Beginners Business Plan

[Springfieldsimm]

Make money selling goats? Around here if your not careful people will just drop them off at your house. Best case scenario you can find someone willing to take them off your hands for free.

Just because it doesn’t work in your area doesn’t mean it won’t work in our area. I’d be glad if people dropped some off at my place.

 

[BLG31388]

Six cows on 12 acres is a pretty high stocking rate and that's if he uses all 12 acres to graze... unless he has very good pasture. Do they have that in central the

Cow calf is where's it at for me. It's the most challenging and yet most rewarding. But it takes the right setup. Biggest decision you have to make is how many .
Why are you doing this ?
For money or beef or hobby?

Definitely for the beef and for a hobby. Going into this, I figured if I can break even while filling my own freezer for free, then I'm doing pretty good.

 

[BLG31388]

One of the driving factors going into this, was learning something new, facing a challenge, but most importantly using this to teach my kids responsibilities. Yes, I do know how to use the hay equipment. I know 8 acres isn't much hay ground, but I do enjoy making hay.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

How about you have a few cattle at home and enjoy and get paid for cutting and baling other people's hay? When it's time to cut and bale everyone wants it done ASAP. I guess in central Ohio people get more than one cutting.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

I saw mention of buying a squeeze chute/headgate, trailer, concrete feeding pad, etc in here.

If your goal is to break even then it's doubtful any of those are feasible. Ha

If I was in that position I would probably fence the entire thing. Buy a couple weaned ~500 steers in the spring, graze them thru the growing season and sell when the grass slows down in the fall and they are ~800 or so lbs. Keep one or two to finish out on some bought hay and corn and have them processed and sold before winter. Then stay animal free all winter and do it again in the spring.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

As for custom baling hay for others you better have good reliable equipment that can produce with minimal downtime. Nobody pays good for rained on junk hay because you were broke down.

Also it's nearly impossible to do that with a full-time day job.

 

[Travlr]

One of the driving factors going into this, was learning something new, facing a challenge, but most importantly using this to teach my kids responsibilities. Yes, I do know how to use the hay equipment. I know 8 acres isn't much hay ground, but I do enjoy making hay.

Look... if you are going to be here asking questions it will help us all if you go to your profile and enter a general location. Most of the subject we discuss are weather, terrain, and latitude dependent. And thanks...

 

[Warren Allison]

Hello, I am a 31 year old factory worker who just bought his first piece of land. I want to use the land for some kind of cattle raising. The property is in central Ohio, and consists of 8 acres of hay feild, and 4 acres of fenced in pasture. The land came with all the equipment needed to continue doing hay, although I'm open to fencing off more of the property in the future. There is also a nice barn attached to the 4 acre pasture for shelter. My question is, what's the best route to go with this set up? Cow calf where I sell calves every year, or feeding cows out? And once fed out, selling quarters and half's, or sending them to my local live stock auction? Any advice is greatly appreciated. I didn't grow up in this life as my dad was a pastor, but I have the opportunity to raise my son this way, I just don't know where to start. Thank you in advance!

You will get both a lot more, and a lot more informative responses, if you will go back into your profile and add your location.

 

[StrojanHerefords]

I’m really not a fan of having a few cows for the purpose of educating kids. It is best if kids are doing real productive work. As a real career, I would recommend looking at doing meat processing. That is skilled work that is in short supply.

 

[Twisted]

Make money selling goats? Around here if your not careful people will just drop them off at your house. Best case scenario you can find someone willing to take them off your hands for free.

they sell for 3-4 hundred each here.

Anybody want to go in on a
goat drive? I'm in as long as we have a good chuckwaggon.

 

[G-W]

Hello, I am a 31 year old factory worker who just bought his first piece of land. I want to use the land for some kind of cattle raising. The property is in central Ohio, and consists of 8 acres of hay feild, and 4 acres of fenced in pasture. The land came with all the equipment needed to continue doing hay, although I'm open to fencing off more of the property in the future. There is also a nice barn attached to the 4 acre pasture for shelter. My question is, what's the best route to go with this set up? Cow calf where I sell calves every year, or feeding cows out? And once fed out, selling quarters and half's, or sending them to my local live stock auction? Any advice is greatly appreciated. I didn't grow up in this life as my dad was a pastor, but I have the opportunity to raise my son this way, I just don't know where to start. Thank you in advance!

Being from central PA, I believe we have similar climate and rainfall.
I’m working on 12 acres, and I’ve found that buying spring calves ( weaned in late summer),putting on the pasture until November, wintering them over on hay, letting them graze all summer works well. In the fall, I sell all but 2, (2 for finishing), and restock with calves. I’ve found that 6-8 head is the sweet spot on my place.
As far as hay is concerned, I’d make all your ground pastures, and sell the hay equipment. Around here, there are plenty of people selling hay, especially if you’re willing to buy it in the summer.
My biggest issue has been storage.
This works for me to provide meat for my family, and keep animals constantly on the property.
Good luck!