Raise or purchase replacement heifers?

Introduction
Aspects to consider
Tools
Author

Introduction

The topic of raising one’s own replacement heifers or buying them has been discussed many times over the years. As fall gets closer and beef cow calf producers begin thinking about what they might do with the heifers, now is a good time to evaluate options. Both options have some pros and cons.

Aspects that should be considered when determining which option is the best fit

The cost of raising your own compared to the cost of purchasing them (including opportunity cost of not selling the heifer calves as feeders).
Resources and space at the farm.
Genetic potential: is there an opportunity to improve herd genetics through purchased females or have current herd genetics been improved over time to optimally meet production goals.

While cost of production is certainly a big consideration some of the other aspects also have potential financial impacts, but those may be more difficult to quantify. The answer will likely vary between operations and may even vary within an operation from year to year depending on the conditions at the time.