replacement heifers

[PureCountry]

Seems crazy to me. You've gotta see a few hundred dollars profit out of each calf for 5+ years to pay that cow off, and factor in opens, etc. Risky game in my opinion. I'd be buying the 3-5 year old cows up here if I was looking to expand.

 

[Silver]

I'd be buying the 3-5 year old cows up here if I was looking to expand.

I'll agree with you there. I'd far sooner buy a younger bred cow than a heifer any day. It's always been around here (and I think most outfits) that once a cow gets bred with her second calf she'll likely be in the herd for as long as she's welcome. I'd not want to spend that kind of money just to pound them at the auction house in a years time.
Also, I'll admit to being a little on the lazy side and calving heifers tend to be a bit more work on average :wink:

 

[AC Diesel]

Around here 3 to 5 yr old's are bringing 1600 to 1900. That's not enough of a difference for me, i'll take the extra calf or two.
Just my opinion, it's usually not worth much.
They are definitely more work, but the Lord has blessed us with really good luck so far, so well try again. :wink:

 

[3words]

I'd be buying the 3-5 year old cows up here if I was looking to expand.

I'll agree with you there. I'd far sooner buy a younger bred cow than a heifer any day. It's always been around here (and I think most outfits) that once a cow gets bred with her second calf she'll likely be in the herd for as long as she's welcome. I'd not want to spend that kind of money just to pound them at the auction house in a years time.
Also, I'll admit to being a little on the lazy side and calving heifers tend to be a bit more work on average :wink:

I agree with you guys,that would be the day i spent $1300+ for a 550 pound heifer calf,feed her for the winter,pay pasture for the summer,and hope she actually breeds successfully,feed her for another winter and you get a calf to wean that fall and that she breeds back the 2nd time.2 years of investment on heifer calves being bought through a stockyards,pretty poor investment i think before you start to even getting any return on your investment.Some guys must be using cowboy math,to think it makes sense.

 

[burnt]

I'd be buying the 3-5 year old cows up here if I was looking to expand.

I'll agree with you there. I'd far sooner buy a younger bred cow than a heifer any day. It's always been around here (and I think most outfits) that once a cow gets bred with her second calf she'll likely be in the herd for as long as she's welcome. I'd not want to spend that kind of money just to pound them at the auction house in a years time.
Also, I'll admit to being a little on the lazy side and calving heifers tend to be a bit more work on average :wink:

I agree with you guys,that would be the day i spent $1300+ for a 550 pound heifer calf,feed her for the winter,pay pasture for the summer,and hope she actually breeds successfully,feed her for another winter and you get a calf to wean that fall and that she breeds back the 2nd time.2 years of investment on heifer calves being bought through a stockyards,pretty poor investment i think before you start to even getting any return on your investment.Some guys must be using cowboy math,to think it makes sense.

I'd say that those figures reflect the kind of optimism that prevailed north of the 49th before May 20, 2003.





Since then, not so much. :|

 

[3 M L & C]

I understand why a person wouldn't want to buy to many heifers and such a price, but aren't the heifers one holds back worth that same amount? How is it so crazy if a person could sell their own heifers for say 1200 and buy some better quality for 1400, you would have about the same amount extra invested for better quality as if you sold for 800 and bought some for 1000.

 

[gcreekrch]

I've never had that much optimism. :wink:

I prefer the cheap, wild, horned, off colour, small, and did I say cheap heifers or young cows. Bred black or red no one knows what a calf's momma looks like. :wink:

 

[SMN Herf]

Red Angus replacement quality heifer calves weighing 608 pounds, in Valentine last week brought $1475 per head.

Wow, I have a customer with a 100 head of F1 RWF heifers he has been trying to put a price on. He wants to private treaty them but I think that they should take them to the barn and let the buyers fight over them. Now if someone should offer that on the place, I think he would take it.

He also has about 400 F1 BWF heifers for sale too.

