does not make sense to me. 140 bales at 60 pounds each comes to 8,400 pounds or 4.2 tons. You valued that at $1100 which comes to $262 per ton and $7.85 per 60 pound bale. Hay in my area is expensive because most of it is shipped in over the mountain, but I still don't pay $262 per ton for even decent quality alfalfa delivered and put up in my barn. Grass sells for $115 to $175 depending on quality and quantity. The average 60 pound bale grown here brings about $4 to $4.50 if you pick up. That would be $133 to $150 per ton.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Katpau":3cabm7cf said:
I am with you as the guy virtually gave away those cows. I will buy them all day at that price and never unload them till I get to the salebarn.
Caustic Burno":3hleq2r2 said:
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. There's gotta be a reason the seller is essentially giving away these cows. Unless he's a contender for this year's Darwin Awards.
Farm Fence Solutions
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Get wheels under them, and head for the yards to collect your profit! Instead of blowing one more dollar on feed, take the cash option and reinvest in boat gas and a box of beer.
MtnCows93
Well-known member
id say the seller thought they were open so he sold them dirt cheap, id try and put some weight on those cows and try and get them bred, if it works out youll save money not having to sell and rebuy which is another gamble, if they still wont breed you will still get more for them at the sale because they will be fatter and heavier, its a win win
Located south of Albuquerque. We have the worst drought in 31 years. Just about everything at sale barn is skinny. Bred young cows are going for about $6-700. Young pairs around $750-$800. Old bred $500-$600. Only problem around here Herefords aren't good sellers.
Katpau
Well-known member
We are in extreme drought where I live also and can't really expect rain until late September or maybe October so there is not much of a market here for breds or pairs here either, but those 4 would have been sold as slaughter cows I assume. The local auction this week sold beef type cows from $.32 to $.74. All but a couple of the cows that sold at less than $.50 were old dairy cows. I got these numbers from an Auction yard North of me that gives individual prices that include cow weight and breed. They sold approximately 200 slaughter cows this week. Blacks may have sold slightly better than the Red/Whites, but there did not appear to be much difference in prices on cull cows. Looking at your photos, I would say the cows are very thin, but still healthy. I can't see their frame score (height), but I am assuming they are average size cows and even in poor condition might still weigh 950 to 1000 or more. If I assume the cows only weighed about 950 each, you paid less than $.30 per pound and got $262 per ton for your hay. I am sure glad I don't need to buy alfalfa in your part of New Mexico. I thought it was expensive here.
The photos made me think that some of those cows weren't cycling because of lack of feed. If you can get them on good feed and improve their condition scores they may settle fine. I would be somewhat concerned there is more than lack of food going on. I would keep them separate from both my cows and my bull until I am sure there is not another reason for their condition. I would also do a fertility test on the bull before I put him with any other cows to make sure he did not get anything from them.
The photos made me think that some of those cows weren't cycling because of lack of feed. If you can get them on good feed and improve their condition scores they may settle fine. I would be somewhat concerned there is more than lack of food going on. I would keep them separate from both my cows and my bull until I am sure there is not another reason for their condition. I would also do a fertility test on the bull before I put him with any other cows to make sure he did not get anything from them.
I was at auction yesterday. Going cows were going for .47 cents. Alfalfa actually goes for around $8-10 a 60-70 pound 2 string bale. I make as much money with the cows as I would if I just sold the alfalfa. If I sold the alfalfa and bought cow hay $120 a ton I could double the number of cows I have and make more. Just haven't got to that point. I am going to put them on pasture and have a vet check them oct 1 and put them back with bull.
Another trick I do is buy a semi load of silage 20 tons $1,400 delivered. Pay my nephews to make 50bs. Sacks . Sell 3 tons (150) bags at $9 on Craigslist. And keep 18 tons for myself. Last about 6 months along with hay. I could sell the cows and sell the hay and sell the silage and make more than the cows. But in all reality the cows push me to do more than i normally would.
Katpau
Well-known member
I believe the horse people around here pay that much when buying hay a bale at a time, so that sounds about right. You are correct that if you buy in bulk and resell individual bales, you can make good money.
