I need to sell 4 heifers and not sure how much to ask ?

horsepoor21 · #1 10/02/10, 04:44 PM

We've never sold cows before but I really need to sell 4 yearling heifers so we can get my husband's pickup fixed .

We've got two black angus girls , one black baldy , and the last is a jersey/hereford . She is super sweet and might make someone a good milk cow in the future ?

All have been out to pasture with a black angus bull all summer but haven't been preg tested .

I can't just take them to the sale barn as we only own a two horse trailer right now and they won't fit .LOL

So I have them listed on craigslist right now asking folks to make an offer but I want to make sure I don't get a bad deal either .

I live in the North Eastern corner of Montana if that helps any .

Thankyou so much for your help !!!!!

FEF · #2 10/02/10, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by horsepoor21

We've never sold cows before but I really need to sell 4 yearling heifers so we can get my husband's pickup fixed .

We've got two black angus girls , one black baldy , and the last is a jersey/hereford . She is super sweet and might make someone a good milk cow in the future ?

All have been out to pasture with a black angus bull all summer but haven't been preg tested .

I can't just take them to the sale barn as we only own a two horse trailer right now and they won't fit .LOL

So I have them listed on craigslist right now asking folks to make an offer but I want to make sure I don't get a bad deal either .

I live in the North Eastern corner of Montana if that helps any .

Thankyou so much for your help !!!!!

Search online for the sale barn nearest you. Most of them will have some sale results online. See what heifers like yours, weight, color, age, are selling for. Use that as a starting point to figure what yours are worth. If yours have had vaccinations, are bred, home raised, gentle, etc., they can be worth more than the ones going through the sale barn. Are the Angus registered? That can add value, too.

francismilker · #3 10/02/10, 08:37 PM

If you have a way to lure/load/trick a couple of them into the two-horse trailer, you might take the two of them to the sale one week and see what they bring. If the price is acceptable to you the other two can make the trip the next week.

I can promise you putting them on CL and saying "make offer" will bring out some dollar figures you won't be too proud of.

Tom in TN · #4 10/02/10, 09:37 PM

Horsepoor,

I live in Middle TN so the market is undoubtedly different from yours in Montana. A black Angus yearling heifer would commonly weigh around 700 lbs. I just sold a couple of cows and a heifer this past week. I received $.71 per pound gross for the yearling, and then of course I had to pay commission, yard fee, insurance, and beef check-off. Those fees totaled about $18.00 each for the three head that I sold.

I might add, by the way, it's not always good to have yearlings running with a bull. They are physically able to get pregnant, but they are too immature to carry the calf well to birth. I separate my yearlings from the herd and hold them away from the bull until they are at least 16 months (and preferably 18 months) old before I allow them into the herd with the bull.

Good luck with your marketing.

Tom in TN

horsepoor21 · #5 10/03/10, 12:01 AM

Sorry , I call them yearlings because they're not two yet but they're two in February , and they've been with the bull for two months now .

I got an offer for the Jersey/Hereford for $800 , I thought that was pretty good ?

I would love to take them to the sale barn and just be done with it but they physically will not fit in the two horse , the bar that holds the two doors in the middle keeps the wide loads from fitting thru , can't even fit a bit horse in there ..... Saving up for a stock trailer though ! LOL

Thankyou everyone for your help ! I sure appreciate it !

Creamers · #6 10/03/10, 06:32 PM

Sounds like a great offer on the J/H Cross.

Oxankle · #7 10/03/10, 09:12 PM

I breed my heifers to calve at 22 months to 24 months. The earlier a cow calves the longer she will live and be productive. Cows that calve late do not work out as well, according to the resident "Webster on Cattle" in this little town. I have come to believe he is right.

Adequate early nutrition, so that the heifer weighs around 700 pounds at breeding and keeps growing thru her pregnancy, is important.