heath
New Member
Posts: 2
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Post by heath on Dec 18, 2010 21:13:02 GMT -5
I was wondering how the BW crosses sell. At the stockyards here even when they specify they are BW's and not long horns, they still only sell for a little more. I bought some heifers to grow out, because they were cheap. They put on wgt. good and are keeping up with some charlais heifers I also have. I was just curious. I've thought about keeping them as replacement heifers, but if I can only get little more than longhorn prices, it won't be worth it to me. Heath
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Post by larry on Jan 2, 2011 20:15:21 GMT -5
Heath, Your question of "how well do BW cattle sell" leads to the question-are you talking fats or feeders. My experience with fats are that they sell the same as any other beef animal if they have the same quality. On several occasions I have split a pot with black hided animals and we were both paid the same. Feeder calves are another story. Some places in the country they bring a premium to other breeds and other places they take a discount. Premiums sales are usually a result of promotion by the seller (print off the carcass data and scatter it around the salebarn / stockyard). Around here not many feeder calves make it to the salebarn as they are sold directly from the farm to the feed yards.
BW cattle have a dominant color pattern. The problem is that color does not denote purity. I have seen perfectly marked animals that were only 1/8 pure and solid black animals that are 15/16 purebreds. With crossbred animals, the BW is only one half of the calf (or less). The other breed in the cross can make a big difference. Our experience in collecting carcass data is that the purebred fats were the most consistant and had the better carcass. The other situation with feeders is that in order to get the better prices you need numbers. Usually 2 head will not bring as much as 40 head.
The most important part of feeder and fat beef cattle is QUALITY regardless of breed. I have had nothing but BW for the last 25 years. You just can't find a better cow and I love the disposition of cows and bulls.
Hope this answers your question.
Larry
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heath
New Member
Posts: 2
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Post by heath on Jan 4, 2011 21:08:37 GMT -5
I've decided to keep a couple of the heifers and see how their calves sell at weaning, since I don't keep back to feed out. Their disposition isn't a factor to me, I work horseback and with dogs and can handle pretty much anything but habitual fence jumpers, I haul their second time . Heath
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