Why Register ?

[kid]

I have highlands and am thinking about getting them registered but I dont understand what the benefit of that is. Can I sell them at a higher price, does not registering them limit where I can sell meat or who would buy from me? I just dont quite understand.

Right now, I am raising them just as a hobby with plans of selling in the future (5-10 years, after I get the heard size up.)

Im not currently interested in shows however I dont want to start out and limit my future possibilities right of the bat, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[msscamp]

I have highlands and am thinking about getting them registered but I dont understand what the benefit of that is. Can I sell them at a higher price, does not registering them limit where I can sell meat or who would buy from me? I just dont quite understand.

Right now, I am raising them just as a hobby with plans of selling in the future (5-10 years, after I get the heard size up.)

Im not currently interested in shows however I dont want to start out and limit my future possibilities right of the bat, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Registered animals provide a traceable bloodline history, and they are perceived by some as being better than commercial animals. No, it does not limit where you can sell them - they will sell at the local salebarn just as fast as commercial animals. Registered does not automatically mean your cattle are better than your neighbors commercial herd, either, but if the quality is there and your reputation is established, you can usually get a better price by selling via private treaty. If you're thinking about registered animals, you might want to get interested in shows because that is the quickest way to get your name and the quality of your animals in front of people.

 

[CattleHand]

i have the same question. Unless you are selling to private customers, why not just go commercial? The only benefit i can see is people that want that "perfect" bull or cow. But i'd say most farmers are commercial. Is there that much more money in registering?

 

[dun]

Is there that much more money in registering?

There may or may not be more money in selling registered animals. Depends on the method they are sold, and/or the quality. Selling them as breeding stock usually registeerd animals sell higher. But, they have to be of a quality high enough to make them worth more as regostered breeding stock.

 

[grannysoo]

I started out with registered/purebred but don't do it that way anymore. It was not financially worth it in my situation.

 

[ToddFarmsInc]

My last purchase of angus was from registered breeding stock. It was pretty neat to see all the paperwork, and the neighbor I bought them from kept impeckable records. (a lesson I need to learn) I bought the cows however because I liked the way they looked, and the way they acted, inspite of being registered, not because of it.

I decided not to keep up the registeration, because I'm not planing on selling breeding stock.

 

[TXBobcat]

My advice is to do both. Register the best and commercial for the rest.

I would evaulate all calves at weaning time (5 to 7 months of age) and determine if they are something you want to pass on to others as seedstock from your breed. If they are, register them while they are young becuase it is normally cheaper. The older they get, the more it costs to register. If they are not, cut/band the bulls, and send those steers to your commercial herd to grow out. For the heifers, either keep those as commercial breeders, or ship them.

The only place I could see where you are limited in selling is a special sale (i.e registered breed sales).

 

[smallrancher]

I personally have a commercial herd by choice, I'm big into developing my own herd without paying association fees. That being said, if you want to keep your options open, the only thing to do is register them because if you don't, that will not be keeping your options open. You are in somewhat of a niche market which does help.

 

[nap]

I prefer to deal with sellers marketing registered animals for a couple of reasons. One, I am fairly confident that the animals have been well cared for and are in good health. Secondly, registration provides a birthdate and origin, items that I think will be very important in the near future for marketing cattle.

 

[DaletheDairyFarmer]

All cattle dairy or beef are commercial when it comes right down to it. By having registered cattle the possibility of getting that high dollar individual exists. Without registrations all you have are walking steaks or milk. I think that even the most anti-registered people on this forum would willingly take an offer of 5,10, 20 or more times the packer value for an animal in their pasture. You may never see that or you may have that occur many times over the years. For the small investment in reg. fees and memberships the return CAN be huge. Also by belonging to breed associations you can find out what is going on outside of your little corner of the world.