# Heifer Prices



## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I went to a bred heifer sale today. 505 heifers sold. It was a keeping kind yearly sale. The very best sold in the $4K range. None were sold as papered, just nice bred heifers. They sold in groups of 2 - 7. A dozen singles sold at the end. I bid on some groups but did not want them as dearly as the competition.

Average price ended up being $2587.

I have seen registered heifers sale online for more. In our area today's prices were good for nice Angus Cross commercial heifers.

Never thought I would see a commercial heifer sell for 4K.


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

I should have shipped to you got 2.14 for 630# hef. Avg 1440$ for all calves


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## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

And to think that I loaded pretty much all of mine on a truck in 2013. Makes me ill. 
I know several cattle buyers that were all hoping that they would see 2 dollar cattle before they quit. Their wish has been granted I think. I cant believe that people are actually paying those prices.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

We sold some calves last week, culled heifer calves and some bull calves, all weaned on the trailer. Prices are so good right now I did not want to risk weaning and steering the bull calves. It has been dry here until this week and the pasture these calves we on was about to get thin. I had to do a double take when I looked at the check. (Did not stay and watch them sell, got a text about Army Worms). Best prices we have ever received.

I have the next bunch set up to wean, cut and vaccinate.

There are a few farms around here who use sexed semen and breed for the heifer replacement market. Looks like it paid off. The 505 bred commercial heifers totaled $1,306,697. There was a lot of buyers, standing room only.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

It is fun to listen and watch an auction.

A couple sitting in front of us was bidding on a group of 4 really nice heifers, 7 months bred. The price was 4 times the money. He was still in until he asked if the price was for the group or each? He almost paid 16K for 4 heifers. Someone else did.

I was on the cat walk before the sale and a guy I know told me it was not fair how some heifers were rated A-1 and some that looked just as good were not. It took me a minute to figure out the heifers were A.I. (artificial inseminated).


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

That's funny Tim.....a person can get a education at a auction real fast.....albeit expensive too....but that will leave a very lasting impression.

Regards, Mike


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## Chessiedog (Jul 24, 2009)

Sounds like neither one of them should have been at that auction .


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

Chessiedog said:


> Sounds like neither one of them should have been at that auction .


The couple ended up buying a group of 4 heifers that went for about half of the ones he first bid on.

The guy on the cat walk just does not understand a lot about how the cattle market works. He is a nice guy, stops by here a couple times a year to ask a question.

I sold a nice group of weaned, vaccinated, creep fed steers last fall. First time I had gotten my ducks in a row and put a bunch together. They sold well.

I saw the guy a few days later and he asked me how much ear tags cost? He said he wanted the orange kind like I had because my calves sold real good.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Gotta be the ear tags.


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## Colby (Mar 5, 2012)

It's crazy for sure... Here the big thing is Brahman influenced heifers. We get offers on our Hereford x Brahman "golden certified" heifers for 1800-2000 of the cow. But we are holding on to everything this time and going to stick them in a sell this fall. 
We have a handful of branvieh x Brahman heifers that we are selling as pairs this spring and right now we are expecting 4k a pair and the price will probably go up.

Don't get me started on registered Brahman heifers. They're worth their weight in gold here today.


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## Colby (Mar 5, 2012)

Took some yellow calves off of some braford cows to the sell barn yesterday and they had a set of 4 commercial Brahman heifers, pretty decent heifers, they'd make cows just nothing show ring fancy, 12 months old and they brought 2725 a pop.


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## treymo (Dec 29, 2013)

Why are Brahman influence selling so well? In this part of the feedlot world not many buyers will even think of taking them. I didn't have any idea there would be a demand for them anywhere in this country. 
Trey


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Gotta be what works regionally.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

I just looked at some Brahman pics. Not gonna find anything that looks anything like that around here.


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## Colby (Mar 5, 2012)

treymo said:


> Why are Brahman influence selling so well? In this part of the feedlot world not many buyers will even think of taking them. I didn't have any idea there would be a demand for them anywhere in this country.
> Trey


Gotta have Brahman influence cattle to survive down here. They tough cattle and last a long time. We have 8-12 year old cows that are still breeding. Angus and Hereford cows don't last near that long.


