• If you are having problems logging in please use the Contact Us in the lower right hand corner of the forum page for assistance.

Bred heifer prices

M

muddyviewrancher

Active member
Joined
Jul 9, 2012
Messages
33
Location
sask,canada
Have heard of private treaty bred heifers going as high as 1700.00. By my figures it is pretty hard to make these cows pay for themselves. Would like to hear other thoughts on this. Thanks in advance.
 
I saw open heifers bring $1300 last week. I don't know how long people can get $850-$1000 for calves and it not effect heifer and cow prices. Just my .02
 
I could be all haywire, but if it would rain a little, 1700 would be a cheap heifer. Numbers are down, but I do not see any indication of the drought breaking in our neck of the woods, so jus' wait & see.
 
Went to a 500 head cow sale today at the stockyards,fancy 1000 to 1100lb heifers,black or reds out of a dispersal sale bred 4 to 4plus months top ones sold for $1200 down to $1100,average heifers were $1000 to $1150.Best cows were maybe as high as $1100 but not that many sold that high,average cows $800 to $1000 and probably at least 1/3 of the bred cows were bought by a order buyer and headed to a slaughter plant.I was talking to a friend that is a market representative for that stockyards,and i told him i should have bought those fancy heifers and then just resold them privately for $1400.He said good luck with that,lots of people are asking big money for there heifers,but the ones that are being sold are in that $1200 range,and the guys asking $1400 they still have theirs and are still looking for buyers.
 
I know this guy has sold some not sure how many. Know lots of ouyfits between 14 -1700.. Thinking if bredd are that high might just send ours to a new home also.
 
muddyviewrancher said:
Have heard of private treaty bred heifers going as high as 1700.00. By my figures it is pretty hard to make these cows pay for themselves. Would like to hear other thoughts on this. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Were these registered?
 
James T said:
muddyviewrancher said:
Have heard of private treaty bred heifers going as high as 1700.00. By my figures it is pretty hard to make these cows pay for themselves. Would like to hear other thoughts on this. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Were these registered?
Click to expand...

They must be,there are lots of guys asking $1400,why would someone be paying $1700 for commercial heifers?
 
Shortgrass said:
I could be all haywire, but if it would rain a little, 1700 would be a cheap heifer. Numbers are down, but I do not see any indication of the drought breaking in our neck of the woods, so jus' wait & see.
Click to expand...
I agree 1700 isn't that high if they are good quality and not to far off from calving. My open heifers I sold on Monday brought $1371 after commission. How is 1700 to high when the first calf is going to be worth 850 to 1000 like someone else on here said.
 
That was my problem today,i was looking for 7 or 7plus heifers,not 4 or 4plus months,as cheap as i thought they were selling for.I was almost thinking about expanding my cow calving season.Someone defiantly got a deal on those heifers today.It's starting to get almost impossable to find cattle of decent quality for jan,feb calving.
 
commerical. calving would start mid march i believe. i agree with 850-1000 for calves if all the mpney went to the cow. But there are feed cost,vet,loan payments,intrest,culls, ect.., and then the all important money in my pocket. Or am I not figuring this out properly.
 
muddyviewrancher said:
commerical. calving would start mid march i believe. i agree with 850-1000 for calves if all the mpney went to the cow. But there are feed cost,vet,loan payments,intrest,culls, ect.., and then the all important money in my pocket. Or am I not figuring this out properly.
Click to expand...

1700 would have to be a 7 to 8 month bred I belive. If you are upgrading genetics any thats not out of line at all. If you kept your own calve's for replacements, that's going to cost you 850 at least to buy it then you have to background it a while breed it and summer it, and get it to Nov 10th plus figure the opens in there as well plus intrest on that animal for a whole year. Around here most commercial heifers calve in Jan and Feb, with the cows starting mid feb.
 
The top bred heifers selling here at our first bred sale in mid October brought $1500...
But several buyers there told me that if the moisture is there- the Feb bred cow sale could see those heifers going for $2000+...

And with winter storm Brutus we are picking up moisture...
 
On Oct 27, we sold our straight Hereford May-born steers, averaged 506 lbs for 1.74, so $880. Our calves were sold just before they sold an offering of about 70 bred cows/heifers. Lots of $800 cows. Average cows. Some poor bags. Lots of RA and Char blood, so I wasn't interested at any price :P . 4-7 year olds I would guess. Guy had spring/fall herds and was tired of spring calving. Some good cows went around $1200. Most heifers went around $1300 or so.

Luckily they weren't good Hereford or Shorthorn cows, otherwise I would definitely be shopping for more hay this winter.

We are extremely short of hay in our area, so I know for a fact that bred cow and heifer prices are at least $200 down from what they were last year, if you can even find a buyer for them.

If next year has feed and 'similar' calf prices, breds will be far too hot for me to buy,
 
You will get alot of good bred heifers bought in western Canada this year for $1400.00 to $1450.00. You might even get them for less if you look hard enough. Just my thoughts.

A good bunch of heifers, from a guy I know sold, on DLMS about a month ago for $1450. He wanted $1500.00, but took the $1450.00 for 50 of them.

I sure don't miss going out and having to pay some good money for bred heifers. Going back to keeping our own replacements was the best thing we ever did in our operation.

The bred heifers at the Edam Fall Fair averaged $1670.00. This is typically top end heifers, and they usually sell for a bit of a premium. I think that the $1400.00 to $1450.00 will be the norm out west this year.

These are all commercial heifers by the way.
 
I sold my claves about a month ago - - - 20 steers and 1 heifer - - - weaned, castrated and all shots and implants. Kept here for 3 weeks to get on feed good. The day they left they averaged 605#

I got $1.25 across the board and the buyer paid the vet bill. I know this is not what they would bring out west but for a group this size it was good money for this area.
 
We only had a handful but we just sold ours for $1600 off the ranch. I think that is pretty good for the year and no commissions.
 
There are a couple of lots sold at Mobridge Livestock SD for $1800. Check out (www.Heifer.PRO) for Heifer Market Prices.
They are going for $1800-$1150 in the plains states. It all depends what part of the country/county has moisture.
 
ANGUS327 said:
Sold some yesterday to a repeat custumer for $1600 was hoping for more last spring when I turned them out but that was then and this is now.
Click to expand...

Nothing wrong wrong with that. A person will always pay a little more if they know what they are getting. Going back to the same herd every year, if you were happy, is the best way to buy heifers.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top