Beef Cattle Farming Basics

[THECowGirl]

Where do you sell Your beef cattle? Do you have contracts or do you sell them at Producers?

I did find one place to sell to. Will have more info on it in a couple of days.

Before I jump in to deep I want to make sure Ill be able to make money. If that makes sense at all. Im not looking to get rich or nothing, I just enjoy farming and being around the animals and want to make a living at it.


So am I nuts or can I make enough to live off of. OH and My husband works also and will be helping out on the farm.

Theres no one around here close to talk to about it so I went looking for info and found this board. I hope you all can help me and give me some advice.

 

[flaboy]

Where do you sell Your beef cattle? Do you have contracts or do you sell them at Producers?

I did find one place to sell to. Will have more info on it in a couple of days.

Before I jump in to deep I want to make sure Ill be able to make money. If that makes sense at all. Im not looking to get rich or nothing, I just enjoy farming and being around the animals and want to make a living at it.


So am I nuts or can I make enough to live off of. OH and My husband works also and will be helping out on the farm.

Theres no one around here close to talk to about it so I went looking for info and found this board. I hope you all can help me and give me some advice.

Lot's has been said on this subject on this board. You may want to search the site a little. Basically making money is not easy for an upstart cattle operation. Infrastructure is a big cost to getting started. Pens, cattle, trucks, trailers, tractors, and the list goes on and on. Can you make money? Much depends on where you are today. Currently ALL of my money from the farm goes right back into it plus plenty from my other job. This is mainly due to my three year rebuild plan. After more than 20 years everything basically needs to be rebuilt or replaced. Can it be done? Yes. Is it easy? No. My suggestion is to start small, learn, and build up.

Where do I sell my cattle? At the sale barn. Some of my friends have contracts but they also are selling hundreds of head per year.

I am sure you will get many more replies on this subject so hang in there and learn..

 

[dun]

From the marketing aspect, you might want to check with your local extension service. Your state/area may have a producer comingle type of program.

dun

 

[Susie David]

Welcome THEcowgirl...can't stress Flaboy's advise enough....start small and learn...we started selling our beef to family and friends and have remained small, we sell on average 24 head a year, some feeders and some our own stock.
Enough to pay for itself and keep me from having to get a outside job (Susie is a full time nurse)...pay as you go, it will save your butt if you decide that the cattle business isn't what you really wanted to do.
Keep on asking questions there is a wealth of knowledge freely shared on these boards....good luck, Dave Mc

 

[Bama]

Biggest advice I could give is don't "expect " to make a profit. If you do then its a bonus. If you don't have any infrastructure use the little profit you make to build up over the next 5 years. After that you will still have to put back into your herd if you plan on growing, but you will see a "little" return by then. Keep excellant records. Everthing you buy down to a single nail needs to be counted as a expense for tax purposes. Good luck and welcome to the boards.

 

[RainMan]

Speaking from a newbie's viewpoint. In the beginning I too had ideas of making a little money at this hobby....but that soon faded away. Simply recooping the cost of building a modest infrastructure would take me years, not to mention the cost to purchase and maintain the animals. I know my expectations should have been different in the beginning, because believe me, they are now.

Have a lot more repect for the people that make a living at this now. Don't know why they put so much work into it other than they must love what they are doing. Hats off boys and girls.

Good luck. Wish you nothing but the best.
CW

 

[ollie]

In some parts of the country it is difficult to start from scratch , own what you need ,and even make a cattle operation service it's own debt. Other parts of the country it is impossible. Renting you usually stand a better chance in the begining of making it but usually the real "profit" in ranching is the appreciation of the land.

 

[stocky]

Welcome to the life of cattle farming. I hope you find as much enjoyment and fulfillment as most of us on this board. It is very good advice to start small and learn as you go. The best advice I can add is dont spend any more money on equipment than is absolutely necessary. I winter around 500 beef cows and their calves each winter and feed between 1200 and 1500 round bales of hay per year and I own a basic Long tractor and loader that cost about 25 thousand less than a John Deere would and I use a 1990 beat up 4 wheel drive pickup with a bale spear to do all that feeding. It would be easy to spend 200,000 on new tractors and hay equipment and have all fancy equipment, but none of that is necessary and I have known many friends that went bankrupt trying to have nice, fancy equipment. Buy your cattle when they dont look their best and sell your cattle when they look the best they will ever look. I sell all my cattle at the sale barn or cattle auction, whichever term you use there. We have about 20 cattle auction barns within 75 miles of my house, and certain barns are better for selling certain types of cattle. When you sell your cattle at an auction, always go and watch them sell and be prepared to bid and buy them back if they dont bring what you feel is a fair price. Many people just send them and dont watch them sell and are at the mercy of the whims of the buyers at the moment. The people who do this get taken advantage of quite often. You are the only one whom you can depend on to watch out for your best interests---that is a very important lesson to learn. Best of luck and there are lots of great people here who can help you with whatever situations come up---feel free to ask or add your thoughts

 

[msscamp]

Where do you sell Your beef cattle? Do you have contracts or do you sell them at Producers?

