Alternative livestock economics

[RanchMan90]

With the cattle cycle at a current low and the sheep/goat market being pretty strong I thought it may be worth considering. I always keep a few around and they are a bigger part of the livestock industry in central/West Texas where my family is from. Stocking rate is 7:1 to that of cattle and I cull strictly on parasite resistance which has been a stumbling block in my humid climate. I generally figure on a 150% crop annually, breeding for 3 crops every 2 years and 50% twins. So for every calf I could raise 10 lambs/kids. Current market price is $2-2.50 per lb with 10 head weighing in @ 600-700 lbs. Input costs are very low but infrastructure such as fence is higher. Input on any other species also welcome.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I like your way of thinking.

 

[RanchMan90]

Thanks

 

[Kingfisher]

Thanks

There is a great article in this weeks Livestock weekly on Wool sheep labor,grazing, fiber and marketing.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I was thinking Boer goats for meat.

 

[RanchMan90]

Livestock weekly does have some good reads. A great article in there this week on Boer and Spanish goats this week too. I like dorper and dorper crossbred sheep for their low maintenance requirements and high rate of weight gain. Every climate will vary in best species and breed for that area.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I know less about goats than I do cattle which is pretty frightening.

 

[CottageFarm]

Hair sheep, for meat/milk, are a valid option also, imo. You lose the fiber market, but its a tough market to make any real money, and you don't have the added cost/labor of shearing.

 

[Bigfoot]

The maths works, nobody could deny that. I could literally fence a couple of hours a day, just to keep my cattle fences where they need to be. I'm thinking fencing a place the size of mine, to keep a goat in would be a task to monumental to even undertake. No harm intended to goat people, but that's not me.

 

[RanchMan90]

I agree on the task of fencing. For my application hair sheep will stay in a six barbed wire fence, I just added a couple wires to my antique artifact fencing. Goats on the other hand would require netting or 8 tight strands of barbed wire. I make them pay for the their added fencing and it sure couldn't hurt with broncky cattle I take in. I don't condone selling out cattle to get in the small ruminant business but it can be a decent supplemental income to keep the lights on.

 

[RanchMan90]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4f--V ... cslist_api a sales sheet for a registered sale in the Kentucky/Tennessee area. Commercial sales should be similar to prices I posted above.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Very interesting Ranchman.

 

[Brute 23]

The cattle market is low?

 

[5S Cattle]

:lol:

I know less about goats than I do cattle which is pretty frightening.

:lol: :lol: :lol: ain't that the truth. I know around my part of the country I'd turn em loose and the ones that didn't break out, over, or under the fence would get slaughtered by coyotes. The ones that survived would die by my lack of knowledge about what it takes to keep one alive. I'll stick to cows!

 

[farmerjan]

The cattle market is low?

:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: Guess you didn't notice???? :nod: :nod: :nod: Yep, it is a little off :cry2: :cry2: :cry2: :lol: :lol:

 

[City Guy]

As usual, I only know what I read, but for me it would be Katahdin Hair sheep and/or Kiko goats. I have 8-9 "favorite" breeds of cattle, but only one of sheep and one of goats. Boer goats, I read, are very high maintenance and highly susceptible to worms. Lots of hoof problems too.
On my fantasy farm I always have sheep grazing with or just behind the cows and goats on the steep timber land. When fescue heads out I bring in the goats ahead of the cattle and rest the timber pastures. There are just too many benefits to multi species grazing to ignore. Of course each case is different.

 

[TexasBred]

I know less about goats than I do cattle which is pretty frightening.

Me too and I have no intention of raising sheep and goats regardless of what the cattle market does. I think the Fenceman has raised both and done quite well with sheep and goats.

 

[Rafter S]

I know less about goats than I do cattle which is pretty frightening.

Me too and I have no intention of raising sheep and goats regardless of what the cattle market does. I think the Fenceman has raised both and done quite well with sheep and goats.

I have no doubt there's money to be made with sheep and goats. I'm just not interested in getting any of it.

 

[Lucky_P]

Around here, you'd get *maybe* a 2-yr 'honeymoon' period before the worms started killing off your goats/sheep in a major way... IF you managed to find any that weren't already harboring a population of worms that weren't already resistant to everything available... and after that, culling for parasite resistance would mainly entail dragging off the deads...

Then, there's the fencing issue...

 

[RanchMan90]

I went through the "honeymoon" myself in the Texas hill country learning from my old granddad who made an honest living from sheep and goats, and a few cows with a stocking rate of 25-30 acres per cow. Parasites were near nonexistent West of i35, and the fences were already established in that area. I came back to Oklahoma for the lower cost of living, bringing with me 200 head of put together sheep and goats that thrived in Texas. Out of that flock after culling and death loss I had 60 "survivors" left with parasite resistance that would stay in okie fences. The best thing I did was getting some genetics acclimated to my area.