Highland pricing

[Brooks WV]

Ahhh, the age old question... how much is it worth????

I've been keeping my eyes open for decent animals for sale near me, and saw this guy pop up.


He is 16 months old, comes from a good line (he was AI and has been DNA typed). The guy that has him runs a pretty small operation.

Soooo... the fella is asking $1200 for him and $1200 for a bred cow. I realize that's "asking", but this being my first purchase, I don't want to offend, but I don't want to over pay.

What do you think...?

~Mark

[lasergrl]

That is average for registered stock in my area. I have a non papered dehorned open cow and Im asking $900 for her.

[Brooks WV]

Originally Posted by lasergrl

That is average for registered stock in my area. I have a non papered dehorned open cow and Im asking $900 for her.

Seems to be in-line with what I've been able to find online...and there isn't much out there, at least with prices listed! Being that they're close to me, I save ~$200-300 or more in fuel cost to get "cheaper" animals.

I'm going to look at them on Thursday, and hopefully, will have my first two Highlands

~Mark

[trbizwiz]

There is a lot of value in patronizing a neighbor for your first stock. They are more willing to share useful information with you. THey might be able to lead you to varied genetics from other area breeders too in the future. breeders of these specialty breeds seem to know each other.

[lasergrl]

You could ask if he would give a discount if you buy two. I wouldnt state a certain price but it doesnt hurt to ask.

[lakeportfarms]

A better photo would be helpful, but in the absence of one look carefully at the feet. Highlands have a tendency to grow hooves more quickly than they wear down, especially in certain soil conditions. However, as trbizwiz said, having somebody that will help you starting out is a great resource, especially if their stock is of high quality.

[oregon woodsmok]

He looks pretty nice to me. At least from the front. I can't see how level his back is or the size of his hams.

The straight back leg gives promise. If the rest of him is as nice I would consider it a fair price for a herd bull. That's a lot cheaper than a good Angus bull.

However, if he is a steer, than whatever he weighs times market price is what I'd pay.

I'm not so sure I'd want a bull with horns.

[Brooks WV]

Thanks for the input!

He comes from a good line, I've seen his sire on several other animals in other locations (he was an AI).

He's not a steer. As for the horns, they certainly can be dangerous if you are careless. The breed tend to be quite docile (even bulls) and the horns really help them forage through snow and brush. I plan to leave the horns until there is cause to remove them. One of the benefits of this particular group is that they've been hand raised, and as it's a small fold, they all get plenty of human attention. I think that goes a long way in mitigating an intentional attack with the horns. There will always be the risk of unintentional injury.

[lakeportfarms]

Don't make friends with your bull. Make sure they respect you. They have a job to do and that's all. We have Highland cows that we can hug, sit on, and when we call come to lick us, so I understand the desire to have docile and friendly ones despite the horns, but our bull is intentionally trained to run away if we raise both our hands and shout. Are you sure you want a bull with only one (already bred) cow right now?

[Brooks WV]

Originally Posted by lakeportfarms

Don't make friends with your bull. Make sure they respect you. They have a job to do and that's all. We have Highland cows that we can hug, sit on, and when we call come to lick us, so I understand the desire to have docile and friendly ones despite the horns, but our bull is intentionally trained to run away if we raise both our hands and shout. Are you sure you want a bull with only one (already bred) cow right now?

If the bull is trained to run from you, what if you unintentionally come upon him one day in the corner of the pasture or an area he may not be able to flee? I would imaging if he were spooked and couldn't flee what he fears, he may decide he has to attack. Or, at best, he will go through the fence.

I understand heirarchal behavior in animals, and the need to be seen as Alpha. I'm not sure that warrants an induced flight response to achieve. He's been halter trained, and is handle daily- I cannot be certain, but I would estimate that the current owner doesn't allow himself to be dragged about by the animal. Also found out the cow is NOT bred- but for an additional fee...!

While I'm not looking at the animal(s) as a pet, or on equal ground to me, I think there is a medium that can be met with a properly trained bull (or any intact animal). We have intact boar pigs that are very docile; to the point they roll to their backs for belly scratching when we approach. They will push each other around for dominance, but from a young age, I established my place by pinning them against the pen wall until they sqealed in surrender. Just as they do to the other pigs.

