Does anybody make a living with cattle?

[ALACOWMAN]

I could be here 24/7 and nothing happen.. But plan a trip one of them will pull a monkey shine...

 

[Brute 23]

I do not know of one single person who makes their living ranching. They are a few families that get by farming. The closest thing is some guys who ranch, bail hay, and have other equipment for hire. Most are propped up by large inheritance, O&G, or are retired.

Its impossible to make a living off cattle now days. The cost of living is too high and the margin on cattle is too low.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Yes. I have been digging into this, so no opinions here. Just the facts Man. Examples are:

cow/calf - several with over 100 cows, low debt, less than 25K family living expense
stocker - several with north/south connection and/or custom backgrounders who can take 2 or 3 wts.
back grounding - several with a semi to haul by product, but most of these went under in the 2014 to 2016 price collapse
feedlot - just one, he feeds his own grain, likes to buy green or chromed up calves
seed stock - several second or third generation operations with a lot of rep

 

[Stocker Steve]

Its impossible to make a living off cattle now days. The cost of living is too high and the margin on cattle is too low.

Sounds like G&O ruined ranching there. Time to move east or north. :cowboy:

 

[Brute 23]

There is no way you can start from scratch and live on 100 head.... any where. There is more to that story.

 

[Stocker Steve]

There is no way you can start from scratch and live on 100 head.... any where. There is more to that story.

Some inherit some land to keep the debt down, or send the wife in to town, but I started with a couple hand operated fencing tools, a lease, some disposable syringes, and a credit card advance. Made for an interesting ROE calculation.

 

[True Grit Farms]

There is no way you can start from scratch and live on 100 head.... any where. There is more to that story.

Depends on your lifestyle. Mr. Dan had 150 acres he bought after WWII, and 50 brood cows a Farmall gas tractor. I knew him for 20 years and never knew he had much of anything. He left his only nephew $840k cash, the land and cows.

 

[Brute 23]

There is no way you can start from scratch and live on 100 head.... any where. There is more to that story.

Some inherit some land to keep the debt down, or send the wife in to town, but I started with a couple hand operated fencing tools, a lease, some disposable syringes, and a credit card advance. Made for an interesting ROE calculation.

I don't think inheriting land and your wife working in town counts as living off ranching. We have those here too. Most of them are lazy, drunks who use their "ranch job" as an excuse not to get a real job.

 

[Brute 23]

The fact is if you are industrious enough now days to make a ranching operation work you are wasting your talents.

 

[Stocker Steve]

You are adding conditions with the "starting from scratch". That is a different thread.

The more detailed "make a living" questions are:
1) what is your family draw from the ranch?
2) how much capital does it take to make this living with cattle?
3) what are the big risks?
4) is it wise to invest that much in a cattle operation?

 

[Stocker Steve]

The fact is if you are industrious enough now days to make a ranching operation work you are wasting your talents.

You need to read "Cows Save The Planet" :idea:

 

[Brute 23]

You are adding conditions with the "starting from scratch". That is a different thread.

The more detailed "make a living" questions are:
1) what is your family draw from the ranch?
2) how much capital does it take to make this living with cattle?
3) what are the big risks?
4) is it wise to invest that much in a cattle operation?

Ok your right SS.

If you have a time machine... can go back to WW2... live on 25K a year... you can make it ranching full time.

Also, if you inherit all your stuff, find a sugar momma, and live on 25K a year... you can make it ranching full time.

The secret is out. Now every one knows.

 

[dun]

One local guy has been making his living of of cattle his entire life. He's my age now and was planning on selling out. A young friend of mine worked for him for about 5 years and was all set to buy him out but he changed his mind. Asked hi the other day why he had changed his mind and he said he couldn;t see being in debt for the next 30 years just to buy out the business.

 

[Aaron]

Most of the full time guys I know aren't lazy by any stretch, they just don't play well with others and get along with cows much better. Not hard to do if you don't mind lowering your standards and forget about keeping with the Jones's. But most of N. America has priced it's land out of value in terms of livestock. Just a few pockets left where land is cheap and decent to raise cattle.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Most of the full time guys I know aren't lazy by any stretch, they just don't play well with others and get along with cows much better. Not hard to do if you don't mind lowering your standards and forget about keeping with the Jones's. But most of N. America has priced it's land out of value in terms of livestock. Just a few pockets left where land is cheap and decent to raise cattle.

2x on cow/calf.
Need to look at a sell/buy side lines if land is not cheap in your area, and you are not willing to move.
Dairy expansion is currently driving land prices up here.

 

[Craig Miller]

Yes. I have been digging into this, so no opinions here. Just the facts Man. Examples are:

cow/calf - several with over 100 cows, low debt, less than 25K family living expense
stocker - several with north/south connection and/or custom backgrounders who can take 2 or 3 wts.
back grounding - several with a semi to haul by product, but most of these went under in the 2014 to 2016 price collapse
feedlot - just one, he feeds his own grain, likes to buy green or chromed up calves
seed stock - several second or third generation operations with a lot of rep

So you think you can't live on that? From data usa:

The median household income in Winston County, AL was $33,194 in 2015

 

[Stocker Steve]

So you think you can't live on that? From data usa:
The median household income in Winston County, AL was $33,194 in 2015

I know you can, and I know people that do. They burn wood, raise a lot of food, shop thrift stores, and drive used vehicles. But there are limits w/o going Amish. Insurance is getting to be a big challenge.

At some point you need to focus on more income, not on saving your way to prosperity. You can search the Farm Business Management cost and income numbers for ideas - - looking at the average net (not much) vs. the top 20%.

 

[cowgirl8]

Most of the full time guys I know aren't lazy by any stretch, they just don't play well with others and get along with cows much better. Not hard to do if you don't mind lowering your standards and forget about keeping with the Jones's. But most of N. America has priced it's land out of value in terms of livestock. Just a few pockets left where land is cheap and decent to raise cattle.

We've never lowered our standards and most people have to keep up with us. lol

 

[Caustic Burno]

So you think you can't live on that? From data usa:
The median household income in Winston County, AL was $33,194 in 2015

I know you can, and I know people that do. They burn wood, raise a lot of food, shop thrift stores, and drive used vehicles. But there are limits w/o going Amish. Insurance is getting to be a big challenge.

At some point you need to focus on more income, not on saving your way to prosperity. You can search the Farm Business Management cost and income numbers for ideas - - looking at the average net (not much) vs. the top 20%.

That income is not far from poverty.

 

[Aaron]

Most of the full time guys I know aren't lazy by any stretch, they just don't play well with others and get along with cows much better. Not hard to do if you don't mind lowering your standards and forget about keeping with the Jones's. But most of N. America has priced it's land out of value in terms of livestock. Just a few pockets left where land is cheap and decent to raise cattle.

We've never lowered our standards and most people have to keep up with us. lol

Your're probably not making a living with 60 cows either.