What is the LEAST you have paid for a cow or bull

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backhoeboogie

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Did you ever get a really good cow that had some trivial injury or problem that you could fix?

The "What is the most you have paid for a cow or bull?" topic is more about having nickels than having talent. I'm impressed with those who take little or nothing and turn it into something. Those are the people I can learn from.
 
backhoeboogie":101nclmf said:
Did you ever get a really good cow that had some trivial injury or problem that you could fix?

The "What is the most you have paid for a cow or bull?" topic is more about having nickels than having talent. I'm impressed with those who take little or nothing and turn it into something. Those are the people I can learn from.

It wasn't an injury, but once we bought a cow without EPDs for a really good price. Her pedigree included eight Angus Pathfinders so we knew she had potential. Once we had reported a calf on her, her EPDs came in and she was one of the most productive cows we've ever owned. I also know some people who buy older, well bred Angus cows, knowing they'll have to feed them, and try to get a heifer out of them before they ship them to the sale barn. If you know what you're doing, you can sometimes take other people's trash and turn it into your treasure.
 
My first few cows/heifers came from doing work for other people in the area, roofing, electrical, drywall, etc. So I guess if I put a pricetag on my time, I did pay for my start in cattle. It's not a "I saved this cow from illness story", but this was an avenue for me to get started.
 
Frankie":2wuszirr said:
backhoeboogie":2wuszirr said:
Did you ever get a really good cow that had some trivial injury or problem that you could fix?

The "What is the most you have paid for a cow or bull?" topic is more about having nickels than having talent. I'm impressed with those who take little or nothing and turn it into something. Those are the people I can learn from.

It wasn't an injury, but once we bought a cow without EPDs for a really good price. Her pedigree included eight Angus Pathfinders so we knew she had potential. Once we had reported a calf on her, her EPDs came in and she was one of the most productive cows we've ever owned. I also know some people who buy older, well bred Angus cows, knowing they'll have to feed them, and try to get a heifer out of them before they ship them to the sale barn. If you know what you're doing, you can sometimes take other people's trash and turn it into your treasure.

There is a guy here in this town that does the same thing with exotics. He picked up many old zebras once (seems like many came from the Denver zoo) and I couldn't figure out what the heck he was doing. He got colts out of them and made a lot of nickels off of that venture. Of course if everyone was doing the same thing, he wouldn't have made as much.

You can take tricks you learn with cattle, and apply them to other things.
 
moocow":1xsvjyva said:
My first few cows/heifers came from doing work for other people in the area, roofing, electrical, drywall, etc. So I guess if I put a pricetag on my time, I did pay for my start in cattle. It's not a "I saved this cow from illness story", but this was an avenue for me to get started.

Money is a media of exchange and nothing else. Bartering is a smart thing to do and some times the payback is worth more that the nickels you are owed.
 
I have a neighbor that is serious registerd Brangus operator. I've bought several heifers over the years at yard prices from him because they did not meet his very high standards. As a result, I was able to introduce a line of world class genetics into my country cow herd. Now, ain't that special?
 
Best cow I had was a braford calf that a neighbor gave to me ($0)because her moma had died during delivery. I bottle fed her ( I was a teenager), and she turned out to be a great cow, weaning 600 lb calves regularly. I sold her as a pair when I was in college because I needed the money. Wish I still had her.
 
Had a drought here about 4 summers ago and I picked up this little redneck cow/calf at the market for $350 that fall. She might have weighed 800lbs at the time. Next summer it rained, prices went up, sold her calf for around $550, and she's given me a calf every year. She weighs about 1100 lbs now.

cfpinz
 
the price you pay for cattle really doesnt matter.its the quality of the cattke that your buying that counts.not the price your paying for them.just make sure you dont go over what you can afford.or get stung on a deal.
 
Angus heifer, $25.00, mother beat her up, didn't want her. She was well worth the time and effort. Been a fine addition to the herd.

Katherine
 
Free.

I have also given more than a few good animals away.

What goes around comes around.

Bez!
 
Dad gave me my first cow so I really can't say it was a deal I swung. She was free.

The best deal I swung was a barter. I had bought two containers cheap and wanted to sell one. A guy came wanting to barter, offered me a nice rifle. I told him I couldn't "trade anything" because I needed to get a bull to breed my cows and needed cash. He said, "I got a bull to trade and I'll throw in a bred cow if you'll trade." I got a registered bull and bred my herd with it. Got an excellent steer out of the cow that eventually sold for more nickels than what I had in the deal. I eventually sold the bull too for pure profit. I still have the cow and have more calves out of her.
 
Freebie, folks down the road had a Jersey heifer that was a pet. They actually fed the poor animal bread, and heavens nows what else. She kept getting out so they approched me about taking her. I had her tested for any problems that she might have, she was clean. So she was dropped into the herd, got her bred and has turned into one hell of a nurse cow. Only problem, she really wants to get in the truck with you or come in the house. Honest truth, she acts more like a well trained dog
 
I bought a Longhorn cow at the sale barn last year for $200.00. She sold as open but I could see that someone had just taken a calf off of her-her udder was really tight so I figuered I'd bring her home and see what happens. She came in heat about a month after I bought her and got bred. This was special brood cow sale and someone brought in 100 head of Longhorn cows. Many had calves but the owner didn't try to pair them up. All of the calves were really young, most from Angus or Charolais bulls. I figured that this cow had one of those calves but I didn't know which one was her's. They sold the cavles separate. I also bought a big, nice Longhorn cow at this same sale, bred to an Angus bull for $530.00. She had a dandy black heifer calf two days ago. These cows don't have papers but I still think I won't lose on them-I can raise calves to sell as beef or whatever from them.
 

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