I will jump in with my 2 cents. It seems to me that the only way you can truly make it on the farm these days is to already have been in the business for several years and own your land,and equipment, or to have inherited the land and equipment, to be able to keep your head above water. Lets face it, farming is a luxuory and it is tough to get established.The small farm is just about gone by the wayside. Farmers like Bez, Caustic, Dun, and others are few and far between, and are what gives us the courage to keep plugging away trying to get to the point where the farm is self-sufficient. I have been "losing money" on the farm for the past few years trying to get established, but am able to use it as a tax break to keep a little more of my own money while getting things set up. I have been able to sell a few bulls along to help defray the cost of building my herd, but I am a long way from making a profit on my animals.I do not consider myself a "hobby farmer", because I do have set goals in mind, and intend to use the farm to supplement my retirement,and feed myself and my family. I have my land paid for, but I need more land for pasture and a hay meadow, it is not easy to come by. I have two tractors,one is paid for,the other is not,they are expensive as you all know,but are necessary to operate my farm.At present, it is cheaper for me to buy hay than it would be to buy the land and equipment to cut my own,although I realize that for several reasons I would be better off to have the equipment and land.
I raise good stock, probably not the best as genetics go, but I don't sell them for $100,000 apiece either. I hope to fill a niche by helping the commercial cattleman improve his herd with good Murray Grey Bulls and heifers.By and large, as most of you realize, the majority of cattlemen run less than 30 head, and try to make a profit by selling at the salebarn, and run mixed breed cattle,usually british and continental crosses,and have to work them by themselves.Not everybody has the benefit of family to help do the work around the farm, and more often than not, work an off-farm job to keep things going.
I am convinced that putting good english bulls (Murray Grey)on continental cows will result in BETTER cattle(hybrid vigour),that will do well at the salebarn and the dinner table.
The main problem with Murray Grey cattle is that they are relatively unknown as a breed,we do not have the marketing budget of the angus association (that benefits all angus breeders) as an example.But, in spite of this,mostly through word of mouth we are expanding.There are few cattle breeds that are as well dispersed or do as well as the Murray Grey,you do not see brahman in the north for example.Murray Greys do well in all climates and are found from Canada to South America, and now even in Africa.Thier docility is a true asset,especially for the small farmer/rancher that have to do most of the work themselves.Think about it, the Murray Grey is a composite of the most popular breed (angus) and one of the oldest breeds(shorthorn),and I feel that the combination is better than either of the parent breeds.When I decided to go into the cattle business,I knew that it would be a long haul.I researched several breeds before settling on this one,and I chose it because I felt it would better fit my operation and that the best chance for me to turn a profit (with just a few cattle)would be to raise seedstock.The docility of the breed enables me to work them by myself with less chance of a bull or cow blowing snot in my back pocket while trying to work them.I have a standard vaccination program and have been fortunate that I have not had any sick cows,and have had no calving problems.First time heifers are able to have calves unassisted and do so consistently,cows breed back on time becuase they are in good condition.I do not try to "starve" a profit out of them.Hopefully, by the time I retire from my "other job", I will be able to devote full time to my enterprize, have things paid down, and be able to realize a profit from what I truly love.....cattle. And I will continue to look to the cattlemen on this board for guidance and advice. By the way, I have taken the plunge and am setting up a website here on cattletoday to help spread the word about this wonderful breed and my small but growing herd, so watch for it! ;-)
:cboy:
Sorry for the long post, I will get down of my soapbox now.