Members of the Georgia Cattlemen’ s Association loaded up on a tour bus and visited four cattle farms in Colquitt County in April.
“ And at the end of the day, I don’ t care what you do, most cows sell by the pound. … It’ s putting pounds on the ground is what you want,” Lasseter said.
He told the group about having a purebred Hereford bull and a crossbred bull that were the same age. They were fed the exact same amount and kind of feed and hay. At one-year old, he said, the crossbred bull weighed 250 pounds more than the Hereford.
He said today’ s market was $ 3 a pound and if he could develop and sell bulls that could put 75 more pounds on a calf, that was a little over $ 200 more per calf.
When asked, he said the average weight of his cows were between 1,600 pounds and 1,800 pounds.
“ I like them big-bellied, big-footed. Big-bellied, big-footed. I know they’ ll raise a baby,” he added.
He also said that, as he understood it, the cow numbers were at the lowest they’ ve been since the 1950s. Then he said that he didn’ t understand how a commercial cowman could pay $ 3,000- $ 4,000 for a commercial heifer and make it work. The two categories of beef cattle operations are purebred and commercial.
Lasseter said that he had talked to a man in the industry that was very knowledgeable about it.
“ I asked him a question, I said,‘ How long you think this is going to go on?’ And he said,‘ Well, I know it’ s gonna last three more years. I don’ t know how much longer it’ s gonna last after that.’ … The numbers are the lowest they’ ve ever been cause people are getting rid of them. … For different reasons,” he said.
He said some people were getting rid of cows because they were trying to pay off a debt and he said he knew people who sold off their whole herd because they thought it was the“ last hurrah.” They wanted to get their money now because they didn’ t want to worry about what was coming.
He said,“ I mean people are cashing in. We may not ever see this again, may not never see it. I don’ t know.”
40 MoultrieScene JUNE 2025