By Rachel Cutrer
It’s always interesting when people get into discussions of what does it costs to show Brahman cattle, especially in the female show. When I got home from the recent 2022 AJBA All American, I did a little research which is very insightful as to the cost of winning in Brahman female shows.
The Process
To begin this project, I took the AJBA Grey Female Show program, and entered the show placings in all of the female classes, 1st through 10th place. Then, I googled the animal name to find public pricing on animals that had sold in online sales. Then, I classified the remaining cattle into marketing groups that are general public knowledge.
Home Raised – Calves that are bred and owned or in the case of our daughter, home raised.
Purchased, Private Treaty – These are cattle that had no record of selling in an online sale or public auction. In the case where I knew the breeder personally, they confirmed the price range they sell their private treaty heifers for (for example show heifers starting at $5000, show heifers starting at $7500, etc).
Loaner / Sponsor – This would be the case where the junior may not have purchased the calf, but is showing it under a sponsor / adult breeder, etc. These were classified into this category only if I knew 100% confirmation that this was the case.
The Findings
It’s no secret that the Grand Champion Grey Female sold in the SRS Online Sale for $14,100. To me, this is great because it shows that there is a wide selection of high quality Brahman cattle out there that are available to the entire Brahman public. Any individual in this entire breed had a chance to purchase her, and I love that.
The Class Winners….
- Of the 24 class winners in the grey female show, 12 of the class winners were home raised.
- 7 of the home raised class winners were kids part of a Brahman ranch that’s been in business 10+ years
- 5 of the home raised class winners were raised by juniors whose parents are either not full time Brahman breeders or have been in the breed less than 10 years.
- I found that super encouraging, because that is evidence that the Brahman breed has a great selection of AI sires available on the public market where people can search for good genetics, and raise their own cattle carrying their own brand and prefix.
- The majority of class winners were home raised.
- Two class winners were sold in public auctions, and their public prices were $14,600 and $14,100.
- Five of the 24 class winners were purchased privately directly from the ranch. Of these, three of the five were classified in the $6000 to $15,000 price point.
The 2nd Places….
- Home raised cattle once again topped this category, with 12 of our second place winners being home raised / bred and owned.
- 7 of the home raised were raised by juniors whose family are not full time Brahman breeders.
- 5 of the home raised cattle were from kids who’s families have been raising Brahmans 10+ years.
- There was only one heifer that placed second in a class that sold in a public auction, and her price reported was $63,750.
- Seven of the 2nd place heifers sold privately off the ranches from a price point of $6000 to $15,000.
Moving to the 3rd Places…
If you said to most people, hey, you’re going to be in the top three at junior nationals, they’d be happy. The competition here is really stiff, and most classes are 15 to 20 head. So, this is an accomplishment to be proud of. When you analyze the data between the top 3 head in each female class, here are some findings:
- Of the 72 females that placed in the top 3 of all the classes, THREE sold in online sales. This is interesting to me, because there is literally a Brahman online sale every day — but only 5% of them placed in the top three.
- Of the three females from online sales that placed in the top 3, the prices ranged from $14,100 to $63,750.
The Home Raised Cattle
- 12 class winners were family-raised / home raised.
- After initially publishing this blog, someone messaged me and asked to clarify between a)Home raised by a junior and b)Home raised by a junior who is part of a larger operation, like Mollie and BRC. Their rationale was someone like Mollie has hundreds of calves to choose from. So, I further categorized these. I listed someone as a Home-Raised Junior as someone who’s parents are not full time Brahman breeders, or if they are, have been in the breed less than 10 years. I categorized “Home Raised – Part of a larger ranch” as kids like Mollie, the LaMuneca grandkids, Jaxson from Bulls Eye, etc.
- 44 of the home raised cattle were raised by juniors who are either first generation Brahman breeders or who’s parents have been doing it less than 10 years.
- 35 of the home raised cattle were raised by juniors who are part of a full time Brahman ranch.
- The median placing of a home raised calf was 4th place.
- 33 of the 72 females placing at the top three of the class were home raised. Also very interesting, and something our breed should be proud of.
- I did not have access to do the research as to the parentage of these home raised cattle, but I would guess that a large portion of these may be out of females that were originally a purchased show heifer for a junior. This is a testament to how you can make a good investment in a Brahman show female, and then she can be the foundation of your program for the future.
Brahman Show Heifers Purchased in Online Auctions
- The grand champion female sold in an online sale for $14,100. She was bred and sold by SRS Land and Cattle.
- One class winner, Miss HC Willow 157/1 also sold in an online sale for $14,600. She was bred and sold by Herzog Cattle.
