# Short term cows



## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

What is your view on buying short term cows. I am going to look as 35 head of probably 8 or 9 year old cows on Saturday. These cows have been run on the Red Desert of Wyoming; I will be putting my cows on irrigated pasture next summer, so I will have soft feed for them to eat. He is asking 900 per head, but I was thinking starting at 750, but not going over 30k. I would like some opinions here,

Thanks in advance.

Jay


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

Short term is in how long are you planning to keep them. I have done short term for as little as four months. Usually old bred cull cows. Buy them for one bid over packer price. Let them have a calf. Raise the calf till its old enough to wean and when the cull cow prices start to climb. Sell cow and run calf on pasture over the summer. If it works out i can get a 300 pound calf for under $100 in cost.


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## StxPecans (Mar 3, 2018)

I would be more inclined if it is a old herd. Less so if putting together from auction. I would also only buy bred and if there is one or 2 fatter than the rest of the herd maybe pass on those, maybe they did not raise a calf last crop. Just have to realize these cows may only be worth .30 -.40 cwt down the road.

Not sure about cattle ran on wyoming dessert but 8-9 probably have good teeth.
Infact wad checking the teeth on some cows of my dad that we raised and branded year on hip. 15 year old cow still had all her teeth little worn but i dint think the teeth are whats going to slow her down. 
She was slow to breed back and getting fat so we shipped her out. Pretty common on our herd. Guess it has to do with diet and grass avalibilty?


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## lcjaynes (Jul 25, 2014)

I've sat through three meetings lately on the beef outlook that says cull cow prices are going in the tank throughout 2019 because there are too many dairies going out of business, so lots of culls.


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

Most years there probably would be money to be made by buying short term cows, calving them out, and dumping cows after calves are old enough to wean. This year doesn't look like one of them. Cull markets are a little low and I don't think are going to get better very soon. To much beef on the market, plus to much cheap feed so slaughter cattle will get fed longer and many cattle will be put on feed that normally would have went straight to slaughter.

It really depends on what you plan to do with them. If your looking to make quick money it might be alright. If your trying to build your herd, my advise is to spend some extra money and buy good young cattle right away. When i started out I raised some of my cows from Dads herd which were good ones, I also bought some cheap heifers thinking it was a deal, and I bought some nice ones that cost a little more. THose cheap ones I wish I'd never seen.


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

There is a lot of truth in what you guys are saying, I think I am go back to my original plan and buy younger cows.


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## StxPecans (Mar 3, 2018)

I would buy quality from a reliable source. If you can find a young cow 3 in 1 even better. If she has good BCS with calf on side and bred, well shes probably going to be a good cow. Just look at the tits real good but if she has bad tits it my not be as easy to see as when she firat calves. I wish I did this when I put a herd together. Its expensive culling cows out.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I would not buy any 8 year old cows with the market the way it is. At least not above weigh price.

I do not know how it is for the rest of North America but prices are pretty tough around here.


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

Tim/South said:


> I would not buy any 8 year old cows with the market the way it is. At least not above weigh price.
> 
> I do not know how it is for the rest of North America but prices are pretty tough around here.


Weigh ups are selling between 40 cents to 50 cents per pound here. I cancelled my meeting for tomorrow; I am going to buy younger cows.


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