Certainly, there are many ways to raise animals and each have individual personalities that negate broad-brush techniques. I will be going to look them over on Thursday. If there's the slightest hint of aggression, we'll look elsewhere for a younger bull that we can influence.

Thanks for the insight!

PS- Lakeport: enjoyed your blog photos, especially Shamrock Mike! If he were a big more shaggy around the neck, he'd look just like a Bison.

[lakeportfarms]

Thanks for the compliment on Mike...he's a great Dexter bull, and sired the multi time(4 or 5 times, I think) National Champion Dexter cow Wieringa's Paula MD. Both he, and our Highland bull are friendly enough that we can approach them, and we feed them apples all the time, so they are not skittish around people. However, we (at least act as though we) are in charge, and they believe it. I wouldn't want to be a stranger walking in our pasture however, and we don't put them in positions where they have no choice but to run through/over you to escape.
Mike is only 39" at the hip (but he's all of 1100 lbs) and a chondro carrier. That helps a lot when they look up at you, rather than eye to eye. Bulls are certainly manageable trained properly (and handled properly), but you can never really let your guard down when they are nearby. Just be careful, that's all !

[Brooks WV]

Originally Posted by lakeportfarms

...However, we (at least act as though we) are in charge, and they believe it.

...and in the animal kingdom, perception is 99% of reality!

I think we're on the same page; you can never trust with 100% certainty that an animal will behave a certain way. We do our best to treat all our animals with kindness and respect, and almost always get it back.

On another Highland note- Does anyone know where to get hides tanned? I read that there's a special process for a Highland hide.

[lonelyfarmgirl]

I wouldn't be overly concerned about his horns. Removing them as an adult is cruel. If you have any inkling of doing it, buy a polled breed. Highlands are usually docile or flighty. we have only ran across one openly aggressive animal and it was a cow just after giving birth. We shipped her and I bottle raised her bull calf. He is my 'hairy goat' buddy.

As far as price, 1200 for a registered purebred of any breed is about average. Would I pay that? HECK NO!
One dollar a pound live weight is the average price for a beef animal. Highlands grow slow and don't get huge, so from a meat viewpoint, that price is way too high. The most I have ever paid for a highland was 675. That was each for a group of three. I bought another group for 500 each and another group for 435 each. Buy low, sell high. How bad do you want him?

My 2cents.

[Brooks WV]

Originally Posted by lonelyfarmgirl

I wouldn't be overly concerned about his horns. Removing them as an adult is cruel. If you have any inkling of doing it, buy a polled breed. Highlands are usually docile or flighty. we have only ran across one openly aggressive animal and it was a cow just after giving birth. We shipped her and I bottle raised her bull calf. He is my 'hairy goat' buddy.

As far as price, 1200 for a registered purebred of any breed is about average. Would I pay that? HECK NO!
One dollar a pound live weight is the average price for a beef animal. Highlands grow slow and don't get huge, so from a meat viewpoint, that price is way too high. The most I have ever paid for a highland was 675. That was each for a group of three. I bought another group for 500 each and another group for 435 each. Buy low, sell high. How bad do you want him?

My 2cents.

Hmmm... that's good to know! I live in an area where cattle (beef OR dairy) are not abundantly found, so I would expect to pay a bit more locally... a BIT more. If I could save $3-400 on each, that would make it advantageous to drive further.

How bad do I want him? Who DOESN"T want a cool looking hairy cow?! Highlands make people stop for a second look... and probably means an on-farm sale! They're sorta like a living advertisement. Add that to the long list of benefits!

[lakeportfarms]

I'll throw in my two cents....When you are looking at cattle as more than just a commodity, price should be way down the list as a factor to consider. I've seen Highlands as low as a few hundred dollars too, and I wouldn't dream of owning most of them if they were one of only a few that I had. When you buy low, you had better be able to sell for more money. Why? Because that's likely what you'll ultimately be doing when you figure out you don't want that pain in the !@* cow that you can't get within 30 feet of or that takes a flying leap over your 4 foot plus fence because they are so neurotic. Yes, Highland cows can clear a 52" fence on the run without even touching it, I've seen it. Then, if you're not ruined on the breed forever after dealing with that, you can go and purchase one (probably for more money) that you can actually enjoy.