 

[Soapweed]

Red Angus replacement quality heifer calves weighing 608 pounds, in Valentine last week brought $1475 per head.

Wow, I have a customer with a 100 head of F1 RWF heifers he has been trying to put a price on. He wants to private treaty them but I think that they should take them to the barn and let the buyers fight over them. Now if someone should offer that on the place, I think he would take it.

He also has about 400 F1 BWF heifers for sale too.

I was $50 in error on that Red Angus replacement heifer report. They brought $1425, not the $1475 that I originally stated. Sorry for the mistake.

Yesterday I attended the Krebs 2013 Fall Round-Up Sale which features the best in Krebs Ranch genetics. This is the fourth year it has been held, and the third year I have attended. It is always a wonderful showcase of poppin' good black females, from several different consignors who all use bulls or females they have in the past purchased from the Krebs Ranch. There were 2200 head of outstanding females, including 900+ replacement quality heifer calves, 660+ bred heifers, 550+ young bred cows, 60 fall pairs, and a 100 head registered Angus dispersion from the Hytrek Cattle Company.

Heifer calves brought from $1225 to $1425, with most at around $1300. Bred heifers brought from $1850 to $2110, with most bringing the $2000 figure. I left during the young cow part of the sale, but the coming three and coming four year olds that I saw brought $2125 - $2175. It was a real good sale, and quality was top-of-the-line. I always enjoy admiring good cattle.

 

[LazyWP]

I've never had that much optimism. :wink:

I prefer the cheap, wild, horned, off colour, small, and did I say cheap heifers or young cows. Bred black or red no one knows what a calf's momma looks like. :wink:

This HAS to be the quote of the year!! Its a good thing more people don't think like that, or there wouldn't be any cheap ones out there.
It would be interesting to know how much each group of cattle that have been discussed on here, make out dollar wise. That would be prying way to deep into ones personal life, and with the varying style of management, I doubt you could get a real comparison. But it would be interesting.

 

[Soapweed]

I've never had that much optimism. :wink:

I prefer the cheap, wild, horned, off colour, small, and did I say cheap heifers or young cows. Bred black or red no one knows what a calf's momma looks like. :wink:

This HAS to be the quote of the year!! Its a good thing more people don't think like that, or there wouldn't be any cheap ones out there.
It would be interesting to know how much each group of cattle that have been discussed on here, make out dollar wise. That would be prying way to deep into ones personal life, and with the varying style of management, I doubt you could get a real comparison. But it would be interesting.

I have always thought a rancher should maintain two herds of cattle. One herd would be to take pride in and to promote, and have in a pasture along the county road where people can see them. The other herd would be the bargain basement specials that aren't too pretty, but the "money-making" type. No matter what livestock sale a person attends, you can always look back and think, "that little bunch of cattle was the bargain of the day. I should have bought them." I like to "bid responsibly." It only takes one bid. :wink: Let the hullaballoo get over with, and then if something looks to still be worth the money, bid late. Sometimes it works. :wink:

 

[Big Swede]

When prices get historically high like they are now you start hearing talk of selling out or way down and taking cattle in and buying back in at a later possibly lower price. In fact jigs was just talking about that very option. Does anyone else out there feel that way? Uncle Sam would have a hay day for one thing plus I would much rather have cows in the pasture than cash in the bank. The latest pasture rent on an AUM basis that I've heard are approaching 3 figures. :shock: Interesting times for sure.

 

[3words]

I understand why a person wouldn't want to buy to many heifers and such a price, but aren't the heifers one holds back worth that same amount? How is it so crazy if a person could sell their own heifers for say 1200 and buy some better quality for 1400, you would have about the same amount extra invested for better quality as if you sold for 800 and bought some for 1000.

