Cattle

[3Ts]

I still can't wrap my mind around why someone would put so much effort and time into something knowing there is very little to no money to be made from such a business.

People do this all the time, in all areas of interest. It's called a hobby.

 

[beowulf]

People do this all the time, in all areas of interest. It's called a hobby.

I think that pretty much sums it up. It may not start out with the intent to have it just be a hobby, but it frequently ends up that way. And, all things considered, it is not a bad hobby - gets you up in the morning, some out of doors time, exercise, you keep your mind going by always learning, a great excuse to get some tractor seat time, and you will have a lot of stories. Thinking of it as a hobby that might make a dollar is better than thinking of it as a business which involves a lot of hard work and that "might" make a buck someday.

And, as related in the many stories in The Blue Zones, the heathiest and longest lived people all had a reason to get up and moving each day.

 

[jaxs]

They will keep you busy.

Get a load of them hind quarters. He's a pretty boy and look's to be ready for work before long. Did you produce him?

 

[aczlan]

I think that there is enough food for them that they don't put any pressure on the fences.

That is a huge thing that many people overlook. A herd of Critters of any kind will generally tends to stay put and stay together as long as they have enough food water and shelter to keep them happy. If they are not happy, you can have any fencing you want and you still have a hard time keeping them in.

Aaron Z

 

[EddieWalker]

That is a huge thing that many people overlook. A herd of Critters of any kind will generally tends to stay put and stay together as long as they have enough food water and shelter to keep them happy. If they are not happy, you can have any fencing you want and you still have a hard time keeping them in.

Aaron Z

I was told that goats would be a challenge to keep fenced in. I have them behind a vinyl three rail fence that they can get out of any time they want to. They are well fed, they love their house, and in 3 years, none have escaped.

 

[jaxs]

Couple of years ago I did some work for a guy that has 70 acres that he runs 30 or so mother cows and a single bull. He has it divided into three pastures. He feeds hay all winter long and lets them use all three pastures. Then in Spring, he keeps them in one pasture and lets the other two grow. He continues to feed hay, but it's nowhere near what he feeds them in the winter. Once he cuts one pasture for hay, he moves the cows into the other pasture that wasn't cut and lets the cut pasture and the one they where in before grow. He is able to cut and bale more then enough hay this way to feed them. While I was there, he swapped out his bull, and said that he is always looking for a better bull to trade with somebody.

He works full time driving a big rig and I have no idea what he makes driving the truck. It's not union, so whatever wages are for short haul is his main income. He has two brand new dodge trucks. A one ton duelly and a 3/4 ton loaded four door. While I was there, he bought a brand new Deere diesel UTV. The job that I did for him was a hundred grand for labor and materials. He pays cash for everything.

I know he's not making enough driving the truck to be able to buy what he does. He complained that there isn't very much money in cattle, but he also said that it's all cash and he makes enough at it to make it worth while. I have no idea how long it took to get to that point, but from the number of twins his cows had while I was there, and going off of his numbers of what they will sell for, it's an easy $50 grand a year profit that doesn't really account for expenses. He has to buy fuel for his big cabbed kubota, and he sprays the fields himself, so that costs something. I wasn't aware of any vet bills, and doubt he pays anybody to do anything. If he can't do it, it doesn't get done and the cow gets hauled to the sale barn. Fencing is all rusted out, but solid. I think that there is enough food for them that they don't put any pressure on the fences.

My thinking is that there is plenty of extra money to be made raising cattle if you have everything in place for them and enough pasture to feed them. Building up your herd with quality animals that produce twins every year that gain weight quickly so you can make the most money possible when you sell them will take a lot of time and money. What it costs to get to that point, and all the years it takes is where you lose so much money on livestock.

I'd like to hear more about breeding for twins,especially foundation animals. In my years with beef cows,dropping twins earned a one way ticket to auction unless it was one of the dairy cows kept around to nurse orphans. It sound's counterintuitive,but I've never met a cow man that celebrated twin beef calves so it come's as surprise that ranchers breed specifically with twins in mind.

 

[NTG]

Around here, large round bales go for $25.00-$30.00

Right now. I'm in the "heart of dixie" too and remember when we had that drought a couple years ago? It was going for $60/bale IF you could get it. People were trucking hay in from as far away as Texas, from what I heard and most of it was sold before it even got here. I'm not one of the "nay sayers" because I'm interested in this too, just be careful with your planning.

 

[EddieWalker]

I don't know the answer to that question. He was at work most of the time and a lot of what I was told was from his wife. I did see them single out several cows into pens to be hauled off because they didn't produce twin, or didn't have any calves at all. He switched bulls because he felt that the one he had wasn't doing a good enough job. To me, it seemed that his goal was to have cows the gave birth to twins as often as possible. While there, I saw this happen fairly often. And when a cow gave birth to a single calf, she would put it into their book and comment on what that cow had done in the past. Some had given birth to twins last year, but not that year. There was also a lot of talk about what they weighed and when they would sell to get the best price. The goal seemed to be to get a grand or more out of each calf when they sold it, but I don't remember what they had to weigh to do that, or what the price per pound was that they where getting.

 

[kenmac]

was talking to one of the old cattle farmers last night. Something I never thought about was the young bulls breeding with their mothers. He said as soon as they can, they will, and it isn't a good thing. He said he tries to catch the young bulls and cut them to prevent this from happening.
I just feel there is way more to this cattle stuff that I would have to learn. By the time I learn it. I will be too old to fool with it.

The gentleman I have been talking to about all this is 73 rs old. He isn't in the best of health.
He was telling me he do't know how much longer he'll be able to keep fooling with cows, but he is going to keep doing it as long as he can. If he were to get down where he can't handle them anymore. I suppose his wife will sell out and that will be the end of his cow business.
His sons help him from time to time, but care nothing about continuing with the cattle farming

 

[STERLING351]

Get a load of them hind quarters. He's a pretty boy and look's to be ready for work before long. Did you produce him?

Yeah hes a good size. He has produced several for us, we added some new young ladies to the herd last year so they are going on 2 years old. They are beautiful solid white so we are hoping for some more good calfs this coming year.