Which is more profitable and lower risk?

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tncattle

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Okay, I know this is not really specific and there are probably tons of opinions and different answers but I seriously would like to here what y'all think.

If you were just starting over what would you choose, cow/calf or stocker/feeder operation and why? I'm lumping seedstock in the cow/calf operation. Maybe I'm forgetting others? Anyway, let me here it.
 
Which is more profitable and lower risk? The flexibility to do both (cow calf and stocker), either one or none at any given time.

Sell a $1200 Cow today, retain her heifer calf (or buy 2 stocker calves), if the heifer calf someday becomes an overvalued young Cow then repeat or sell a yearling and buy a bred cow for near equal money, you could have done that this year and last year both.
 
I attempt to buy 5 or 6 bred cows 3-4 times a year that are 6-8 months bred and after they have their calf I will keep the best cows and sell the other cows and calfs at about 400-500lbs and then repeat I also try to get the cows I'm selling to be bred back when I sell them seems to work for me pretty good. I will also buy some young calves that are 200-300 lbs an faten them up and sell them at 5-600lbs I have almost doubled my money on each cow.
 
I'd probably just buy long bred cows, calve them out and haul them right back to the sale. Use to do this a lot and was a lot of fun and profitable.
 
TexasBred":238c2e1m said:
I'd probably just buy long bred cows, calve them out and haul them right back to the sale. Use to do this a lot and was a lot of fun and profitable.

When you say "long bred" are you meaning close to calving, like 6-8 months?
 
The question has to be asked: If there were a major market downturn would you rather be holding bred cows or stockers? Having been through this in '05 with holsteins I would say bred cows are a better defensive position.

Could you buy 4wt heifers as stockers and hold them to breeding age if the market was not to your liking at sale time?
 
tncattle":g752w3gw said:
TexasBred":g752w3gw said:
I'd probably just buy long bred cows, calve them out and haul them right back to the sale. Use to do this a lot and was a lot of fun and profitable.

When you say "long bred" are you meaning close to calving, like 6-8 months?
Yes, 7,8 months preferrably.
 

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