why raise your own replacements . . . .

[angus9259]

Spoke with a fellow breeder this past week - she's purchased 20-30 head from across the country at high end sales and from some local groups the past 4 or 5 years until prices started going up. So far she's had two become clinical with Johnes after she owned them for a couple calves. One from a local place that doesn't import any cattle and one was an ET cow from a high end sale she bought as a 3 n 1 - both respected and reputable operations - not salebarn cattle.

Raising your own heifers may cost more now - but importing cattle could cost you something big later.

 

[kjonesel]

It is my goal to someday to be able to sale out of our herd. But to have the herd size one needs it sometimes requires the purchase of outside cattle. With AI importation of bloodlines were able to be brought in without animals being imported. The use of embryos might be a way to introduce top genetics without having to bring in animals. It is something that in the near future I may consider. It would be nice to start a complete core of cattle in one season.

 

[Mid South Guy]

It is a very long and slow process to increase herd size to a great degree or dramatically improve cow quality without bringing in outside females. I found at best only 15-20% of my heifer calves make quality replacements. I raise my own because I know what they are, but my herd size is where I want it.

 

[Lucky_P]

MSG makes a good point. It's taken me 17 years to get to 70 head of females, re- starting with 5 registered cows I retained when I went back to grad school. Haven't purchased anything but a bull and some semen. No diseases that I didn't already have purchased in the process.
We've retained probably 80% of heifers along the way - only selling if they were REALLY crappy or a disposition problem. I know what I have and what they are - and I'm pretty much at carrying capacity now. Have culled heavily on disposition the last 3 years or so and all but one of the crazies are gone, now culling hard on productivity - if they're not producing a good calf from here on out, or don't fit our needs, they're gone...

Johne's is a tough deal - and the cows that 9259's friend purchased may have tested negative at the time they sold, but if she came out of a herd with known Johne's infection - or was an embryo implanted into a Johne's-infected recip - the sellers may (or may not have) had an idea that she had a good chance of becoming a clinical Johne's case down the road.
Unfortunately, many of these Johne's-infected cows will not have a diagnostic titer until just about the time they start shedding the organism in their feces and become 'clinical' - which is often about the time they calve as a 4 or 5-yr old.
I'm convinced that a significant number of our purebred herds have 'acquired' Johne's Disease as a consequence of buying dairy cows/heifers for use as embryo recipients, or purchasing similar pregnant recips carrying embryos.
We know that about 25% of calves born to Johne's-infected cows become infected in utero, and due to exposure to the organism in milk and manure, beef calves born to Johne's-infected dams have a 10X greater likelihood of contracting the infection than calves in the same herd, born to non-infected dams.

 

[backhoeboogie]

It can get next to impossible to get breeds you want to buy. Following the last big drought, popular breeds were a dime a dozen and many were brought in from out of state. People with quality brangus cows were hanging on to them. If one went through the sale barn ring, you'd best be prepared to dig deep.

 

[angus9259]

I've bought a bunch of cattle over the past 5 or 6 years myself. I've had everyone blood tested for Johnes - clean - but I've come to learn that they can/will test clean with a blood test and then go downhill, shedding virus like crazy, a week later. I'm waiting for the time bomb to go off.

 

[angus9259]

beef calves born to Johne's-infected dams have a 10X greater likelihood of contracting the infection than calves in the same herd, born to non-infected dams.

Interesting. With all the mud at my place . . . . and cows and calves drinking from the muck puddles instead of going to the waterer . . . . and mud on all the cow's utters . . . I'm surprised that any calves get away clean if there's a shedding cow in the group.

 

[JustSimmental]

The best reasons have already been stated because knowing what you have based on their mommas performance is worth so much more than just a heifer you bought somewhere.

I have been in the PB Simm business now for 30 years and it took me a long, long, long time to get a herd of cattle that I could be proud of because many breeders in my area were and are still breeding junk cattle. It is really sad in some cases.

As a PB breeder, I believe that it is our main job to only offer the best cattle for sale to the potential buyer, because a return customer is always better than a one-time-sale. I started out with Fleckvieh Simms and bred them up to now top 5 to 1% in the nation.

Nowadays, bull calves are sold, sometimes, the day they are born. I have some really great customers and new ones all the time, because we have always stood behind the cattle we offer for sale.
Here is an example: 3/4 simm/angus bull calf > https://herdbook.simmental.org/simm...nid=076055CACEE57F47A2FB8C1E3D2F3B9B.tomcat2A -- I hope that link worked, but if not his Reg # is 2606978.


Here is a heifer calf born this year --she ranks in the top 1% of any PB Simm or percentage female nationwide. https://herdbook.simmental.org/simm...ntSubmit_displayAnimal=T&animalNumber=2606984
Reg # 2606984

We sell these type heifers every year, for a price. They demand it because of the time it would take a person to do what we did and breed them up to top 1%.

Raising your own heifers is the way to go....

JS

 

[BILL CLAYLAND]

To build a herd quicker you'll have to buy in.

My experience in the last 3 yrs is,,,

2 cows i bought private,, proven breeders. gentle, 2 bull calves. bred back

1 cow bought private,, supposedly good bloodlines, Registered,, PROLAPSE. :devil2: Not to mention Crazy too. Tried to load her Sunday and she tried to kill me, shes still at the place waiting on a bullet.

1 cow and heifer calf bought private,, jury still out, cow's supposed to be bred, Heifer need to eat..lol

After this week I hope I get all heifer calves this year,, I'm not making money anyway, and realize ,,Whats the hurry?