I think I'm a bit late here, and probably the last person to post on this thread, but I have to say this, you've been given some great advice. It seems like I'm the only young woman (21) on this board that is interested in raising cattle like you, but of course I could be wrong.
I've been lucky I've been raised on a farm and have experience with cattle, and have enjoyed it since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. Still do, even though things have changed with the passing of the main pillar of this family. I suggest like every one else get your degree under your belt, whatever it is, and get a day job to go with farming...nowadays its nigh impossible to be relying on farming/ranching income alone. You'll find it'll help in the long run.
With my degree in Animal Science, I know this degree, for me personally, will help me a lot with the choice of raising cow-calf pairs in the future. Not only that, but working at the vet clinic I'm at. I don't know of any veterinarians that both run a vet practice and raise cows, but the one I work for does. And boy does he ever know how to raise good stock. And I mean GOOD stock. I've been bugging him about cattle biz topics the past week, and he's taken me along to check the cows, see which calves/cows that need to be shipped, which stay, etc. (I have to brag a little: he sure raises a lot of good cows, with GREAT calves to boot) I've been thinking of making him my mentor when I start seriously thinking and researching about purchasing some livestock. Not only that, but I also get to see and learn about treating cattle for certain illnesses, doing BSE's, preg checking, C-sections, castrations, the list goes on. This is just the first few months I've been there. Everybody has different suggestions of where to work to gain more cattle experience, for me this is one of them.
It seems like having a job like working at a vet clinic with large animals in the mix can't compare with working at another person's farm/ranch, at the salebarn, etc. That's just my opinion of course. And the reason I say it cant compare is because yeah genetics is important in raising cattle to get a good share of money in your pocket, but health is even more important if you want to make sure 100% of your herd lives through another year.
(The vet said that if I'm coming back next spring/summer I can help with calving and doing preg check for calving problems. Just my right cup of tea.
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I know it'll probably take me another while to get back into farming again, at least I have the home farm and two quartersections to inherit from my folks. That's most important, and can't be replaced once sold, especially with the value of the land like it is. Not only that, but there's also corrals and other equipment for housing cattle in place already, though a bit of updating is due to be done sometime. So with good land in hand its just the matter of when a person wants to say "go".
Anyway, everyone has said most everything I wanted to say, and obviously you have already started out with what you want to do. :clap: Keep it up, and good luck with you. I've already had a sibling tell me that I'm crazy when he heard me wanting to continue on with farming, but I just pretend not to listen and don't let him get my goat, and keep on doing what I love to do and keep planning for my goals I want to reach.