I recently attended our local Ag Expo, setting up a booth to visit with producers. A couple of young men asked me a good question: “How would you go about starting a cow herd during this record high market?” This is a question I have actually thought about a good deal and had an answer. (Don’t know if it’s the right answer, but it’s my answer.)

I think there are a couple of options that limit the risk of a market downturn.

1. Buy PCC® heifer calves and breed them next spring to a guaranteed calving ease bull. This plan would require patience because your first calf check won’t arrive for two years. However, it would limit your financial risk and build a solid foundation for the future. If conditions change, you always have the option of selling bred heifers next year.
   
   There are a couple places I would look to find PCC influenced heifers. First is the pharocattle.com classified page. This is where PCC customers place ads to buy and sell livestock. I just visited the sight and found an ad to sell Red Angus heifer calves in Oklahoma.
   
   Another option is the online PCC female auctions that are held a couple times each year. Usually on auction sites like Big Iron, these have been successful for buyers and sellers alike to trade Pharo cattle.
   
   If you are specifically looking for registered seed stock, you might try contacting a cooperative producer nearby. They are listed in the back of your sale catalog as well as the About page on the PCC website.
   
2. A second idea to get started in the cow business is to buy late calving cows. In other words, those bred out of sync with your local norms. In our part of the world, that is cows calving in May and June. These will usually sell significantly cheaper than early calvers but will make up the difference when sold as pairs next fall. This plan would not do much to build your herd for the future, but it would keep you busy while waiting for your heifer calves to mature.

It can be risky to buy in on a market high, but there are options. I’ll see you next time on the Herd Quitter® Minute.