# To buy or not to buy heifers for the first time



## farmer97 (Oct 20, 2016)

I have been thinking about buying some heifers since the prices went in the outhouse hole. Was wandering if I should just buy some 500-600lbs calves or just buy bred heifers. I know they should be around 800lbs when you turn the bull out. I'm just thinking it would be a lower start up cost if I just bought the calves. I would need to buy hay this year but after that I have access to 50 acres of good alfalfa grass hay ground and MAYBE an extra 80 acres of grass if I can get it. Thinking 50-75 head depends on if I buy them bred or as calves.


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## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

Actually in my area anyway,with current prices on bred cows and feed, versus calf prices the cheaper option is buy the bred heifer. That's my area though. About 380 per ton feed and bred heifer price is around 700-1000. 600 lb calf will cost around 480 currently. 90 days on feed before the see a bull.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Like the old adage says, buy low sell high. Now would be a good time to buy.

Regards, Mike


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## Swv.farmer (Jan 2, 2016)

Buy bread cows. Keep them till spring sell cow and calf then Buy you some bread heifers.


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## farmer97 (Oct 20, 2016)

Yes, now is a good time to buy. Bred heifer prices are around $1000- 1700 and hay at $85-125 a ton (grass hay 85 and decent alfalfa 125) hay is a little higher then last year but corn is cheap and water is free IMO. Only thing I was thinking about on buying calves was sell some bred to pay them off quicker.


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## Waterway64 (Dec 2, 2011)

Older cows here are selling $100-$150 over slaughter price. Not the calving problems of heifers and will raise a better calf.


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## farmer97 (Oct 20, 2016)

I agree with buying older cows but there ain't that many that ain't solid or broken mouth even though they go for around $800 a head and I always hear they are a pain to keep maintained


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## farmer97 (Oct 20, 2016)

Waterway what part of west river you at?


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## Waterway64 (Dec 2, 2011)

I am 60 miles north of Rapid City.


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## farmer97 (Oct 20, 2016)

That's no mans land out there!


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## Waterway64 (Dec 2, 2011)

lol???? It's all in the perspective...


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## Colby (Mar 5, 2012)

If you're looking at buying that many head I would definantly be buying pairs. Faster return to pay them off. You'll be sitting on open heifers for 15-18 months at least before you see any kind of return on them.


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## farmer97 (Oct 20, 2016)

I might just go and buy yearlings in the spring since their is going to be a pasture 5 miles away up for rent. Bred heifers just went up a little this week with them averaging around the $1300. Still not as bad to buy in at. Whatever ideas you guys got I'm willing to consider.


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

Don't know how experienced you are about cattle but I don't bank on rental ground 'coming up for rent'. I snatch the lease before I buy the animals.


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

Ranchers whose cow herd begins calving in winter and who hold over heifers for breeding and sale as bred heifers begin breeding season possibly in April and keep the bulls with the cows for 2 - 3 months. At the beginning of breeding season, their held over heifers are about 14 -15 months old. If you could find someone who has held over the number of heifers you are wanting, offer to pay that person a premium that s/he cannot resist to buy these yearling heifers before breeding season. Then find three virgin bulls with EPDs for low birth weight, calving ease, and high weaning weight numbers and turn these in with the heifers. With this approach you can avoid the cost of a lot of hay, mineral, and labor of feeding cattle through your tough winter. In late winter, I'm betting prices will still be low compared to a couple of years ago. You will have to wait 1.5+ years for sale of calves, or you could sell these purchased animals as bred heifers or cow/calf pairs to turn a profit, all the while having to purchase minimal hay and, if you have secured the grass/alfalfa rental land you indicated will come available, you will have grazing to use rotationally.

This is one approach. Or, in your area, you could attempt to purchase fall-calving bred heifers next spring so that you could sell calves the following summer at better prices than occur in fall. This would possibly allow you to make your own hay (or hired haying of your own grass/alfalfa) rather than purchase it. Anything that would save you the cost of purchasing hay. In the end, you have to make the bets on which approach will be best for you.

