Feeder Calves - Weaned or Bottle?

[Goodlife]

I am working towards purchasing feeder calves as my first venture into cattle ranching. Am I better off to purchase Weaned and castrated steers or to start with bottle calves? By the way, looking at 4-6 the first year to learn on. If Bottle calves what age do you suggest turning them into steers?

Second part is selling. I am preparing pasture for this cmall herd venture. I hear of those that sell in the fall. Others keep over the winter and sell the following year. I would have to purchase hay but here in IL it is not like purchasing hay in TX. It seems to me I would be best off raising to around 1,000 pounds. How long to get to 1,000 lbs from weaning point. I know this varys widely, but looking for some ballpark guidance. Assume 4-500 lb at weaning, eating excellent pasture (as much as they want) with only salt and perhaps a lick supplement. Winter they would receive 10% grain feed and hay.

I am trying to figure out which is more profitable. Fall selling at a smaller weight or wintering to get to that 1,000 lb mark that helps get premium for slaughter.

Thanks for allowing me to start a little less ignorant due to you sharing your experience.

Ed

 

[cross_7]

I am working towards purchasing feeder calves as my first venture into cattle ranching. Am I better off to purchase Weaned and castrated steers or to start with bottle calves? By the way, looking at 4-6 the first year to learn on. If Bottle calves what age do you suggest turning them into steers?

Second part is selling. I am preparing pasture for this cmall herd venture. I hear of those that sell in the fall. Others keep over the winter and sell the following year. I would have to purchase hay but here in IL it is not like purchasing hay in TX. It seems to me I would be best off raising to around 1,000 pounds. How long to get to 1,000 lbs from weaning point. I know this varys widely, but looking for some ballpark guidance. Assume 4-500 lb at weaning, eating excellent pasture (as much as they want) with only salt and perhaps a lick supplement. Winter they would receive 10% grain feed and hay.

I am trying to figure out which is more profitable. Fall selling at a smaller weight or wintering to get to that 1,000 lb mark that helps get premium for slaughter.

Thanks for allowing me to start a little less ignorant due to you sharing your experience.

Ed

when i was young and ambitious i treid bottle calves but i never made much money, i hear some do.
this is what i like to do.
i like to buy 4-5 weight steers around thanksgiving.
i graze them on wheat pasture on the years that we get the rain without any supplement.
on dry years i have a creek bottom that always has dried out summer grass and grows some winter grasses.
i have to supplement some but i don't like to.
i shoot for 2#'s a day gain and sometimes do better and sometimes worse.
i like to sell in the spring and or early summer at around 750#'s(feeder cattle)
i aint got rich yet doing it this way so take it for what it's worth.

 

[Mid South Guy]

when i was young and ambitious i treid bottle calves but i never made much money, i hear some do.
this is what i like to do.
i like to buy 4-5 weight steers around thanksgiving.
i graze them on wheat pasture on the years that we get the rain without any supplement.
on dry years i have a creek bottom that always has dried out summer grass and grows some winter grasses.
i have to supplement some but i don't like to.
i shoot for 2#'s a day gain and sometimes do better and sometimes worse.
i like to sell in the spring and or early summer at around 750#'s(feeder cattle)
i aint got rich yet doing it this way so take it for what it's worth.

Perfect example of a good backgrounding operation!

There are 4 phases to today's beef industry. You have to decide which phase or phases you want to participate in.
1. Cow/Calf including bottle calf - Get calf to 400-600 at 6-7mo old.
2. Backgrounding - Take those calves on pasture or high fiber diets to 700-900# at 10-12 mo old.
3. Feedlot/Finishing - Take backgrounded calves to 1100-1200# with 1/2 inch of fat in 90 to 150 days on high energy feed.
4. Slaughter - Kill, process, package, and transport finished beef product to consumer outlet.

 

[Goodlife]

Cross, you bring up a good point about when to purchase weened steers. You do it at Thanksgiving and I assume in Texas you have pasture year round. Perhaps Winter is even better grass than summer with heat and drought. Around here it would sem to make sense to purchase weened steers in the spring, as soonas pasture is stable in perhaps late April. Does that make sense to you? That also brings the question; are there certain times of year when weened calves are most plentiful (read lowest price and best quality)?

Thanks MS, that breakdown is good for me. Backgrounding is what I plan to start with as it seems best for learning the ropes on. I would like to someday move into a Cow/Calf operation. I assume larger ranchers combine the first three by taking the calf through weening, steer them and take them all the way to the 1100lb range to sell. I would guess keeping the best as heifers and bulls to sell (or keep) and the rest direct to the slaughter house? A full service operation of sorts?

 

[cross_7]

Cross, you bring up a good point about when to purchase weened steers. You do it at Thanksgiving and I assume in Texas you have pasture year round. Perhaps Winter is even better grass than summer with heat and drought. Around here it would sem to make sense to purchase weened steers in the spring, as soonas pasture is stable in perhaps late April. Does that make sense to you? That also brings the question; are there certain times of year when weened calves are most plentiful (read lowest price and best quality)?

Thanks MS, that breakdown is good for me. Backgrounding is what I plan to start with as it seems best for learning the ropes on. I would like to someday move into a Cow/Calf operation. I assume larger ranchers combine the first three by taking the calf through weening, steer them and take them all the way to the 1100lb range to sell. I would guess keeping the best as heifers and bulls to sell (or keep) and the rest direct to the slaughter house? A full service operation of sorts?

depends on your market.
if you can buy calves worth the money in the spring and put weight on them, sell them in the fall and turn a profit
then i'd say your in business.
you might want to look at buying calves that have been weaned and vaccinated your first time or two.(not sale barn calves)
you will pay more for them but it may save you money til you get a better handle on things.
might be better to buy some good middle aged bred cows, but that depends on your situation.

 

[Mid South Guy]

Glad I could help. -- Backgrounding is proably the best and simplest to learn the ins and outs of having cattle. I would just make sure your facilities are ready before you get any cattle. You will need some place to recieve and load out, and a way to isolate and restrain calves that need treated for something. Spring and summer you will need good shade (trees work best) and water, and a relative dry spot they can get out of the mud if any. The biggest challange is the first 30 days. They are stressed and their immune system is not as efficient and this is when sickness will most likely happen. I would try and get calves that have been weaned, castrated, dehorned, vaccinated, and started on feed. Direct off the farm from someone you know how they were treated or a preconditioned feeder calf sale. They will cost a little more. I would try and stay away from the typical sale barn calves if I could. Your county extension agent should be able to guide you as to what type of calves to get and what treatments they should have.