Dying Breed recently posted an article about the $30K sofa. A couple bought a $100 sofa in the 1950s and then had to redecorate their entire house to make everything else match. In the end, the husband figured the sofa cost him over $30K.
How often do we see this exact same thing in the cattle industry? We buy a fancy cow or bull and then have to change our entire operation to “match” that high-maintenance cow or bull. In retrospect, this seems ridiculous, but it happens all the time.
I’ll admit, I’ve bought some expensive cattle that didn’t hold up. When they fell out, I let them go. I didn’t try to prop them up. It hurt, but not as bad as it could have if I had an entire herd of cows like that!
We shouldn’t be managing our herd for the lowest common denominator, no matter how fancy they are. We should be managing for the top end and culling the bottom end. Buy cows and bulls that fit your environment – NOT the other way around. Don’t let a $100 sofa turn into a $30K mistake!
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