You may be wondering what does a Texan know about your winters. My wife and I spent 13.5 wonderful years in southern Montana (Bozeman and Billings areas), as far north in Montana as originally south Texans should dare go and still survive the winters. I'll never forget that, while working and attending MSU in Bozeman, a government employee and his wife moved to Bozeman from Texas in the middle of winter. His accent gave him away, so I asked him how he liked Bozeman. His response was, "If I could have gotten either of our cars started outside the motel, we would have headed back home the next morning."


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## G&GFarms (Dec 31, 2014)

I say buy some bred heifers. Right now prices are low and if you can have a calf on the ground sooner than later it's a good thing. Even if you have to buy some hay you will not have to wait to get started getting a return on your investment. First things first put a pencil to it numbers never lie. One more better figure on low calf prices then if it goes the other way you just come out a whole lot better. Well Best Wishes Farming is a tough Science.


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## azmike (Jan 4, 2015)

Just got back from a "cattle drive"--picked up 10 long bred (2nd & 3rd trimester) Angus & Brangus heifers. Good price, great background AWFUL drive (40 miles of Phoenix city traffic then Tucson too). The bovine beauties had just enough extra room in the stock trailer to wiggle causing that fun feeling steering the truck!!


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

Sounds good!

Heifers are at a very reasonable price here. Hay supplies are short, people close to retirement are selling out and just not much money out there right now.

If a person does not mind calving heifers, it is a buyers market.


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## 2ndWindfarm (Nov 11, 2014)

Waterway64 said:


> I am 60 miles north of Rapid City.


I hunted antelope in that part of the state many years ago. Was hatched out in Brule county and lived most of my years in SD in Lyman county. Still have family there that are cow-calf people.

I'm wondering about your objective? Are you looking for a quick profit and turnaround on the heifers and their calves or are you looking to get your foot in the door as a lower cost startup for a cow-calf operation?

IMO - those are 2 different business propositions. Quick turnaround on the stock - look for a dispersal sale and buy some older bred cows.

Foot in the door startup - buy those cheap bred heifers.

Another 98 cents will get ya a cheap cup of coffee!


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## farmer97 (Oct 20, 2016)

Been thinking it over and I think I'm going to start small and work my way up. I would like to be in it for the long haul. I'm going to keep my town job just to pay for my living expenses.

And yes $0.98 would get me a cheap cup of coffee, or 2.


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## Romey (Apr 12, 2015)

Thought I would give my observation and a field man rep and auctioneer
The best deals I have seen as of right now are in older bred or paired cattle. The cattle prices are likely to stay flat through the rest of the year and I personally expect them to go lower.

I did I planning projection for 2017 that would scare hell out of folks. When I showed it to some folks that trust my cattle management its been " well your full of good news arent you"

I personally wouldnt be bothering buying commercial heifers, Id be darn careful to know anything you buy gets high gain values. Put less labor out and get them working for you.

When the market was bad last fall I personally still made money on the older cow pairs where I brought the pair back in August (predicting the price to drop in Oct) and selling the cow off as butcher. Had I waited till fall this wouldnt have happened...

Now *IS* the time to build a herd or do some hardculling practices and improve a herd. Get your cattle working for you and not working for your cattle.


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## farmer97 (Oct 20, 2016)

Romey said:


> Thought I would give my observation and a field man rep and auctioneer
> The best deals I have seen as of right now are in older bred or paired cattle. The cattle prices are likely to stay flat through the rest of the year and I personally expect them to go lower.
> 
> I did I planning projection for 2017 that would scare hell out of folks. When I showed it to some folks that trust my cattle management its been " well your full of good news arent you"
> ...


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## farmer97 (Oct 20, 2016)

Well said sir


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## azmike (Jan 4, 2015)

Our 10 long bred heifers have had problems. Out of the 4 births so far 2 have been still born as in dead. The vet has several ideas, leaning towards STD's, but we are waiting results from the UofA lab as we took in a dead calf and placenta. The UofA vet said the calf was OK and will get results this week on the heifer. The latest live birth was two days ago.

This is more deaths than we had in 45 plus calves on the farm. I get the smart guy ribbon for keeping them at the ranch and separated from the herd. The two survivors are pretty small angus, the dead ones were fast births (1 hour) with us pulling another. These were over 70 pounds but no delivery troubles to speak of. 6 more left but we are getting very flinchy!

Makes us not want to buy other ranch breedings!


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