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Central, IA | I pondered the same question in Dec when we sold our calves. I ended up keeping 10 of my own back, prices on feeders and breds were not quite as high then either.
I just can't get myself to pull trigger and buy bred heifers. When I keep my own, I know what I have, know the dams and the sires, can handle them the way I want, breed them the way I want. I figure if I make a mistake on them and it doesn't go my way, I have no one to blame but myself.
I watched some bred heifers to calve in March sell the other day for $1,400 to 1,550 and there was not a one of them in the groups that I would have wanted to bring home. One big group seemed really wild, and the other seemd really small for me (weighed 950 or less 8 months bred). The "good" ones I have seen sell in Central, Ia this year have been $1,700 plus.
I know it takes 2 years to get a calf on the ground. But I know I don't have that much money tied up in raising them, and if I loose a calf. I'm not out as much.
That's just my opinion, and how I rationalize what I am trying to do with my herd when it comes time to keep or sell them. | |
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Keep Heifers or Sell ???
