🤔 Should I Buy or Raise Heifers?

Why DNA Test, Higher Earners vs Lower Earners, Severe Weather Ready, and The Best Beef Oven Roast Recipe from Ranching.com by CattleMax.

January 07, 2026

Welcome to the 103rd edition of Ranching.com – the leading cattle management resource for a community of 96,000+ ranchers and farmers.

IN THE NEWS

🤔 Should I Buy or Raise Heifers? 

DTN/Progressive Farmer - Becky Mills

🤔 Should I Buy or Raise Heifers? - Producers are weighing whether to buy replacement heifers or raise their own. Buying can save time and speed up herd expansion, while raising heifers offers more control over genetics and adaptability. The right choice often comes down to resources, risk tolerance and long-term goals.

🐂 Ranch Keeps On Ranching - Montana ranchers Dale and Janet Veseth made a historic move by donating their 38,000-acre family ranch to ensure it stays in agricultural use rather than being sold off. They will continue operating the ranch during their lifetimes, keeping day-to-day ranching intact. The donation helps preserve open country and creates opportunities for future ranchers to keep the land working.

🧬 Why DNA Test - DNA testing commercial heifers helps producers verify parentage, predict performance and make more informed breeding decisions. It gives clarity on genetics that might not show up in the pasture but matters in productivity and value. For ranchers focused on long-term herd improvement, DNA testing adds confidence to selection choices.

🔪 Slaughter Capacity Shift - With several beef plants closing or cutting back, U.S. slaughter capacity is shrinking heading into 2026. That means longer hauls for cattle, tighter scheduling and added pressure on remaining facilities. For producers, adjusting marketing plans and knowing where capacity still exists will be key as the industry adapts.

🌱 Soil to Herd Health - Healthy soils support better forages, which in turn help cattle perform stronger and stay healthier throughout the year. Practices that build soil organic matter and improve ground cover also boost water infiltration and nutrient cycling on your pastures. For ranchers, focusing on soil health is an investment that pays off in grazing quality and herd resilience.

Custom tags that work as hard as you do.

Customizable Allflex tags from CattleTags.com provide durable, lifelong identification — laser engraved with your numbers, ranch name, and phone number. Increase efficiency, reduce errors, and keep your herd running smoothly with high-quality tagging solutions.

We identify our cattle with the same tags we sell. For over a decade, we've partnered with Allflex to help producers integrate reliable identification into their herds, backed by expert advice from a rancher-based team who trusts Allflex every day.

* This is sponsored content from CattleTags.com

VIDEOS FROM AROUND THE WEB

Higher Earners vs Lower Earners

RANCHING KNOW-HOW

Severe Weather Ready

Farm Journal

This cow-calf checklist focuses on preparing your herd and facilities for severe weather, from securing windbreaks to checking water access and emergency supplies. Tailoring your plan to your local conditions helps reduce stress on cattle and keeps your operation moving, no matter what weather rolls in. Being proactive now can save time, money, and headaches when conditions take a turn.

RANCHING AROUND THE WORLD RECAP
CATTLE COMMUNITY

Ranching For Profit

"... many producers are too quick to dismiss the potential of lowering production costs. We usually think of cutting costs within the context of our current operations. That is often painful, and there is only so much you can cut. You cannot starve a profit into a business. The bigger opportunity for cutting costs on most ranches lies in changing the business structure."

Tim Gillespie - Ranching in Utah

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

The Best Oven Beef Roast

“We love cooking an oven roast every week. It makes for a delicious supper and then we use the leftovers as cold cut meat for sandwiches. With minimal time and minimal effort, you can make an excellent meal to serve to your family and friends.”
Get the recipe

READER POLL

What’s the biggest factor in your buy vs raise decision?

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LAST WEEK’S POLL RESULTS

What’s your top priority when evaluating replacement heifers before breeding season?

26.44%: Structural soundness

18.39%: Body condition/weight

37.93%: Temperament and disposition

17.24%: Reproductive indicators