How much would you pay for a show heifer/donor female

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kanshow

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We are going to look at a heifer today that is supposed to be 'all that'.  Her dam has been a donor and has produced some outstanding cattle.  In fact, now that I think of it, I suppose there is a possiblity this heifer is a flushmate (albeit frozen) to a Nat'l Western winner.    My daughter intends to show this heifer and we've already decided to breed for a natural calf this first year and then flush her after the calf.    The problem for us arises...  Our daughter wants to pay for as much as she can so this will be HER calf.    Hubby and I are thinking this heifer could go for 10K but not sure.      I also don't want to be accused of being 'one of those parents'      We are looking at this as an investment in our daughter's future as well as our cow herd future.  This is a partnership with her. 
 

red

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That is a tough one. I look back & we were pretty lucky in the amount we paid for some of our cows. Our Wild Rose cow, who won Louisville, was 6K, which compared to several she showed againist very cheap. My awesome ForePlay cow brought $1150. I think it all has to do w/ your budget, what you can afford, what your daughter can contribute & most important what you are comfortable with. I guess in my opinion if you pay a price that you are embarrassed about you paid too much. I think each of us has our own idea what we will & will not pay for a heifer.
If she is a good show heifer that you feel will be a good producer down the road than she may be worth the 10K. Time will tell on that. I guess I see if you can't get an unbiased second or third opinion on her. sometimes we tend to look at cattle w/ our hearts rather than our heads.

Whatever you do, best of luck for you & your daughter. Would love pictures if you decide!

Red
 

kanshow

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Thanks Red,  We'd really like to get her bought for 5000 or less - with her paying about half of that.  That is a number we'll feel comfortable with as it is realistic for her to come out of economically.  I just don't want to let this one get away if she is truly all we are told she is.  We plan to get some pictures when we go. 
 

SWMO

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In my experience, if your kids are consisent winners you are accused of being one of those parents whether you are or not. As long as I am comfortable with what my kids are learning from their purchases and they are within our budget I don't worry too much about what other say.  They are going to say it wether you pay 1200, 2000 or much much more for a calf. We expect our kids calves to pay for alot of their way through college so anything we buy is considered a long term investment not a 6 month project.

I agree with Red on the budget and the comfort level.
 

kanshow

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SWMO!  You said it..   This is an investment - not just a project from now til September.  I have to say our daughter really works hard so her wins are very justified.  I don't feel bad getting something good for her because she will push to the full potential. 
 

red

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SWMO is right, no matter what you pay for a calf, if you are consistant winners you paid too much. Even if the calf was homegrown you went out & "bought" it. funny how rumors start when people are in the winner's circle.

Red
 

Jill

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Ok, I'm going to put in my 2 cents even though we are probably considered one of "those parents".  
What you spend on a heifer is an investment, we invest in many different types of businesses and some work out and some we loose money on.  In the cattle business, and the show end in particular, you have returns that aren't necessarily figured in dollars.  You have a very few years with your kids and then they are moved on to something else (sports, college, husband) make the most of them, if this is what she REALLY wants and is willing to put in the time and effort and you have the money to invest in her, I say go for it.  
We are at the point in life we primarily show what we raise and still have people that complain, don't worry about what anyone else thinks you should spend, if you are competitive they will talk about you anyway.
 

Jill

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I guess I should ask what breed it is, may want to change my answer! (clapping)
 

SWMO

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Now where are you going to be showing this summer and what breed did you say? I'm with Jill maybe it is too much. I may have to reconsider my reply.  :D
 

4Ts4H

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Hey, thanks Jill.

My wife and I have agreed to this point that we will only show steers that we raise, but we will go out and buy some heifers to mix in.  We are in our 5th year in 4H with the kids, and bought our first $1000 heifers this year.  They happen to be Herfs, 'cause the kids wanted them.  Sometimes you have to sacrifice.  We took them to the IA Expo, and stood in the middle.  We were just glad not to get buried in the bottom.  Long story short, we always liked the underdog role, competing with calves that cost much more than ours.  We haven't yet taken anything but bull bred home raised steers to the county fair, and every year we have 'em so scarred that they need to accuse of cheating.  Oh well, as long as we know that we are doing things ethically, we can sleep at night!!!
 

knabe

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i'm thinking some of this discussion is almost at the point where it should be done privately to protect the seller. 
suffice it to say, most purchases people make don't involve making a profit.

try befriending those who gossip too much by complimenting them and giving them barn karma points.
 

racekannon

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One thing to think about is the pressure on the kids when paying alot.  I always had the great ones and when you win its a relief and losing is a disappointment.  My son is 8 and we are gearing up with moderate priced ones, so if he wins it will be a joy and if he placed well he had fun in the process.  Work and knowledge is most important at our house.  The great ones can lead to to needing that extra edge that I don't want my son to see.  We have plenty of money and really don't want to worry all the time about the expensive calf being hurt, sick, or not turning out.  I love the odds with 3 good ones rather one great one.
 

kanshow

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Jill - Maine and NE Kansas!      j/k!!!

I was mostly curious on what others feel is right to spend on a kid's heifer.   In addition to the purchased heifer(s)they will be also showing a couple homeraised heifers this year, and I think they are nice.   The thing for us that was intriguing about this heifer is that she is genetically something we do not currently have and would take us 2 - 3 years to get there.   There's already semen in the tank to go that direction but this would be a huge jumpstart in that direction. 



 

DLD

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Spend whatever you're comfortable with. As others have said, no matter what you spend, if you're consistently on top, someone's gonna say you're "those kind of parents" - you just can't worry about that. I agree that showin' what you raise is more fun, less pressure, and alot sweeter when you win, but even for those of us raising them, it sometimes works out that you've gotta buy some if you're going to meet your goals. If you need a show heifer and a donor cow, then you need the best one you can find that your budget will allow.
 

Rocky Hill Simmental

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I probably wouldn't spend over $3,000 on a show heifer no matter how good they looked. With my luck, they'd end up acting goofy in the showring and when it comes time to breed, they'd be sterile.  :p

I don't know anything about donor cows.

My parents use to buy me a bucket calf if I made the A honor roll for an entire year back when I was in high school - That's how I got my first show heifers (they weren't the best looking cattle and they didn't place well but I had fun showing them ^^). Then I decided I wanted a registered simmental and my parents said I could get one if I could pay for one. I saved up for a long time - never went to dances, I picked up walnuts to sell instead. Then I bought my first registered simmental heifer for $1,100 and showed her my senior year of high school. 

I like saving my money to buy cattle. It seems rewarding once you get them.  ;)
 
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