I am guessing the guy you bought cows from, was one of those people who underestimated how much feed cows require and when he realized he did not have enough pasture he was desperate to sell, but either was unaware of cull cow prices or did not want the cows sold for slaughter.
I am guessing the guy you bought cows from, was one of those people who underestimated how much feed cows require and when he realized he did not have enough pasture he was desperate to sell, but either was unaware of cull cow prices or did not want the cows sold for slaughter.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Wow - good buy even if they don't breed - but I would be concerned with repro diseases.
Bull actually BREEDING (physically mounting) does not mean he is capable of getting them settled. (good looking bull).
Here's a chart for Body Condition Score:
https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/400/400-795/400-795.html
pictures:
http://factsheets.okstate.edu/documents ... beef-cows/
Bull actually BREEDING (physically mounting) does not mean he is capable of getting them settled. (good looking bull).
Here's a chart for Body Condition Score:
https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/400/400-795/400-795.html
pictures:
http://factsheets.okstate.edu/documents ... beef-cows/
farmerjan
Well-known member
Yes there is a chance of disease. But, the cows do look thin. If the drought is as bad as you say, a really thin cow like that is going for $.35 to maybe $.40 lb. here. Prices have fallen off in the last month. If they weighed 900 lbs. then they are worth about $300 -$350. So I don't think you stole them but you got a good deal. I would definitely WORM them, give them some good feed or pasture, and then see.
There is a chance they are "short bred" and the blood test has a window of under 25 days and a smaller window of 35-40 days where there is some room for mistake. We do milk preg check on a few dairies, and they suggest a recheck on anything less than 40 days. It seems to be real accurate at 29 to 35 days, then again after 45 days. Ultra sound is accurate after 28-30 days, BUT, have seen cows come back in heat if they are less than 35 days bred. They tend to slip it more the shorter bred that they are. Same with palpation. I don't like to preg check beef animals before 35 days minimum and prefer 40 and over. I want that egg well implanted before it has any challenges.
We have had the vet miss some short breds and put those cows back for the next calving group, only to have them up and have a calf when we weren't expecting it. We try to have a defined calving season of 90 days, but have 2 places that we cannot get the bulls out until we preg check and wean calves. So most have been in the 5 month range, but there might be an occasional one he calls open or short bred. They often will go with the next calving bunch. Sometimes they will drop a calf, but often they get bred right back and calve early in that later group. They get one "freebie" like that unless they are a 1st calf heifer that raised a nice calf. Then she gets a pass. But anyone else, if they have any breeding problems after that, they get on the cull list.
There is a chance they are "short bred" and the blood test has a window of under 25 days and a smaller window of 35-40 days where there is some room for mistake. We do milk preg check on a few dairies, and they suggest a recheck on anything less than 40 days. It seems to be real accurate at 29 to 35 days, then again after 45 days. Ultra sound is accurate after 28-30 days, BUT, have seen cows come back in heat if they are less than 35 days bred. They tend to slip it more the shorter bred that they are. Same with palpation. I don't like to preg check beef animals before 35 days minimum and prefer 40 and over. I want that egg well implanted before it has any challenges.
We have had the vet miss some short breds and put those cows back for the next calving group, only to have them up and have a calf when we weren't expecting it. We try to have a defined calving season of 90 days, but have 2 places that we cannot get the bulls out until we preg check and wean calves. So most have been in the 5 month range, but there might be an occasional one he calls open or short bred. They often will go with the next calving bunch. Sometimes they will drop a calf, but often they get bred right back and calve early in that later group. They get one "freebie" like that unless they are a 1st calf heifer that raised a nice calf. Then she gets a pass. But anyone else, if they have any breeding problems after that, they get on the cull list.
farmerjan
Well-known member
I meant to mention the hay. I am paying $6 - $7.00 a square bale for alfalfa here. We are not having a drought. We get a wagon load or sometimes 2...about 100-125 bales each wagon, about 50 lbs m/l. I get 3rd cutting usually, sometimes 2nd. Feed it to my nurse cows that I put calves on, when they are in the barn and it cuts down the grain a bit. We also feed it to the sheep when they get close to lambing, and for a few weeks after. $200 + a ton is normal for alfalfa here.