- Based on Google search, there were 19 females out of 220 possible that placed in the top 10 of their class that have a price listed through a public auctions.
- The range of prices of heifers selling in online sales and placing in the top 10 at the All American ranged from a $3100 who placed 6th to a $108,500 heifer who also placed 6th.
- The median price of females sold from public auctions was $10,000.
- Most of the heifers that sold in online auctions ended up placing between the 4th through 6th spot, with 13 of the 19 heifers in this area of the class. These females sold from a range of $5250 to $108,500 with a median price of $10,400.
- The median placing of this group was 5th in class.
The Private Treaty Heifers
- 52 out of the 220 heifers that placed in the top 10 of their class were purchased private treaty from a ranch.
- Since these transactions are private, there is not as much data as to the actual purchase price. 15 head from this group were confirmed to be at a price point between $6000 to $15,000.
Other Heifers
- It is estimated that 30 of the 220 heifers placing in the top 10 of their classes were from some sort of loaner / sponsorship program. There were also 34 heifers that there was not enough data to categorize.
- The average placing of these type calves was 5th in class.
My Take-A-Ways
- Good Brahman cattle come in all shapes, sizes, and price points. Which is an amazing thing about our breed because it gives so many families and individuals a chance to compete, whether you’re buying on a budget or whether you’re a millionaire.
- Obviously this analysis is simply based on one show and one judges opinion and could be and probably will be completely different at the next show.
- Public auctions are very important because they help set the bar for acceptable private treaty pricing at the ranch.
- Home raised calves are winning. 36% of our top winners are home raised.
- The next best group is private treaty purchases, with 22% of the top 10 winners. This makes sense, because when you buy private treaty, the buyer often usually sees the animal in person. The seller can also help match up certain calves with certain showman based on facts like disposition, budget, etc. To me, this is a great option if you are serious about winning, because you take the time to really study the cattle, and find the best individual match for your capabilities.
- Most of these calves are sold right around weaning age. So, a BIG portion of the animal’s success is due to the management, feeding, and showmanship of the individual. This cannot be stressed enough.
If you like data analysis like this, here is a copy of my raw data.
| Placing | Marketing Notes |
| 1 | $14,100.00 |
| 1 | $14,600.00 |
| 1 | Home Raised |
| 1 | Home Raised |
| 1 | Home Raised |
| 1 | Home Raised |
| 1 | Home Raised |
| 1 | Home Raised |
| 1 | Home Raised |
| 1 | Home Raised |
| 1 | Home Raised |
| 1 | Home Raised |
| 1 | Home Raised |
| 1 | Home Raised |
| 1 | Loaned |
| 1 | Loaned |
| 1 | Loaned |
| 1 | Loaned |
| 1 | Purchased, Private |
| 1 | Purchased, Private |
| 1 | Purchased, Private |
| 1 | Purchased, Private |
| 1 | Purchased, Private Treaty, $6000 to $15,000 |
| 1 | Unknown |
| 2 | $63,750.00 |
| 2 | Home Raised |
| 2 | Home Raised |
| 2 | Home Raised |
| 2 | Home Raised |
| 2 | Home Raised |
| 2 | Home Raised |
| 2 | Home Raised |
| 2 | Home Raised |
| 2 | Home Raised |
| 2 | Home Raised |
| 2 | Home Raised |
| 2 | Home Raised |
| 2 | Loaned |
| 2 | Loaned |
| 2 | Loaned |
| 2 | Purchased, Private |
| 2 | Purchased, Private |
| 2 | Purchased, Private |
| 2 | Purchased, Private |
| 2 | Purchased, Private |
| 2 | Purchased, Private Treaty, $6000 to $15,000 |
