The only 2 pictures I took yesterday, didn't take any today

[Soapweed]

A Wyoming Angus seedstock producer on the left, and our neighbor is on the right

Bred cow sale at the Sheridan Livestock Auction in Rushville, Nebraska on December 5th. The cows sold very well, with quite a few coming-first-calf-heifers bringing over $1300.

 

[the_jersey_lilly_2000]

That seedstock producer could by my banker's twin!!!!!

 

[efb]

Just some quick math off the top of my head. Lets say those $1,300 heifers produce you 7 calves ( no death loss) and you net $150 per calf ( have we ever made $150 net per calf for 7 straight years ?). That would be a gross profit of $1,050. We would then weigh the cows out at about $500 for a drop of $800 on the cow, leaving a net of $250 over 7 years on a $1,300 investment. Does'nt consider depreciation. Is that about it?

 

[RobertMac]

Just some quick math off the top of my head. Lets say those $1,300 heifers produce you 7 calves ( no death loss) and you net $150 per calf ( have we ever made $150 net per calf for 7 straight years ?). That would be a gross profit of $1,050. We would then weigh the cows out at about $500 for a drop of $800 on the cow, leaving a net of $250 over 7 years on a $1,300 investment. Does'nt consider depreciation. Is that about it?

Far too much common sense!!!! :wink:
Yet academia tells us we can't afford to raise our own? :? :???:

 

[the_jersey_lilly_2000]

Why would you only get 7 calves out of a cow? Most of our older cows are between 12 and 15 years old before we even concider sendin em to town.(there are the odd ones that get culled for a bad bag at 10 or 12 but not many) As long as they have a calf and can raise it right, they get to stay.

We only held back 13 heifers last year for replacements. I can guarantee you it won't cost us $1300 a piece to get em to the breeding age. Between hay, mineral, and vaccines it usually costs us about $200 per cow per year. Averages out to about the same for replacement heifers. Even tho they don't eat as much hay that first year as they do the second year. If you have the ground to raise em, I can't see where anyone would wanna go out and buy replacements, unless you were just tryin to improve your genetics with some new stock. But I"m a believer that choosin your bulls for your improvements is much more economical.

We had this discussion a long time ago on another board, I was criticized real bad for claiming that our expenses on our cows was impossible. It is possible...when you don't have any notes on new equipment....no land notes, no notes on your cows.....etc bale your own hay. When expenses are at a minimum it's very doable.

 

[randiliana]

$1300 bred heifers, that is about 300-500 more than anyone is seeing for heifers here. Just came home from a 'Select Bred and Replacement' heifer sale at the local sale barn. Prices ranged from $825 - $1125. Most were in the $850-$950 range. And most were pretty darn nice heifers.

 

[Denny]

I know I said I was'nt going to buy cows on another thread but the other day when I went to the sale the price of feeder cattle were up and I did'nt get any bought.I did however buy 2 bred heifers and 3 bred cows about 7 year old's for $552 a head the cows weighed 1340# average and the heifers were at 850#s.The cows were selling by the pound for kill.

 

[Jassy]

Why would you only get 7 calves out of a cow? Most of our older cows are between 12 and 15 years old before we even concider sendin em to town.(there are the odd ones that get culled for a bad bag at 10 or 12 but not many) As long as they have a calf and can raise it right, they get to stay.

We only held back 13 heifers last year for replacements. I can guarantee you it won't cost us $1300 a piece to get em to the breeding age. Between hay, mineral, and vaccines it usually costs us about $200 per cow per year. Averages out to about the same for replacement heifers. Even tho they don't eat as much hay that first year as they do the second year. If you have the ground to raise em, I can't see where anyone would wanna go out and buy replacements, unless you were just tryin to improve your genetics with some new stock. But I"m a believer that choosin your bulls for your improvements is much more economical.

We had this discussion a long time ago on another board, I was criticized real bad for claiming that our expenses on our cows was impossible. It is possible...when you don't have any notes on new equipment....no land notes, no notes on your cows.....etc bale your own hay. When expenses are at a minimum it's very doable.

For us...it's the terrain and climate that older cows can't handle...alot tuffer to survive on a daily basis...the average age of our spring herd is 9, and the fall herd is 7 as of now...sure we've got some old dire's that keep hanging on and do good, but we sure don't keep anything that is starting to go downhill...just my 2cents worth...

 

[the_jersey_lilly_2000]

Why would you only get 7 calves out of a cow? Most of our older cows are between 12 and 15 years old before we even concider sendin em to town.(there are the odd ones that get culled for a bad bag at 10 or 12 but not many) As long as they have a calf and can raise it right, they get to stay.

We only held back 13 heifers last year for replacements. I can guarantee you it won't cost us $1300 a piece to get em to the breeding age. Between hay, mineral, and vaccines it usually costs us about $200 per cow per year. Averages out to about the same for replacement heifers. Even tho they don't eat as much hay that first year as they do the second year. If you have the ground to raise em, I can't see where anyone would wanna go out and buy replacements, unless you were just tryin to improve your genetics with some new stock. But I"m a believer that choosin your bulls for your improvements is much more economical.

We had this discussion a long time ago on another board, I was criticized real bad for claiming that our expenses on our cows was impossible. It is possible...when you don't have any notes on new equipment....no land notes, no notes on your cows.....etc bale your own hay. When expenses are at a minimum it's very doable.

For us...it's the terrain and climate that older cows can't handle...alot tuffer to survive on a daily basis...the average age of our spring herd is 9, and the fall herd is 7 as of now...sure we've got some old dire's that keep hanging on and do good, but we sure don't keep anything that is starting to go downhill...just my 2cents worth...

I guess that would make a difference, to a certain extent....but we have a harsh climate in the summer time. But I guess it's not as harsh as the cold is for the cows up there. Plus our cows don't have near as far to walk to water, or grass. See.....ya can always learn somethin round here

 

[nr]

For us...it's the terrain and climate that older cows can't handle...alot tuffer to survive on a daily basis...the average age of our spring herd is 9, and the fall herd is 7 as of now...sure we've got some old dire's that keep hanging on and do good, but we sure don't keep anything that is starting to go downhill...just my 2cents worth...[/quote]
It's a wonder that doesn't apply to Nebraskan people. You must just get tougher and more ornery with age :wink:

 

[efb]

One of the first things to take a cow down is teeth. Sandy country is harder on their teeth. Some good cattle buyers can mouth them and tell you what kind of country they came from.

 

[CattleArmy]

The last of the original cows I was involved in purchasing as a much younger woman signing bank papers to buy sold this fall at 14 years old. As silly as this sounds it was a hard day to see the girls that gave us the start go to town because they were gummers. Some of them should have went to town earlier but were kept purly on my emotion and the little tiny bit of pull I think I have around here.