Evening Serenade

[fitz]

Nice pictures. Cattle look healthy and content.
Your earlier Bull threw some nice looking calves but by the looks of this guy at 21 months I bet you'll be pleased. I like him.

fitz

 

[Cross breeder #1]

If you don't mind my asking, Why only 15 cows to 80 acres? Trying to breed your own instead of buying? I respect this. However if it was mine I would have 2 groups, junk salebarn cows in one pasture and these good cows in a different one. Bull wouldn't have to be as good either. The salebarn clunkers would help finance the registered herd.

 

[inyati13]

If you don't mind my asking, Why only 15 cows to 80 acres? Trying to breed your own instead of buying? I respect this. However if it was mine I would have 2 groups, junk salebarn cows in one pasture and these good cows in a different one. Bull wouldn't have to be as good either. The salebarn clunkers would help finance the registered herd.

Currently, I am leaving a lot of grass on the table. Many on here lament my under-stocking rate. But there are several reasons. I have been at it since 2010. I began with 4 cows and a dozer. In the beginning this farm had poor pastures and most were grown up in trees and bushes. The improvements have exceeded my expectations and many who never thought this farm could be this productive. It has been a learning experience finding out what the carrying capacity of the pastures are and how much hay I need. I purchase 70% of my hay. I am now at a point where I understand what my pastures can produce. The renovated pastures have reached stability. I never want to push the stocking capacity. This farm has mostly hillside pastures and once you start erosion on steep hillsides, it is difficult to control. I will probably never exceed 20 cows. In regard to having herds in both pastures, I have 3 pastures: north, central and south pastures. I have a bull pen and a breeding pasture. I have a central shop, hay barn and cattle handling facility. I would rather do limited rotational grazing and stockpiling of grass than occupy all pastures at the same time.

 

[Nesikep]

Granted our climates and fields are very different, but I have 23 mommas and have about 50-60 acres in productive land, and about 20 to 30 of those are in need of rejuvenation badly.. I make about 3000 bales of hay (80 lbers) a year, and sell about 1200 of them a year... I'm quite sure you could go over 20 mommas and produce your hay for them.. The biggest thing is to not give them more than about 4 acres at a time otherwise they get bored and damage the pasture. I'm sure that in time you'll find what your happy medium is, I'm suspecting it'll be more than 20 though.