Best Approach

[JeffMills517]

I will soon (hopefully) be starting a herd on a 300+ acre farm in KY. I don't have a huge amount of capital to begin with but should have enough to get my facilities in order. I want to grass feed as much as possible. I haven't decided to go commercial or registered yet and I assume that will make a difference in the advice I get. But if I go commercial with an eye to eventually go registered. Which is the best approach? Buy a very small number of high quality animals and build up my herd from within? Or buy a decent amount of good mommas use good bulls and try to retain heifers from them? Or something else...

 

[JeffMills517]

Perhaps I should be a little more specifc...I want to breed Gelbvieh in some capacity. I'm trying to figure out the best way to go about this and still keep afloat finacially. I thought about getting a herd of commercial angus cows and breeding them to a Gelbvieh bull, then keeping replacement heifers and breeding them back to something for a terminal cross(simmental?) But I basically don't know if I'd be better off in the long run to start with a few really high quality Gelbvieh cows, OR to start with several commercial angus and build my way up from there. Basically it is a question of Quality vs. Quanity in the first few years...with the land/grass/facilities all being equal.

 

[IluvABbeef]

Since you don't have much capital to begin with I would personally think it would be logical to start small with a few excellent quality cows then build up from there: retain heifers, AI cows, etc. You can still go commercial if you buy registered cows, because after all, they're just cows after all.

Someone with a bit more experience and insight may come in on this, but that's my two cents.

 

[backhoeboogie]

The best approach is to find a mentor from your climate that is highly successful.

Equipment and facilities are a must and you don't have to start with the best.

Registered cattle work for some and not for others. Some things that work for me might not work for you. Some folks are in the business for ag exemptions on property. Some folks are in the business to make a living at it.

How much dedication do you have? Are you willing to adapt? Do you have any experience? There are many more such questions. Can you get along with other folks enough to partner up on equipment? Are folks going to trust you?

There is no way anyone can adequately advise you on career based desicions using information exchanges in forums.

If you can produce a product for what people are willing to pay, and make a profit at it, you'll make it.

My family was at this for several generations. I watched my own father go under back in the 80's because of drought. His father was his mentor and one of the best cattlemen I had ever known.

Nothing is sure.

 

[Kingfisher]

I will soon (hopefully) be starting a herd on a 300+ acre farm in KY. I don't have a huge amount of capital to begin with but should have enough to get my facilities in order. I want to grass feed as much as possible. I haven't decided to go commercial or registered yet and I assume that will make a difference in the advice I get. But if I go commercial with an eye to eventually go registered. Which is the best approach? Buy a very small number of high quality animals and build up my herd from within? Or buy a decent amount of good mommas use good bulls and try to retain heifers from them? Or something else...

Are you trying to make money or.....? Where does CAB come into the picture or ....?

 

[JeffMills517]

Kingfisher, I will be trying to make money, of course. Forgive me, I don't know what CAB stands for.

 

[IluvABbeef]

Kingfisher, I will be trying to make money, of course. Forgive me, I don't know what CAB stands for.

Certified Angus Beef

http://www.certifiedangusbeef.com/

 

[cow pollinater]

I think the Gelbvieh association offers a breeding up program where you can breed grade cattle back to registered bulls and eventually have registered cattle. That way you can start out commercial and work your way into registered cattle. If you go that route just make sure that you're REALLY picky about your grade cows (as well as the percentage cattle in future generations) and breed them to only the best bulls(AI is your freind). If you decide after a generation or two that registered cows are to much of a hassle, no problem, you've got a really good set of grade cows that you can breed back however you want and still get a quality calf.

 

[dun]

I think the Gelbvieh association offers a breeding up program where you can breed grade cattle back to registered bulls and eventually have registered cattle. That way you can start out commercial and work your way into registered cattle. If you go that route just make sure that you're REALLY picky about your grade cows (as well as the percentage cattle in future generations) and breed them to only the best bulls(AI is your freind). If you decide after a generation or two that registered cows are to much of a hassle, no problem, you've got a really good set of grade cows that you can breed back however you want and still get a quality calf.

And don;t forget it takes a long time to get them up to purebred status. Starting with the best grade cows and a couple of really good registered cows would be my method of going about it

 

[JeffMills517]

Has anyone here tried that method? Is it worth the time and effort?

 

[dun]

Has anyone here tried that method? Is it worth the time and effort?

When we moved to MO and started again that's the way we started. Still have one of the original commercial cows and her offspring plus the offspring of some of the first registered cows.

 

[bigbull338]

if you have some money to spend on cows heres what id do,find a local reg breeder willing to help you learn about bloodlines an help you pick out reg cattle.build your herd slowly with qualty cattle.an cull your heifer calves hard keepong only the very best.

 

[lynnmcmahan]

Who do you plan to sell to? I hate selling purebred to the sell barn. Also, I don't like selling at purebred sales that have 18 percent commission plus other fees and services. I'm thinking about going to the freezer market.

 

[JeffMills517]

Well, that's a good question...one I have thought about many times. Livestock auctions or private treaty from advertised sale is the only way I know how to sell.

 

[tom4018]

We started on the old family farm 12 or 13 years ago. Started with one cow and grew, still trying to improve the herd and get to what we want. We run some registered cows about 1/3 registered and 2/3 commercial. We have sold a few registered head private treaty, but most of the calves just go to the salebarn. We got a lot of help from some neighbors and friends to gain knowledge and then made a lot of mistakes, still learning too.
What area of Ky?

 

[JeffMills517]

I live in Hopkins County. It's western KY. What do you breed?

 

[tom4018]

I live in Hopkins County. It's western KY. What do you breed?

We are in Butler county, near Bowling Green. We have Angus, plus the comercials. Daughter has a couple registered Gelbvieh.

 

[Cattleman200]

Jeff, you have some really good responses to your topic. I will offer another approach that some will like and some might not prefer. I would start with a few really good commercial cows and find a reliable moderate priced supplier of quality embryos to try. I have several clients that are very happy with the results and the calves they are getting doing this. One of the top embryologists I know lives in south central Ky.




Circle H Ranch

 

[tom4018]

Jeff, you have some really good responses to your topic. I will offer another approach that some will like and some might not prefer. I would start with a few really good commercial cows and find a reliable moderate priced supplier of quality embryos to try. I have several clients that are very happy with the results and the calves they are getting doing this. One of the top embryologists I know lives in south central Ky.




Circle H Ranch

Which one you talking about, the one in Simpson co. or the one in Barren Co.?

 

[Cattleman200]

I guess its Simpson County but I am not sure. Spears is the one I am talking about.



Circle H Ranch