Seventy-two percent. That’s the average return on investment the flyer in my mailbox was promising if I installed new windows.
When my husband and I bought our home, we did so with the intention of making some improvements and selling it when we started to feel the growing pains children can add. Since then, with every improvement, I find myself wondering if we have spent our money wisely.
Sure, I dream about redoing the floors, maybe even replacing the cabinets at times, but the reality is we have spent most of our time and budget thus far on the not-so-fun stuff. Stuff like installing an air conditioning unit, cutting down dangerously overgrown trees, putting in fences, irrigation, and lots and lots of paint.
According to Remodeling Magazine, you’re less likely to recoup your investment in a major kitchen or bathroom remodel than you are to get back what you spend on basic home maintenance such as new siding or replacing the roof and windows. That’s not to say certain aesthetics don’t pay off, but if the furnace isn’t working or the roof is leaking, buyers probably won’t care how pretty the kitchen is.
This got me thinking about all the different investments on a cattle operation. Do some have a greater return on investment? From land to equipment, from technology to cows, the list of expenditures can go on and on. But of these purchases, many (much more accredited than I) have argued that the bull battery has one of the greatest impacts on a cow-calf operation.
Pulling from an article put together by Penn State Extension, we are reminded that if you maintain a closed herd, the genes entering the cow herd will come completely from the bulls you select. Furthermore, if you follow three generations of retained heifers, 87.5% of the genetic makeup of the females you return is the result of the last three bulls you purchased. Wowza, those better be some dang good bulls!
Of course, there are other investments that can have great returns, such as improving cow fertility, implanting calves, increasing the productivity of pastures and rangelands, furthering your education and more. However, with spring bull sale season in full swing, that example reminds us just how important it is to invest in genetics that will advance the quality and profitability of our operations. If you think about it, these bulls will sire calves that will be marketed in 2024, and if market signals prove right, calves could be worth a lot of money – and the right calves could be worth even more.
Input costs may be high, but those numbers show that skimping on your bull purchase might actually do more harm than good. As for me, I’m going to set aside those trending floor samples and, for now, replace my drafty windows. Real glamorous, I know.
