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keep heifers or buy cows

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    #16
    I have been looking at this as well. Bred cows are 1300-1400 and heifers are 7-900. I can't see the advantage if I'm paying an extra 5-700 up front(about what the calf will bring if I have 100% calving rate). Either way, I'm waiting on the next calf to pay off. What am I missing here??

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      #17
      Are you going to offer day hunts?

      (sorry....my bad)

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        #18
        Calving out first calf heifers can be a challenge.
        you have to be able to watch them everyday.
        we are doing it now, and it can be a real pain.

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          #19
          Keep them. Cheaper

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            #20
            Sell and buy is what I have been doing.

            I would suggest if you buy bread cows to make sure you know what kind of bull they were bread too. I bought some bread cows and lost one because the calf was too big to even pull.

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              #21
              Originally posted by BrianL View Post
              I have been looking at this as well. Bred cows are 1300-1400 and heifers are 7-900. I can't see the advantage if I'm paying an extra 5-700 up front(about what the calf will bring if I have 100% calving rate). Either way, I'm waiting on the next calf to pay off. What am I missing here??
              A lot less risk of loosing a calf or worse calf and momma during birth.

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                #22
                Originally posted by Stolle View Post
                A lot less risk of losing a calf or worse calf and momma during birth.
                The further I get into this, the more options of ways to not lose "AS MUCH" money seem to be the only options I get!

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                  #23
                  I use to be the one to promote the sell them and buy cows routine.

                  After my last batch i bought from an individual I have decided just to keep all of the heifers and raise them up. I know what there momma was and i know the history. For me its not necessarily about the most cost effective but the most trouble free.

                  Now if i know the history on the cattle then i would suggest buying a set of bred cows.

                  But if it was me i would keep the heifers until i found a set i was comfortable with.

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                    #24
                    Originally posted by Stolle View Post
                    A lot less risk of loosing a calf or worse calf and momma during birth.
                    Ill take my chance with a set of first time heifers calving over a set of unknown cows any day.

                    Biggest problem with heifers is getting them to cycle reliably unless you shoot them up. If you do it naturally you are liable to have some that wont cycle as quick as other then you have your calving season spread out over 6 months.
                    Last edited by dclifton; 07-11-2018, 11:05 AM.

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                      #25
                      If you've got into the cattle industry to make money fast, heifers probably not the deal. If in it for purebred programs like me, I would rather keep them good heifers and breed them at 21 months old and have a great cow/calf at 2 1/2 years old that will breed right back.
                      Of course if someone offers too much money for a few, they are all for sale! I've got too much time and money invested in a program to sell all my heifers.
                      Beefmasters, after all it's about the number of pounds that's hitting the scales in the shortest time possible.

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                        #26
                        Bovine noob here. Good info. Thanks All for sharing.

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                          #27
                          Sell and buy-

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                            #28
                            Originally posted by dclifton View Post
                            I use to be the one to promote the sell them and buy cows routine.

                            After my last batch i bought from an individual I have decided just to keep all of the heifers and raise them up. I know what there momma was and i know the history. For me its not necessarily about the most cost effective but the most trouble free.

                            Now if i know the history on the cattle then i would suggest buying a set of bred cows.

                            But if it was me i would keep the heifers until i found a set i was comfortable with.
                            That's my opinion, too, since I know my property is long term. I am so tired of paying $1500+ for heifers and after a year I only have half because of genetic health issues or they didn't breed. The last set of 8 I bought I only have 4 left. One shed a calf at 4 months and didn't rebreed, 1 ran through my pens, 1 didn't breed at all, and one's hooves disintegrated due to severe screw claw. Literally fell apart like wet chalk.

                            Out of the 4 that remain - one rebreeds late (as in every 14-16 months, not 11-12 months) and she is a dangerous witch when she has a calf. I'll be selling her soon. So 3 years after buying these 8, I'm down to 3 that are worth the money I paid. And that's just one set that I've bought in the last 4 years. We won't talk about the other set.

                            From the 10 heifers I've kept over the last 6 years, only 1 was sold because she didn't breed. The rest are healthy, rebreed quickly, grow a good calf and are docile.

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                              #29
                              Originally posted by dclifton View Post
                              Ill take my chance with a set of first time heifers calving over a set of unknown cows any day.

                              Biggest problem with heifers is getting them to cycle reliably unless you shoot them up. If you do it naturally you are liable to have some that wont cycle as quick as other then you have your calving season spread out over 6 months.


                              I agree with you, but I don’t have the time to check on calving heifers every day.

                              My best experience lately was from a heard of pairs and bread cows I bought that were on the same bull. I had zero issues with calving and could continue to check them 1-2 times per week.

                              I’m sure I’ll try raising heifers, but I’ll have to be retired first.


                              Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

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                                #30
                                I've never sold any for more than I've paid to buy any. I just raise mine.

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