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Buy or keep? That’s been one of the enduring debates in the beef business over the years. And it appears a growing number of commercial beef producers are willing to pay for the convenience of having their genetics suppliers add power to their cowherd.

In fact, one third of the respondents to a recent Seedstock 100 survey told BEEF that they purchase replacement heifers. This number has increased slightly from 2015 when 25% of producers indicated they purchased replacements.

Commercial beef producers who purchase replacement females do so in two distinct seasons, according to the BEEF survey; January to April and September to December, with slightly more activity in the fall.

The decision to buy or breed your own replacement heifers has been a popular topic in BEEF magazine over the years. In the August issue, Jason Bradley with the Noble Research Institute outlined some of the pros and cons to doing it “in house” or “outsourcing” the development of your heifers.

Raising your own replacements allows you to know exactly the genetics you’re getting, but it takes more management, Bradley explains. By purchasing replacements, you don’t miss a year of production, but the purchased heifers will cost a little more.

Sixty-one percent of the BEEF Seedstock 100 producers sell replacement females. Many of the producers in the Seedstock Directory also sell replacements. The Seedstock 100 list and Seedstock Directory provided by BEEF are excellent first stops as you search for producers who sell replacement females in your area.

Browse the BEEF Seedstock 100 photo gallery to see pictures and information from each ranch.

Watch for the January 2019 issue of BEEF magazine where we will announce the next list of BEEF Seedstock 100.