| 2 | Purchased, Private Treaty, $6000 to $15,000 |
| 2 | Unknown |
| 3 | Home Raised |
| 3 | Home Raised |
| 3 | Home Raised |
| 3 | Home Raised |
| 3 | Home Raised |
| 3 | Home Raised |
| 3 | Home Raised |
| 3 | Home Raised |
| 3 | Home Raised |
| 3 | Loaned |
| 3 | Loaned |
| 3 | Loaned |
| 3 | Loaned |
| 3 | Loaned |
| 3 | Purchased, Online Auction, Price Hidden |
| 3 | Purchased, Private |
| 3 | Purchased, Private |
| 3 | Purchased, Private |
| 3 | Purchased, Private Treaty, $6000 to $15,000 |
| 3 | Purchased, Private Treaty, $6000 to $15,000 |
| 3 | Unknown |
| 3 | Unknown |
| 3 | Unknown |
| 3 | Unknown |
| 4 | $7,500.00 |
| 4 | $10,400.00 |
| 4 | $13,250.00 |
| 4 | $44,100.00 |
| 4 | $55,000.00 |
| 4 | $60,000.00 |
| 4 | $89,750.00 |
| 4 | Home Raised |
| 4 | Home Raised |
| 4 | Home Raised |
| 4 | Home Raised |
| 4 | Home Raised |
| 4 | Home Raised |
| 4 | Home Raised |
| 4 | Home Raised |
| 4 | Loaned |
| 4 | Purchased, Private |
| 4 | Purchased, Private |
| 4 | Purchased, Private |
| 4 | Purchased, Private Treaty, $6000 to $15,000 |
| 4 | Purchased, Private Treaty, $6000 to $15,000 |
| 4 | Unknown |
| 4 | Unknown |
| 4 | Unknown |
| 5 | $5,200.00 |
| 5 | $10,000.00 |
| 5 | $10,000.00 |
| 5 | Home Raised |
| 5 | Home Raised |
| 5 | Home Raised |
| 5 | Home Raised |
| 5 | Home Raised |
| 5 | Home Raised |
| 5 | Home Raised |
| 5 | Home Raised |
| 5 | Loaned |
| 5 | Loaned |
| 5 | Purchased, Private |
| 5 | Purchased, Private |
| 5 | Purchased, Private |
| 5 | Purchased, Private |
| 5 | Purchased, Private |
| 5 | Purchased, Online Auction, Price Hidden |
| 5 | Unknown |
| 5 | Unknown |
| 5 | Unknown |
| 5 | Unknown |
| 6 | $ 3,100.00 |
| 6 | $ 9,250.00 |
| 6 | $ 108,500.00 |
| 6 | Home Raised |
| 6 | Home Raised |
| 6 | Home Raised |
| 6 | Home Raised |
| 6 | Home Raised |
| 6 | Home Raised |
| 6 | Home Raised |
| 6 | Home Raised |
| 6 | Loaned |
| 6 | Loaned |
| 6 | Purchased, Private |
| 6 | Purchased, Private |
| 6 | Purchased, Private |
| 6 | Purchased, Private |
| 6 | Purchased, Private |
| 6 | Unknown |
| 6 | Unknown |
| 6 | Unknown |
| 6 | Unknown |
| 7 | $7,500.00 |
| 7 | Home Raised |
| 7 | Home Raised |
| 7 | Home Raised |
| 7 | Loaned |
| 7 | Loaned |
| 7 | Loaned |
| 7 | Loaned |
| 7 | Loaned |
| 7 | Purchased, Private |
| 7 | Purchased, Private |
| 7 | Purchased, Private |
| 7 | Purchased, Private |
| 7 | Purchased, Private |
| 7 | Purchased, Private |
| 7 | Purchased, Private |
| 7 | Purchased, Private Treaty, $6000 to $15,000 |
| 7 | Unknown |
| 7 | Unknown |
| 7 | Unknown |
| 7 | Unknown |
| 7 | Unknown |
| 8 | $3,300.00 |
| 8 | Home Raised |
| 8 | Home Raised |
| 8 | Home Raised |
| 8 | Home Raised |
| 8 | Home Raised |
| 8 | Home Raised |
| 8 | Home Raised |
| 8 | Loaned |
| 8 | Loaned |
| 8 | Loaned |
| 8 | Loaned |
| 8 | Loaned |
| 8 | Purchased, Private |
| 8 | Purchased, Private |
| 8 | Purchased, Private |
| 8 | Unknown |
| 8 | Unknown |
| 8 | Unknown |
| 8 | Unknown |
| 8 | Unknown |
| 8 | Unknown |
| 9 | $4,000.00 |
| 9 | $15,750.00 |
| 9 | Home Raised |
| 9 | Home Raised |
| 9 | Home Raised |
| 9 | Home Raised |
| 9 | Home Raised |
| 9 | Home Raised |
| 9 | Home Raised |
| 9 | Loaned |
| 9 | Purchased, Private |
| 9 | Purchased, Private |
| 9 | Purchased, Private |
| 9 | Purchased, Private |
| 9 | Purchased, Private Treaty, $6000 to $15,000 |
| 9 | Unknown |
| 9 | Unknown |
| 9 | Unknown |
| 9 | Unknown |
| 10 | $7,400.00 |
| 10 | Home Raised |
| 10 | Home Raised |
| 10 | Home Raised |
| 10 | Home Raised |
| 10 | Home Raised |
| 10 | Home Raised |
| 10 | Loaned |
| 10 | Loaned |
| 10 | Loaned |
| 10 | Purchased, Private |
| 10 | Purchased, Private |
| 10 | Purchased, Private |
| 10 | Unknown |
| 10 | Unknown |
