Which one "Rang the bell?"

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artesianspringsfarm

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Since we seem to be having some fun with this idea, let's say these three walk into the ring (registered dispersal auction not sale barn but still). Which one would you guess would go on to make me the most money? These pics are from more than a decade ago. Two are bred heifers, and 67S tag is just fresh with her first calf. Excuse the crappy photography:

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No way to figure which one would make you the most money with out knowing how much you had in each one. Or did you mean how much each one sold for?
I'd have to go back and check my books, but at the time, I was paying around 2K for this kind of animal that I thought might fit my herd. I'm sure these were all within a few hundred of that one way or another. We arent talking feeders here, we are talking young breeding stock so I will give the first hint that the few hundred isnt going to be what makes the difference.
 
Is this a trick question?

Ken
no, although I cant imagine how anyone could have a ton of confidence in trying to answer. But given the peacocking on the other thread, I bet there are some who will answer confidently and even try to show me where I'm wrong if their answer doesnt match mine.
 
The pair will give you a return quicker.... BUT.... then along comes the variables...is she making enough milk to raise that calf.... does she breed back in a timely manner that fits what you want... do the other 2 have live healthy calves... do they milk and raise the calf... etc and so on and so forth..
NO, there is NO WAY to tell which will be the most "profitable" by looking at them... it is all a crap shoot...
I prefer to buy heifers with their first calf on the ground..... at least that mitigates the possibility of calving problems... I really prefer to buy older cows... bred or with calf... but will watch closely if an older cow has a calf that looks "scruffy" which means she probably is not making the milk the calf needs...
In my situation... I prefer to buy the older animal, see if I can get a calf out of them... and then go from there...
I am thinking that the first one might be the more profitable one... but since the first and second one are in 2 totally different environments.... green grass and slicked up 304 compared to winter and "wooly" 16 ... it is really nearly impossible to say. Like the length on the 3rd one with the calf... but don't see much for an udder at all...
 
no, although I cant imagine how anyone could have a ton of confidence in trying to answer. But given the peacocking on the other thread, I bet there are some who will answer confidently and even try to show me where I'm wrong if their answer doesnt match mine.
Sorry, but the "peacocking" thread would make the distinction that these animals are too similar to predict an outcome. It would be pointing out that someone buying by price as the only criteria would be buying cows that lacked uniformity and would throw calves that varied greatly.

I will say that one heifer has better conformation from a commercial buyer's perspective but a lot would depend on the bull being used.
 
They might make the cut just fine UP here. If they can maintain on our forage and survive the current -18° while nursing a calf I'll take em.
They all handled some very real winters with deep snow and cold temps with no shelter and orchardgrass hay, some better than others, but none of them were nursing while doing it. I calve in april (may for late calvers).
 
I used to calve in april/may but got tired of April calves and -20 and eyeball deep snow, and may calves in eyeball deep muck, snow, rain, wild temp swings, etc. Required a lot of time inputs keeping things healthy.
 
I used to calve in april/may but got tired of April calves and -20 and eyeball deep snow, and may calves in eyeball deep muck, snow, rain, wild temp swings, etc. Required a lot of time inputs keeping things healthy.
The muck and the mud are so much worse than the snow and the ice. We tend to alternate sacrifice areas so that we have a decent dry spot when calving comes but you are 100% right that there is a time sacrifice to spring calving in our climate. That said, I love seeing calves take off right when the grass is hardening a bit and maximizing my nutritional intake on the cows. Shortly after that the clover hits its stride, etc. Works for us but I may end up backing things up more because people would like some bulls from me but need them ready to breed in April/May if they are calving in winter.
 
I can't wait to hear all the "educated guesses", and the actual outcome of the study!!!!! I'll be content to just hold my own cards close to the vest, as I don't think you could ever "know" which one would be the one to make the most "money" (profit)... WAY too many variables... like "well, this one was the one that got hung up wrecking one of those 24' panels on her way off the truck, broke her leg, and had to be put down" :rolleyes:, etc. Kind of goes back to that "special papered dairy cow" we bought on auction... great looking animal that threw great looking heifer calves for replacements, but a major let down because she was a kicker, and so were her daughters... we wished we had never seen her!
 
I can't wait to hear all the "educated guesses", and the actual outcome of the study!!!!! I'll be content to just hold my own cards close to the vest, as I don't think you could ever "know" which one would be the one to make the most "money" (profit)... WAY too many variables... like "well, this one was the one that got hung up wrecking one of those 24' panels on her way off the truck, broke her leg, and had to be put down" :rolleyes:, etc. Kind of goes back to that "special papered dairy cow" we bought on auction... great looking animal that threw great looking heifer calves for replacements, but a major let down because she was a kicker, and so were her daughters... we wished we had never seen her!
I'm working on an explanation for how well these mommas did but I will also give the hint that none of them met an untimely end. Ive got plenty of those stories too but in this case I dont think those examples are all that useful.
 
Well. I don't like the first one at all. She would have to have been cheap for me to bid.

I really like the second one. Which would lead to me bidding. And many others I can only assume.

The pair makes the most sense to me for making the most money. But at the same time, will she breed back in a timely manner??

Like all other sales, depends who was there on what day of the week as to who would've brought the most. In this area, I could certainly see the 2nd one "making the most"
A lot folks want the calf born on their place for various reasons. I see it time and time again AROUND HERE. Breds bringing more than pairs. And it's never made a lot of sense to me. A calf on the ground already is worth a lot more to me than a bred heifer that may or may not calve successfully
 

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