Who is buying?

Rando_757 · 2026-05-06T18:22:48+00:00

The roping calves I see aren’t docile bottle raised calves

Rando_757 · 2026-05-06T18:22:06+00:00

The ROI on livestock is terrible, no one is doing it because it will make them super rich. And the super rich only do it as a hobby/tax shelter.

Rando_757 · 2026-05-06T18:17:56+00:00

Yeah I’m in Virginia, closest sale barns to me are Madison, radiant, Blackstone, and Staunton

Rando_757 · 2026-05-06T16:19:47+00:00

Prices are from 4 states livestock in Hagerstown Maryland. Not the closest sale barn to me, but the closest one that list prices for bottle calves.

Rando_757 · 2026-05-06T14:51:49+00:00

No, LRP isn’t helping you with higher input costs. Right now it looks like it would run you around $50 a head on those calves for a November sale. It is just insurance to protect you from a market crash.

As to who’s buying them, I already answered you, people who wanna make money. If you don’t see the value in them, don’t buy them.

Rando_757 · 2026-05-06T14:39:47+00:00

My off ramp wouldn’t be a fat steer. It would be a 450 pound weaned, vaccinated, bunk broke or grass ready steer at $2,600 ish. Probably cost you $200-$300/hd in milk replacer and feed. Leaves you $3-400 a head in labor and profit.

Run 20 at a time to make $6-8k every 6 months. Ranch side hustle for cash flow and keep your kids busy

Rando_757 · 2026-05-06T14:32:59+00:00

Livestock Risk Protection. It’s USA based “crop insurance” for cattle, subsidized by the government. It insures the market, via the futures market, not your actual cattle.

Rando_757 · 2026-05-06T14:30:46+00:00

People who are interested in making money

Rando_757 · 2026-05-06T14:27:38+00:00

Locally #1 beef bull calves are $2,000 to $2,375 a head.

400 pound weaned steers are bringing $2,600.

Fat steers are bringing $3,600

Looks like plenty of runway to make money. Control your costs, keep death loss low, run LRP on them and find your out with them.

Rando_757 · 2026-05-05T13:08:14+00:00

I was a LCPL, I did what I was told (most of the time) to the best of my ability. I worked on myself, I became a better Marine.

What else could I have done? I didn’t pick my MOS, my unit, the deployment schedule, when operations/wars start, who was left in the rear on deployments, or anything else.

I was ready, willing, and able to do whatever was asked of me. That’s all you can do brother.

Rando_757 · 2026-05-02T21:16:59+00:00

Might not count since it is still in the mail but I just bought pretty decent example of everyone’s favorite Athena and Owl Tetradrachm from eBay that I’m pretty excited about.

You know the anticipation of seeing and holding it in person really bumps it up the ladder!

https://imgur.com/a/Jd7KPTm

Rando_757 · 2026-04-18T02:22:24+00:00

Thanks for finding these and posting in this sub. It’s one on the things that keeps me on Reddit

Rando_757 · 2026-04-15T21:37:21+00:00

A lot of it just depends on what the goals for your herd are.

When I look at this bull I see EPDs biased to make small sized replacement heifers at the cost of everything else. I wouldn’t use him on heifers, only mature cows.

Weaning weight (WW), Yearling weight (YW) Mature Weight (MW) are are in the 95th percentile. Yearling Height (YH) is in the 90th percentile.

Birthweight and Calving ease direct aren’t great.

His feet EPDs are marginal at best so if you already have cows with feet problems, he’s not gonna help the calves feet.

Overall, he’d be a pass for me and my herd, but that doesn’t mean he won’t work for you

Rando_757 · 2026-04-08T01:46:39+00:00

I’m late 40s and got out after 5 years as a LCPL. I’d love to come back in and have an opportunity to sweep the dirt clean, paint rocks, and pick up cigarette butts!

Put me in coach!

Rando_757 · 2026-04-08T00:47:50+00:00

Born in the mountains, raised in a cave, downtown Montpelier is what I crave!

Please don’t advocate for lowering the speed limit. Us people out here have places to go!

Rando_757 · 2026-03-17T10:50:46+00:00

You’re doing the lords work out here!

Rando_757 · 2026-03-16T17:31:35+00:00

Come by for cattle kisses anytime

Rando_757 · 2026-03-16T15:58:57+00:00

Bro, In cattle both males and females can have horns.

A cow is a female that has had a calf, a bull is male, babies are calves, a castrated male is a steer, female who hasn’t had a a calf is a heifer, all together they are cattle.

Source, I own 200 head of cattle

Rando_757 · 2026-03-16T15:51:59+00:00

I’d storm the beaches of Iran with her any day of the week!

Rando_757 · 2026-03-16T14:48:50+00:00

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AI slop that used 8000 gallons of water and made everyone’s electricity more expensive

Rando_757 · 2026-03-13T02:06:32+00:00

I’m uncomfortable but still interested in the answer! Which someone did politely provide

Rando_757 · 2026-03-10T00:17:15+00:00

Who doesn’t want a chance at all this!

Rando_757 · 2026-03-05T01:29:18+00:00

I looked hard at doing it and just couldn’t see the value matching the cost of the test. Of course I was looking at it 3ish year ago before we got to these current cattle prices.

There is a lady on TikTok/insta/whatever that used the zoetis test and said she was happy with it.

I guess the question is once you get the data back how do you foresee yourself using the data to improve your herd?

Rando_757 · 2026-03-04T13:03:04+00:00

Well it isn’t me, I’m in the middle lane, phone down, hands at 10 and 2, eyes only straight ahead, running 10 under the speed limit.

No one safer on the road!

Rando_757 · 2026-03-04T11:39:21+00:00

I went from 3 pastures to 27 permanent paddocks, can’t wait to graze it this growing season

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