We have a contract or two, we also sell private treaty, to producers, and at the sale barn. Just depends on who is looking for what.

I did find one place to sell to. Will have more info on it in a couple of days.

Before I jump in to deep I want to make sure Ill be able to make money. If that makes sense at all. Im not looking to get rich or nothing, I just enjoy farming and being around the animals and want to make a living at it.

It is possible to make money, but usually not a lot of it, and in this day and age it isn't easy.


So am I nuts or can I make enough to live off of. OH and My husband works also and will be helping out on the farm.

If it's just you and your husband and your not extravagant, you may be able to make enough to live off of in time. Since you are inexperienced at ranching/farming, I wouldn't quit my day job just yet. All it takes is one disaster to totally muck up the works and the years profit.

Theres no one around here close to talk to about it so I went looking for info and found this board. I hope you all can help me and give me some advice.

This board is great! Some of the advice will be a little gruff, some will not, but all of it is honest and sincere.

PS Welcome to the board!

 

[THECowGirl]

Thank you everyone!

We are working on getting a gov. loan right now and Finding meat contracts.

I agree with everyone who talked about the equipment, I think its nuts to spend so much money on brand new john deeres or Allis Chambers :lol: Had to throw that in there cause thats what my husband wants. But anyhow thanks everyone! Im going to read through the site and see what else I can learn!! :heart: Liz

 

[Aero]

Stocky,

where do you get your hay from? do you grow/harvest it? if so, what kind of equipment are you using for that?
if you buy it, the price has to be killing your bottom line doesn't it?
does the hay supply vary alot from year to year?

 

[Stocker Steve]

Making a profit with the current prices is a major challenge. The selling price of land does not have any relationship to ranching or farming. Owners with crop or pasture ground in my area are getting $65 per acre CRP payments to put the land into trees. Owners with timbered land too poor to farm are getting up to $1500 per acre from recreational buyers.

Making a profit on cattle with rented land is possible - - but you need to find owners who do not like goverment hand outs and do not plan to sell soon.

 

[stocky]

Aero, I buy all my hay. I buy it in June and sometimes I buy it in April or May before it is even hay season. I have bought 1300 round bales this year, all of it either 4x6 or 5x6 and it is all net wrapped. The most I have paid is 18 but most of it I paid 15 dollars per bale. This is all fescue/orchard grass/clover hay and there are a few hundred second cutting which has some prime johnsongrass in it that hasnt gone to seed yet. Right now, the hay in my area is selling for around 25 dollars per bale, if you can find it, because of the severe drought. There are some years you can buy it cheaper late in the year, but not usually. There is no way I could begin to grow my own hay and put it up with the cost of fertilize and fuel for even 20 dollars, much less 15. Also, I can run alot more cattle if i pasture those hay fields instead of using them for hay. There has never been a problem finding hay close as long as I do it early, it is when you wait until August or later that you can get in a bind for supply

 

[chiefgriz]

I can personally tell you that the taxes I save by raising a few head of cattle is weel worth it alone. The difference in yearly taxes to have my 80 acres on ag exemption is about $5000 savings. Me and my brother-in-law both work this property to try and maximize our profit. Even with the land already owned, the equipment, (except for hay bailing implements,) we will just now after 3 years start to see some profit. I have a 10 acre coastal field that we bale hay from. I would prefer to run cattle on it versus baling, but the fences are in need of repair. (time and money) We plant about 20 acres in wheat for the winter (fertilizer and seed same thing). If no rain comes, waste of money.Without even considering the upfront cost of the cattle, in my opinion, most of your planning should be efficiency in feeding. As for the cattle, We went to the auction and bought some older cows that were bred. We have gotten 2 calves per cow out of these cows and added a couple of heifers we bought along the way. We sold 5 out of 7 of the original cows and now have 13 young heifers all starting to calve now. Like other people have said, theres a lot of time put into raising cattle, so unless its something you enjoy, I would not dive in to deep. If you can put enough meat in the freezer for your family, and have a few bucks in your pocket at the end of the year from the profits, youre doing good.

