Welcome to the forums! This is an excellent one-stop resource for just about any questions you would have. Bottle calves are a lot of work. Easiest way to ease into the business, is to buy some weaned calves this spring when you get grass, and let them grow til about this time next year, then sell them. You won't have to worry about hay and feed over the winter this way.
You will not supplement your income on bottle calves!
How many of your 10 acres are pasture? And how many acres do you share with a neighbor? You are both gonna runs cattle on the shared pasture? How many head does the neighbor run on it already?
I am in Montgomery and get a small discount because I work part-time at the feed store. I spend just over $50 per bag of non-soy milk replacer and bottle feed for 3 months. One very sad mistake has me at weaning no sooner than 3 full months. Sometime before Thanksgiving or after the new year I was expecting to send a 1 year old steer and a non-producing heifer to auction. Steer is about 600-700 pounds now and the heifer is 900 with prices running about 2.15-2.25 per pound. I buy weaned, and look hard for bottle calves, because for under $200 in milk replacer and basic vacs, I get an enormous return a year later. If I pay for bottle calves (sometimes they're free,) its from 150-225. Still the return is good. I'm still gathering heifers of course and when the grass is growing, there are no feed costs except for certain animals that need a boost.
Sounds like you have a plan !
Together we have about 20 acres. Most are cross-fenced for rotational grazing cows. I think we have about10 head total. We also have some horses kept separately that are freeloaders. One of my mares is going to training for cow work after the new year. She could become an income-earner too. We'll see.
Farmerjan I'm a statistics analyst for my day job, LOL! I know very little about the cattle industry but have learned a couple of things about animal husbandry over the years. Mostly, I am a nerd at heart and confident in applying something in one area to another with considerable research into the matter. I do have a LOT to learn. No way I am moving back to town!
Why did they close Montgomery Serum Co. because of the stockyard?
Tell me about your mare. How is she bred? And I sure do wish you would put your location on your profile
I doubt that. Still have midstate stockyard right down the road. Lived in this area all my life and been to Capital tractor many times and didn't even know that place was there right across the road from it. I would say from the lack of advertising and not visible from the main road is probably what did them in.
Please put your location (at least state) on your profile. We need a frame of reference to know what you are going through and location is important in knowing what you are working with.
