Starting a herd

Hi everyone, I was just wondering what you guys thought were some good (and fairly inexpensive) ways to start a little purebred herd.  Embryos? Good bred yearlings? Or Older cows towards the end of thier lives bred to good AI bulls? What are the pros and cons to each one? I know there are a lot of members on here with tonnes of experience, so every piece of advice helps!

If we were starting over, I would go with the older proven bred cows that can be bought for the right price.

All of the above..    

Older cows are usually going to be the best bargain as they should be.. you are paying for one, and at the most a few more calf years left.  Like Jill, I'd go this route first.

Young heifers are always exciting to buy.  They have their whole future ahead of them so you'll probably get more invested in them.

Embryos are a good way to bring in genetics that you could otherwise not get your hands on.  If you go this route, remember that you'll have to have the recips available.

I am with jill, that seems the best way to go.

older proven cows.

open heifers are as risky as playing craps

actually I say open heifers can pose as much risk as steers, atleast with steers you can limit your losses sooner

I would go with them all, the key is to always to be picky, look around, and don't buy on impulse, do your home work and make a long term plan if you are in for the long haul. For me I found the type of cattle I wanted at Joel Brooks' and I have form my cowherd around his genetics and management style. I would advise (if you can) to look at breeders that can meet your needs, give you good advise, and are sound & trust worthy.

dhs said:

I would go with them all, the key is to always to be picky, look around, and don't buy on impulse, do your home work and make a long term plan if you are in for the long haul. For me I found the type of cattle I wanted at Joel Brooks' and I have form my cowherd around his genetics and management style. I would advise (if you can) to look at breeders that can meet your needs, give you good advise, and are sound & trust worthy.

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Well we started our own herd last summer (down here in TX) on the ranch I grew up on.  Bought some real nice bred 4-6 yr olds, we've been pretty much happy with.  Nice big stout club mommas, they were all bred to Paddy Omalley, and we think we have a real nice set of clubbies that we now have for sale.  My only advise would be the advise of the one above.  BE SURE YOU KNOW WHO YOU'RE BUYING FROM.  A reputable breeder that backs up his cattle is the best way to go,unless just going for a basic commercial cow calf operation.  Our cows are real nice and got at a fair price, but after the fact we realized we didn't ask enough questions (specific ones) and now can't get papers on several of our momma cows. Have some awesome heifers and really wanted to track the specific bloodlines . . . (Breeder says he's sure some of them have papers, but who knows) won't go to the trouble to find out now that the deals been done.  Plus some of them ended up "open" and we think weren't bred to begin with.  (extra $$) So anyway, just decide what kind of herd you want, look around, get referrals, and have a long term goal in mind.  And remember be prepared for setbacks-- when running a ranch and breeding animals there's always things that can happen that sneak up on you and cost you money.  But for us the risk is worth the reward!  Good Luck! <cowboy>