 

[flaboy]

Thank you everyone!

We are working on getting a gov. loan right now and Finding meat contracts.

I agree with everyone who talked about the equipment, I think its nuts to spend so much money on brand new john deeres or Allis Chambers :lol: Had to throw that in there cause thats what my husband wants. But anyhow thanks everyone! Im going to read through the site and see what else I can learn!! :heart: Liz

Well, a man has to have his toy's. :lol:

 

[THECowGirl]

I can personally tell you that the taxes I save by raising a few head of cattle is weel worth it alone. The difference in yearly taxes to have my 80 acres on ag exemption is about $5000 savings. Me and my brother-in-law both work this property to try and maximize our profit. Even with the land already owned, the equipment, (except for hay bailing implements,) we will just now after 3 years start to see some profit. I have a 10 acre coastal field that we bale hay from. I would prefer to run cattle on it versus baling, but the fences are in need of repair. (time and money) We plant about 20 acres in wheat for the winter (fertilizer and seed same thing). If no rain comes, waste of money.Without even considering the upfront cost of the cattle, in my opinion, most of your planning should be efficiency in feeding. As for the cattle, We went to the auction and bought some older cows that were bred. We have gotten 2 calves per cow out of these cows and added a couple of heifers we bought along the way. We sold 5 out of 7 of the original cows and now have 13 young heifers all starting to calve now. Like other people have said, theres a lot of time put into raising cattle, so unless its something you enjoy, I would not dive in to deep. If you can put enough meat in the freezer for your family, and have a few bucks in your pocket at the end of the year from the profits, youre doing good.

Yup its something me and my husband both enjoy immensly, or I wouldnt even consider pursuing it. My husband worked on a dairy farm(and a pig farm too he hated that!)in high school. Hes got farming in his blood and so do I! We got a taste of it and now cannot wait to jump in ourselves. We wont be doing a dairy, So it will be a bit different.

 

[MoGal]

You don't say if you already have your land or have the land rented but that would be my suggestion (to get your land in place first).

That's one of the mistakes I've already made. Currently I pay $7.50 per cow/calf pair per month for pasture, $7.00 per dry cow, and $6.50 per heifer (up until they get 700 pounds). I originally only planned on having 10 cows so I figured that wouldn't be too much of an expense.... well I've expanded more than I had planned and now I'm looking to rent pasture close to home (I'm hoping I can rent the 25 acre field behind my house but have called twice and no reply back yet so I'm not holding my breath for that). Pasture rent varies so much, my niece and her husband have rented 300 acres (240 acres tillable) for $140 month but its 85 miles away, otherwise I'd talk to them about splitting it. Part of my joy of having the cattle is getting out and walking amongst them. In the summer I see em about 2-3 times a week and in the winter every day.

As far as buying land, in this area cheap land is $3500 an acre (and that's if you buy it in a 75 - 100 acre tract) so that's not an obtainable option for me (well maybe if I won the lottery, but I keep forgetting to play it).

My horses and bottle calves are here at home.

Also I think someone else said they started with older cows, and I think that's an excellent suggestion as you can buy short solids in 2nd/3rd stage cheaper than the 2-7 yr olds plus you won't have to worry about them calving (unless its a hereford bred to a beefmaster, that is how I got one of my bottle calves).

Best of luck to you and there are a lot of super good people on here (this board has a way of becoming habit forming, my day isn't complete unless I come here and believe me I've read ALL the pages on the beginners, feed/nutrition and breeds forum, gives one several hours of reading lol)

ps... if its steer calves or old/undesirable cows, they get shipped to West Plains auction as their prices are higher than the local auction barns in this area but there's always a demand for good cows, cow/calf pairs or bulls that they get sold privately.

 

[certherfbeef]

You mentioned selling at Producers. The just went bankrupt. Might want to re-think that one.

You also said that there is no one around you to talk to. Why is that? What part of the state are you in?

 

[THECowGirl]

Im in marion county. There are a few beef farms around. One Is owned by a guy went to school with- I will probably talk to Himin the next few days. I had NO idea about producers!!! The whole company went under? What is going to happen with them now?

I have some land set up right now we are filling out the paperwork and loan applications. that sounds an awful lot just to keep your cows on some land. We considered renting a farm- But nothing ever came up.

 

[dun]

That's one of the mistakes I've already made. Currently I pay $7.50 per cow/calf pair per month for pasture, $7.00 per dry cow, and $6.50 per heifer (up until they get 700 pounds).

I may be looking at it wrong, but to me it seems that 30 cents a day is pretty cheap for pasture.

dun