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## Colby (Mar 5, 2012)

I'll have to take some pics of some of our cattle.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

Brahman are more heat and insect resistant than other breeds of cattle.

Back when most of the feed lots were in cattle country i.e. Texas, the Brahman influence did well in the Texas heat.

Later some investors decided it was easier to build feedlots in corn country and ship the cattle there. The Brahman did not do as well in cold weather.

Here the buyers will take a some "ear" (Brahman influence) on the calves going through the sale. Too much ear and they take longer to feed out. Brahman are not generally as stocky as other beef breeds.

They will put a lot of leg on the other breeds. The Charbray (Charolais x Brahman), Braford (Brahman x Hereford) and Brangus momma cows grow big calves and make good mommas.

Pure Brahman cattle are a bit high strung for my liking. You can lead them anywhere. Trying to herd them is akin to herding cats.


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## Colby (Mar 5, 2012)

Tim/South said:


> Brahman are more heat and insect resistant than other breeds of cattle.
> Back when most of the feed lots were in cattle country i.e. Texas, the Brahman influence did well in the Texas heat.
> Later some investors decided it was easier to build feedlots in corn country and ship the cattle there. The Brahman did not do as well in cold weather.
> Here the buyers will take a some "ear" (Brahman influence) on the calves going through the sale. Too much ear and they take longer to feed out. Brahman are not generally as stocky as other beef breeds.
> ...


You're right Tim. They can't take the cold weather and Brahman cows are what Produces replacement heifers. 
Ours group well, with about 6 rough cur dogs and horses, they go right to the pens


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## Colby (Mar 5, 2012)

Here's one of our braunbray heifers (branvieh x Brahman) 
These heifers will out do any tigers tripe heifer. 
This one is 9 months old. Look at the body depth. Look at the bone on this heifer. She'll make one hell of a cow and their bags last years longer than braford cows. That's what I like about them. 
Very few people know what these are and the ones that do know what they're worth.


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## bluefarmer (Oct 10, 2010)

Friend of mine sold a pot load this morning, weighing [email protected] 2.02 Lb


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

An 820 lb exposed black Brangus yearling heifer brought $182.50 at the Emory Livestock Auction two weeks ago. With good grass availability, our recently fence-line weaned calves are being back grounded in preparation for the November Northeast Texas Beef Improvement Organization sale. The 35 calves (including 8 keeper heifers) temporarily are receiving a couple of sm sq bales of alfalfa while on grass pasture. With the continuing poor haying window, I may put these calves on our 8 ac of alfalfa for a couple of weeks, realizing that the alfalfa needs about three weeks of growth before our normal mid-November first frost date.

I'll feed them bloat-guard a few days ahead of turning them into the alfalfa and continue this while grazing, fill them with hay just before turning them into the alfalfa, and watch them for bloat. What are your experiences with grazing calves on alfalfa?


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## 3srcattleco (Apr 24, 2014)

Bought a load of what seem to be really nice commercial angus heifer pairs. Were bred to Hereford. Baldy calves. 3850 gate cut. They are a lil high headed should calm down good when they get used to the feed truck. 10 lbs of ddg and corn gluten a day should help them like me more.


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## JMT (Aug 10, 2013)

3srcattleco said:


> Bought a load of what seem to be really nice commercial angus heifer pairs. Were bred to Hereford. Baldy calves. 3850 gate cut. They are a lil high headed should calm down good when they get used to the feed truck. 10 lbs of ddg and corn gluten a day should help them like me more.


Pairs and bred back?


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## 3srcattleco (Apr 24, 2014)

No just heifer pairs. Just calved.


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## 1oldphart (Aug 20, 2014)

Planted a 30 acre pasture to a 5 clover perm pasture mix. when it was about a foot taLL I turned 20 650 pound steers into the field. the best ones started dropping within an hour. I lost 6 within a few min. had one hell of a time chasing the rest out. they were content to eat themselves dead. now I hay heavy legume fields and put the cattle on right after hay pickup...


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