Yes the ones you hold back are worth the same money,actually worth more in my eye's,but you know who the mother is and the father are,you know what they have done to improve your herd,you know what the other daughters have done off that cow to improve your herd.What do you know off that calf your buying from the stockyards?Why is she there?Did the owner say to himself,i don't want to keep any daughters off that cow,why?If thats what a person has to do to improve his herd is spend $200 to buy better quality heifers then thats what they have to do.I myself don't believe in that,your bulls are what make up 1/2 the genetics of that next years calf crop.I don't buy bulls just to make sure the cows are bred,when i buy bulls i'm constintally looking for what can he do to improve my cow herd in the future.And that is where the saying comes from,you can never buy heifers as good as the ones you can raise.And if you can,then it is time to look deeper into your herd and your bulls,and decide what you want to do to improve them,to get the quality you are wanting.

 

[katrina]

I understand why a person wouldn't want to buy to many heifers and such a price, but aren't the heifers one holds back worth that same amount? How is it so crazy if a person could sell their own heifers for say 1200 and buy some better quality for 1400, you would have about the same amount extra invested for better quality as if you sold for 800 and bought some for 1000.

Yes the ones you hold back are worth the same money,actually worth more in my eye's,but you know who the mother is and the father are,you know what they have done to improve your herd,you know what the other daughters have done off that cow to improve your herd.What do you know off that calf your buying from the stockyards?Why is she there?Did the owner say to himself,i don't want to keep any daughters off that cow,why?If thats what a person has to do to improve his herd is spend $200 to buy better quality heifers then thats what they have to do.I myself don't believe in that,your bulls are what make up 1/2 the genetics of that next years calf crop.I don't buy bulls just to make sure the cows are bred,when i buy bulls i'm constintally looking for what can he do to improve my cow herd in the future.And that is where the saying comes from,you can never buy heifers as good as the ones you can raise.And if you can,then it is time to look deeper into your herd and your bulls,and decide what you want to do to improve them,to get the quality you are wanting.

:nod:

 

[3 M L & C]

I agree you can raise better heifers. But you don't want to keep every heifer you raise, what if you want to expand or are like me and have a heifer replacement program and if you can sell those and for a little more buy some better quality then I don't see why the big deal about the higher price. The ones you are selling are bringing a super price also. The reason that heifers here are at the sale barn is because 1/3 to 1/2 of cattlemen around here don't keep breed or calve out heifers. They will buy them as pairs in the early spring. Another reason that there are good heifers for sale is because hey if they can sell them and get 150 more than their steers then maybe we will just sell this years heifers and try to get by one more year on the older cows.

 

[BRG]

Most of the orders that we have to buy these replacement heifers are from guys who will breed them and sell them next year as bred heifers. They do it every year, they know what their expenses are year after year and know what they need to break even on when they sell them. Nothing is different than years past, except their is more dollars. They are selling the heifers from last year right now as bred heifers and are having a nice profit with them and are hoping to do it again next year.

Their are exceptions, like this last group we got for a guy in KS. He has a herd of Black Angus and wants to start another herd of Red Angus, so he asked us to find him, what we thought were some of the better heifers around, and he was willing to pay a premium to get them.

 

[4Diamond]

open 9 wt hefs are bringing 12-1300 in my area so 18-2000 doesn't seem all that high for breds. Not saying I would give that though....

 

[RanchHeifers]

Latest Sales Data. Check out Heifer.PRO for more info.
Sale Dates Total Heifers Sold Average Price
Superior Livestock $1,659
9/27/2013 417
7/29/2013 192
8/21/2013 54
9/10/2013 1903
10/25/2013 40
11/8/2013 620
Northern Video $1,711
9/9/2013 1617
10/9/2013 50
St. Onge SD $1,913
11/2/2013 50
Valentine NE $2,030
10/21/2013 82
Western Livestock MT $1,635
11/1/2013 35
FT Pierre SD $1,779
10/26/2013 192
11/9/2013 90
Bassett NE $1,933
10/30/2013 126
Mobridge SD $1,955
11/2/2013 164
Western Video $1,571
11/1/2013 239
10/11/2013 450
9/9/2013 160
Torrington $1,949
11/1/2013 207
10/28/2013 84