Help me figure out a value?

Oakshire_Farm · #1 03/19/13, 01:30 PM

My husband works on a dairy, they have a "fancy" holstien. She was bought as a embryo (for $10,000)

She has been brought up being primped for a life as a show cow, halter broke, loves to be fussed over..... Well she just calved out her first calf, had a HORRIBLE calving, had a big bull calf

She did not clean right, had to be infused. Had quite a bit of tearing, so was on a course of antibiotics. Well she is a month fresh now and she only has 3 quarters. The vets have checked her out, it is gone

Pretty devastating for the farmer. But my husband is pretty attached to her since he has worked with her since she was a calf. So they were going to ship her to auction. Knowing they will only get beef prices for her.

My husband asked if we could buy her. So they said to make a offer......... I hate it when people say that! So I am trying to figure out what would be fair.

Here is our local auction house sales report, what is she worth??? i have no idea how to read a sales report to know what everything means.

http://www.fraservalleyauction.com/wednesdayreport.html

Bret · #2 03/19/13, 01:43 PM

Looks like she best fits in the plain cow range at the auction. I do not see a "cull cow" price. You could start there for option one and save the dairy the cost of trucking one cow.

Or another option would be to follow the cow to the auction and buy her there at the price that is right for all.

Oakshire_Farm · #3 03/19/13, 03:36 PM

We live on a Island...... I would have to take a ferry to and from the auction, at $200+ for truck and trailer each way on the ferry. That is not a option!

What does the CWT mean????

Bret · #4 03/19/13, 03:55 PM

CWT is the price per hundred lbs. I didn't know that Canada used this also. I should have said Plain Holstein cow. If he wants her I hope that it works out.

sammyd · #5 03/19/13, 04:03 PM

If I had 10,000 in a cow like that it still wouldn't be for sale. If the genetics are there, flushing would help recoup that price.
offer 1200 and see what happens...

Wanda · #6 03/19/13, 05:01 PM

If the calving was that bad I would be curious to hear what the vet said about re-breeding her or if she could. As far as having 3 quarters I would not think that it would be a death sentence for a good young cow.

bluetogreens · #7 03/19/13, 07:10 PM

Not a death sentence, but for a show/dairy cow (sorry bad pun incoming) udderly useless

rancher1913 · #8 03/19/13, 07:40 PM

if she's not breedable anymore your buying a one shot milk cow that you probably won't resell as you'd be to attached to her. if she is rebreedable than as a family milk cow she's worth 1000 or 1200 that's what a marginal or springer sells for around here.

Oakshire_Farm · #9 03/19/13, 11:37 PM

The vet said she will be fine to rebreed. If she comes to live with us, I have a dexter bull..... so if she can find a hole, she should have a much smaller calf than a pure holstein. The calf obviously would be going to the freezer, if she calves out ok. I may condider breeding her to a holstein the following year. Thanks for the advice. I will let you all know how it turns out....

On a happier note...... my Jersey had a heifer this afternoon

francismilker · #10 03/20/13, 02:30 AM

Those "make me an offer" statements can go real bad in a hurry imho. If the farmer is planning on shipping her to the local auction you'd best let him ship her and then show up and bid on the cow yourself. If she's a three-teater she won't sell well unless there's a real shortage of cows in your area for some reason. You'll get her cheaper that way in my opionion.

linn · #11 03/20/13, 08:29 AM

I would offer whatever she would bring as a butcher cow at the auction.

unregistered41671 · #12 03/20/13, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linn

I would offer whatever she would bring as a butcher cow at the auction.

Agree with the above post, and try to get her before she goes to the auction. No need in the extra stress of the auction on the cow.

cathleenc · #13 03/21/13, 09:07 AM

Please give us an update when you are done with negotiations - will be keeping my fingers crossed for you and for her!

oregon woodsmok · #14 03/21/13, 03:56 PM

I'd offer auction price but try to get her before she goes to auction and gets exposed to all those germs and all that stress.

The auction here is careful with the cattle. They use noisy slap paddles instead of whips or prods, but I've been to auctions where the hired hands brutalize the cattle back in the chutes where the public isn't watching. I wouldn't want my nice milk cow subjected to that treatment.

Oakshire_Farm · #15 03/21/13, 06:06 PM

Thanks everyone..... We are still waiting to hear what they are going to do with her. If we do decide on getting her, she will not go to the auction, we live on a Island, the ferry to get over to the auction and back with a trailer will cost close to $500, so if she goes to auction we will not be taking her.

They just sent 3 cows over this week to the sale, I think they were waiting to find out what they went for to figure out what they want for this one.

I will let you know if she come here

cathleenc · #16 03/21/13, 08:19 PM

I'm hoping this all works out for all of you.

SueMc · #17 03/21/13, 08:21 PM

I'm only asking (anyone) because I'm curious and don't know.....Wouldn't a $10K embryo/cow still be worth a lot of money, genetically, even with the faults mentioned? I would think she would still have a lot of value as the mother of a future high dollar baby.
As I said, just curious.

I also hope it works out for you!

opportunity · #18 03/21/13, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SueMc

I'm only asking (anyone) because I'm curious and don't know.....Wouldn't a $10K embryo/cow still be worth a lot of money, genetically, even with the faults mentioned? I would think she would still have a lot of value as the mother of a future high dollar baby.
As I said, just curious.

I also hope it works out for you!

I'm not sure an animal with faults even if expensive to start with is worth much. My husband used to work on a ranchw ith very fancey angus cows they had a VERY expensive bull that was made into burger and they had to sell of of his offspring as commercial cattle as they had a color flaw. My mother in law got of those cull cows and the flaw shows up worse each generation and we sell the calfs for butcher.
I'm assuming a milk cow with bad udder would be about the same not worth keeping, unless you liked them.

SueMc · #19 03/22/13, 05:11 AM

Thanks Opportunity for the answer. As in flaws, I was thinking maybe the udder would have possibly been a nice udder but lost a quarter d/t injury or infection. I read too much into it.

Oakshire_Farm · #20 03/22/13, 11:05 AM

Well................................ I AM GOING TO BRING HER HOME!!!!

I got a text from my husband, they got the report back from the auction, they came up with the price and told my husband $500!! I am over the moon thrilled!

They are wanting to down size their herd, so they were planning of selling off a bunch of cows. They want to cut down, they are currently milking 100 cows, but want to get down closer till 50-60 cows. They know she is worth alot of money, but they like my husband and they like the cow, they know if she goes to the sale she will probably end up as meat and so said they would rather she got to live out her days here with us