Let's be honest, if you total all the costs plus your time taking care of them, very few of us here make much money with cattle unless you have a great reputation, great stock, and more than just a few head. It's more of a lifestyle choice and something to enjoy for most people. And, if you can break even (without assigning a value to your time) after a few years you're doing pretty well.

I've purchased (and sold) Highlands for $1500 and more when they fit my needs and possess certain traits and a temperament that is important to me or the purchaser. And I've driven more than 700 miles each way to buy a cow or bull and delivered them to a purchaser over a thousand miles away. If you like the particular animals in question, then it is worth paying a little more, as you hopefully will be living with your choice for 15 years or more. That's less than $100 per year and I'd gladly pay that for fewer issues. There is also a cost involved with driving and searching for good stock as well that must be considered.

If you like these two, buy them and enjoy them for years to come! And don't second guess your decision if you happen to spot one for less money down the road.

[lakeportfarms]

This Highland cow is not $600.00
My nephew spent 30 minutes "practicing" with the lasso on her while she waited patiently. We can milk her standing in the pasture (untied) if we want.

[lonelyfarmgirl]

Originally Posted by lakeportfarms

I'll throw in my two cents....When you are looking at cattle as more than just a commodity, price should be way down the list as a factor to consider. I've seen Highlands as low as a few hundred dollars too, and I wouldn't dream of owning most of them if they were one of only a few that I had. When you buy low, you had better be able to sell for more money. Why? Because that's likely what you'll ultimately be doing when you figure out you don't want that pain in the !@* cow that you can't get within 30 feet of or that takes a flying leap over your 4 foot plus fence because they are so neurotic. Yes, Highland cows can clear a 52" fence on the run without even touching it, I've seen it. Then, if you're not ruined on the breed forever after dealing with that, you can go and purchase one (probably for more money) that you can actually enjoy.

Let's be honest, if you total all the costs plus your time taking care of them, very few of us here make much money with cattle unless you have a great reputation, great stock, and more than just a few head. It's more of a lifestyle choice and something to enjoy for most people. And, if you can break even (without assigning a value to your time) after a few years you're doing pretty well.

You are correct in some cases. Not in ours. In the four times we have bought a group of highlands, only one group had behavior issues. 6 or 8 out of 22 were nervous and flighty and one was the aggressive cow. We culled them and kept the rest. All the others we have ever bought were simply reserved. I do have one HUGE cow that was one of the 675$ group. We kept her. She is a statue and you can do nearly anything to her. The 500$ group are untouchable, but I can walk within 5 feet of them and they don't move away.

If making money is the aim, which I do not believe that is the case for the OP, then 1200 is the start of a losing game. Kind of like being upside down on a loan because you wouldn't make that back selling the meat.
That is why I wouldn't pay that. We sell meat. We have the market for it, but
I wouldn't pay 1.00 a pound live for any animal. There was one exception. I paid 850 for my pinzgauer bull when he was 9 months old. I don't regret it. Even though we have 6 bulls currently, he covers most of the cows and he is tame. I sat on him just this past winter and he was a statue. He is 4 1/2.

If that bull will suit your needs and you don't mind paying that price, then buy him. I would offer the guy 2000 for the pair.

[lonelyfarmgirl]

Originally Posted by lakeportfarms

This Highland cow is not $600.00
My nephew spent 30 minutes "practicing" with the lasso on her while she waited patiently. We can milk her standing in the pasture (untied) if we want.

Now that is a cow I might be persuaded to spend a bit more for.

[Brooks WV]

Looks like he'll need a few more hands before inspiring that cow to move!

To be honest, I'm not looking to make money with these two Highlands. I'm going to use this bull as a herd sire. His pedigree is very good, and his temperment seems to be pleasant (I'll know for sure after I put eyes and hands on him tomorrow). Conformation to the breed standards will be a factor as well. I will breed the cow, and if a bull is born, it will become a steer for the freezer, unless he has good conformation, and I can sell him to another farm. A heifer born will become a second keeper cow. Ultimatley, I want to provide for my own freezer and perhaps have some to sell locally. Truth be told, I just like unique things, and if I can break even, great.

[trbizwiz]

Scottish hiland beef from a grass finished farm in scottland was one of the favorite steaks of Mark Schatzker in the book "steak". Evidently their metabolism does quite well on an all grass diet while still marbling.