amount of land per head of cattle

[Anonymous]

do any of you graze 30-75 head of cattle on small tracts of land and feed hay instead of providing grazing ground. i know here in arkansas we can graze 1 pair per acre or so. i was wondering if you could raise 40-50 head on 20 acres if you feed hay year round. good cheap cattle ground is getting hard to find

 

[J Baxter]

I personally run one head per acre, but I like you have been debating this. In my experience hay is much cheaper than land. I know one man who runs about 100 7w on 10 acres. He doesn't have any disease problems, but he isn't calving them either.

Where are you at in good ole AR?

 

[hillbilly]

I once heard of a man in Kansas that had 120,000 head of steers on 86 acres....I think he called it a "food lot?"
William

 

[J Baxter]

That's only 31 sq ft per head. They must have had to take turns breathing. Then again if I was stuck with 120,000 head on 86 acres I think I'd just hold my breath. :shock:

 

[la4angus]

That's only 31 sq ft per head. They must have had to take turns breathing. Then again if I was stuck with 120,000 head on 86 acres I think I'd just hold my breath. :shock:

Try 310 Sq ft per hd.

 

[J Baxter]

86*43560=3,746,160
3,746,160/120,000=31.21
Is my arithmetic wrong?

 

[la4angus]

86*43560=3,746,160
3,746,160/120,000=31.21
Is my arithmetic wrong?

Oooppss. My Mistake. I had the decimal in wrong place. Glasses needed cleaning.

 

[Anonymous]

86*43560=3,746,160
3,746,160/120,000=31.21
Is my arithmetic wrong?

Oooppss. My Mistake. I had the decimal in wrong place. Glasses needed cleaning.

i dont know laangus... i get 31 too... ???

120,000/86=1395 head per acre 43560/1395=31

jt

 

[jt]

86*43560=3,746,160
3,746,160/120,000=31.21
Is my arithmetic wrong?

Oooppss. My Mistake. I had the decimal in wrong place. Glasses needed cleaning.

i dont know laangus... i get 31 too... ???

120,000/86=1395 head per acre 43560/1395=31

jt

forgot to log in and now i see that i was mixed up on who said what???

lol my error

jt

 

[la4angus]

86*43560=3,746,160
3,746,160/120,000=31.21
Is my arithmetic wrong?

Oooppss. My Mistake. I had the decimal in wrong place. Glasses needed cleaning.

i dont know laangus... i get 31 too... ???

120,000/86=1395 head per acre 43560/1395=31

jt

forgot to log in and now i see that i was mixed up on who said what???

lol my error

jt

It is hard to believe. That amounts to less than a 4 ft X 8 ft. area per head; Or an area the size of a sheet of plywood.I would have to think that maybe run 120,000 per year, but turning over 3 to 3 1/2 times per year on a 90 to 100 day feeding period.

 

[Larry Sansom]

do any of you graze 30-75 head of cattle on small tracts of land and feed hay instead of providing grazing ground. i know here in arkansas we can graze 1 pair per acre or so. i was wondering if you could raise 40-50 head on 20 acres if you feed hay year round. good cheap cattle ground is getting hard to find

If you use Intensive Rotational Grazing - moving the temp. fence 1-3 days, letting the grass rest and grow a month or so before returning, you can graze an amazing number of cattle/ acre. Get your grass in as good a condition as possible - pay more for grass seed and fert. - then start rotating pastures. Do not overgraze - when it gets dry, you might have to feed hay, better to do that than hurt your grass production. You must think "grass farmer" and not "cattle farmer". Idea - our area is also getting rather pricey on land - have found I can rent land much cheaper than ever can buy it. Especially when these city boys get tired of mowing those acres and want me to mow it with my cattle!

 

[Double R Ranch]

I have also found that in rotating pastures the grass grows better so there can be more head per acre. I was always told, 1 pais per acre during the dry season and 2 pair per acre durring the green season. I have found this to be somewhat accurate if you are like me and don't want to feed hay. Rotating pastures defonitly makes a difference around here.