Can it work?

[casey k]

ok, so i have kind of a dilemma, last fall my granddad sold all of his calves. And from what i was told he had put all the money from the calves back so we could buy hay this year. well come to find out he had spent all of the money. Well he turned the ranch over to me this year, and the worst part is right now we are in a big drought here in southwest missouri, pastures are dead, just about everyone got one cutting of hay but no one is selling any, and the ones that are selling is asking $50 or higher per bale. Well we were running about 100 head of momma cows until my granddad had found out from the doctor that he only had a couple of months to live, so now he is in this big panic and decided to sell all of his cows which left me with about 40 head. I have about 55 bales of hay left over from last winter, and like i said hay is selling for $50 or higher per bale which i cannot afford right now. So I'm stuck between a rock and a hard spot, so should i try to make it through all of this with what cows i have left or should i just sell it all? because we have no ran in the forecast for the next 15 days. I could really use some good advice cause my head is spinning in circles.

 

[Ouachita]

Not enough info to know your situation or experience, but you sound like you are a bit new this, like me. If so, I would cull 10 or 12 head. That will pay for whatever expenses it will take to "weather the drought" (for a while), and buy hay/feed/suppliments. Find someone local who can help you make the decisions on which ones to cull, if you are not comfortable doing that yourself. This advice assumes you want to keep the cattle, and also assumes that you have intentions of improving your forage in the future.

 

[SSGenetics]

Buy hay or sell the cows... Sounds like your only options. :2cents:

 

[cross_7]

sorry to hear about your grandad.
spent as much time with him as you can, he probably needs you right now

 

[denvermartinfarms]

just in marshfield last week we are fairly close to you south about 60 miles. and in the same shape no rain hay production way down and almost out of grass but it will rain it always does and it alway will hopefully soon enugh. i never think selling all your cows is a good idea if you can get hay i would buy hay and keep them as long as you can but i may not know enough about your pesonel situation that is what i would do. even if you had to feed your 50 bales before winter for me 30 momma cows eat about a bale a day so you might only need 150 bales for winter so i think it would be worth say 7500 dollars in hay to keep them. good luck just trying to help with some of my thoughts

 

[dun]

Select about your best d0zen younger cows and find someone thta can haul the rest to a salebarn that isn;t affected by this current dry spell. Hay the ones you have left. This whole area is pretty well hammered right now with no rain so anything close by is going to doc the cows cause they won;t have anymore grass thnee you do. You want to sell down while they are still in good flesh.

 

[SRBeef]

ok, so i have kind of a dilemma, last fall my granddad sold all of his calves. And from what i was told he had put all the money from the calves back so we could buy hay this year. well come to find out he had spent all of the money. Well he turned the ranch over to me this year, and the worst part is right now we are in a big drought here in southwest missouri, pastures are dead, just about everyone got one cutting of hay but no one is selling any, and the ones that are selling is asking $50 or higher per bale. Well we were running about 100 head of momma cows until my granddad had found out from the doctor that he only had a couple of months to live, so now he is in this big panic and decided to sell all of his cows which left me with about 40 head. I have about 55 bales of hay left over from last winter, and like i said hay is selling for $50 or higher per bale which i cannot afford right now. So I'm stuck between a rock and a hard spot, so should i try to make it through all of this with what cows i have left or should i just sell it all? because we have no ran in the forecast for the next 15 days. I could really use some good advice cause my head is spinning in circles.

Number one thing is to not panic. From the sound of your post YOU have lots of time, your grandad does not. Don't fault him for selling the calves etc. As Dun says, if they are truly your cows, sell them down to the best 10 or 12 you are sure you can care for well with little stress. You have lots of time to rebuild. You can make a plan when things calm down and you can decide what you really want to do in the future.

In the meantime selling 25-30 cows should provide a cushion. And put the money in a separate "Farm" checking account, don't let it slip through your fingers. Problem may be there are a lot of claims on that cash. But don't want to get personal. If your granddad feels that is his cash, give it to him. Just reduce your stress level until you can come up with a longer term plan.

Right now concentrate on your granddad. And make sure you thank him for the gift he has probably worked on for a long time.

How about sitting down with your Granddad and asking his advice and come up with a plan for the future of the cattle operation together? Tell him your concerns. He might have some good suggestions.

jmho.

Jim

 

[novatech]

My experience with the drought down here in Texas is that people did sell off their cattle as the grass depleted. Unfortunately they still ended up with no grass and no cattle. Those that held some cattle still have no grass and are still feeding. Thinning of herds must be done well before the grass is is gone.
In my opinion the problem is actually started with normal stocking rates. Generally the stocking rates are as if nothing was ever going to happen. I was taught at an early age to never stock a pasture with more than 75% keeper stock. The other 25% is used for stockers, hay, stockpiled forage, etc.
If you hold stock and the grass has completely stopped growing the cattle that are left will eventually eat it. This leaves no protective cover on the ground. The grass dies. If and when the rain comes you will have already lost most of the good grass and the pasture will be overcome with weeds. This translates to another year of no pasture and replanting. Not to mention all the money spent on feed for the remaining cattle. I could seen some cases where some foundation stock would be worth keeping and even some cows that have earned the right to stay on either for emotional reasons or whatever but sorry, unless they are really some very high dollar cattle to begin with the economic are just not their.
Now get out the crystal ball and predict when the rain will come back.

 

[bigbull338]

your in a bad way looking at a drought with 50 bales of hay.the 1st thing you need todo is cull every cow over 7yrs old.an sell all the calves that are 300lbs an over.an then start feeding them something like range meal or protine tubs along with 2 bales of hay a week.

 

[casey k]

thanks for everyones advice. I tried to talk to my granddad and that did not work, all he kept saying was he was out of the cattle business. but i have decided to sell off most of my cows for several reasons. but im hoping i can rebuild my heard next spring. but thanks to everyone that sent me advise. but im about to put up another post about some more advise that i sure can use lol

 

[1982vett]

My experience with the drought down here in Texas is that people did sell off their cattle as the grass depleted. Unfortunately they still ended up with no grass and no cattle. Those that held some cattle still have no grass and are still feeding. Thinning of herds must be done well before the grass is is gone.
In my opinion the problem is actually started with normal stocking rates. Generally the stocking rates are as if nothing was ever going to happen. I was taught at an early age to never stock a pasture with more than 75% keeper stock. The other 25% is used for stockers, hay, stockpiled forage, etc.
If you hold stock and the grass has completely stopped growing the cattle that are left will eventually eat it. This leaves no protective cover on the ground. The grass dies. If and when the rain comes you will have already lost most of the good grass and the pasture will be overcome with weeds. This translates to another year of no pasture and replanting. Not to mention all the money spent on feed for the remaining cattle. I could seen some cases where some foundation stock would be worth keeping and even some cows that have earned the right to stay on either for emotional reasons or whatever but sorry, unless they are really some very high dollar cattle to begin with the economic are just not their.
Now get out the crystal ball and predict when the rain will come back.

Thinking they are two years behind us....the grass should bounce back pretty well if the rain returns soon....(for the third, fourth, or fifth time your just SOL on that)

Sell the cows now while the price is still good. Save your hay or buy some (if you have shelter for it) and wait till everyone else floods the local market with thin cows, no hay and no more money to buy any. Hopefully by then you might some forage grown or would be in your normal winter cycle and can buy some of these thin cows...Then be prepaired to sell these back to those that think the drought is over when it rains next spring.
;-)

Treat your cows like you are trading stock in the stock market. You dont' fall in love with a stock and keep it just cause - don't fall in love with your cows either.

PS>>>$50 hay is cheap