DCA farm
Well-known member
I'm fixing to buy a load of 4x5 net wrapped in barn for $40 I looked at it todayThat's what we typically pay.
I'm fixing to buy a load of 4x5 net wrapped in barn for $40 I looked at it todayThat's what we typically pay.
Going price and making a profit two different things.He actually brought it to me this year for $30 a roll said it's cheaper on him to bring it and drop at my house then to haul to his barn unload I ain't complaining either he brought me 100 rolls for $30 each
CB I gotta ask why everytime someone says they are making money you say they aren't? I believe in an above post you said you were at $60 for a role of hay. You could feed 10-12# a day of commodity mix and come out way ahead on that deal. Cows don't have to have hay. Maybe they didn't tell you that at the TAMU course but, it is a true story. The cow business is a pretty simple deal if you aren't afraid of a little hard work and don't mind spending money on equipment and facilities that will last and pay for themselves over time. It's really not that hard.Going price and making a profit two different things.
I think it may be a regional thing on this cow feeding deal. Every year I buy hay, feed, mineral, and meds for the Cattle. I don't wait around and buy it 20 rolls at a time or 2 sacks a day either. I buy it all at once with the money from my once a year calf check. The money left is what I make land and equipment payments with or do any needed upgrades. Trust me I don't make enough money at the day job to have cows that don't make money. Almost everything else I spend at the ranch is on something that is going to pay me back. I own the land but do figure going lease rates in per head. I hate to even figure the land cost in because it's been the best investment I have, goes up in value every year.That you would ask someone to give you a list of what you need to figure the cost of keeping a cow leads me to believe you may not have
a handle on your own numbers which sadly is a matter of fact for too many of us in this business, myself included. I do know after some
honest research and calculation that on average if you think you are feeding a cow or maintaining a cowherd for a dollar a day each, you are
probably on your way out of business whether you realize it or not.
I own land but also lease land my most expensive lease place per acre is $15/acre a yearI think it may be a regional thing on this cow feeding deal. Every year I buy hay, feed, mineral, and meds for the Cattle. I don't wait around and buy it 20 rolls at a time or 2 sacks a day either. I buy it all at once with the money from my once a year calf check. The money left is what I make land and equipment payments with or do any needed upgrades. Trust me I don't make enough money at the day job to have cows that don't make money. Almost everything else I spend at the ranch is on something that is going to pay me back. I own the land but do figure going lease rates in per head. I hate to even figure the land cost in because it's been the best investment I have, goes up in value every year.
I would definitely say I don't figure every dollar in but at the end of the day as long as the ball is still rolling does it even matter.
I consistently buy net wrapped, fertilized (usually fields have had litter spread) round bales for $25-$35 a roll delivered, may be around $45 on a dry year. You can buy horse quality round bale bermuda here for around $50/bale. Now that I have a barn to store it I'm gonna keep 2 -3 years worth on hand until we have a dry year so I don't have to pay draught prices.Your hay man is loosing his ass. You can't buy a 4x5 fertilized less than 60 a roll.
No way can you buy fuel, fertilizer and net wrap for your cost of a bale .
Yeah, that's what I figured was the difference. My hay costs won't ever encroach $240./year unless my supplier increases their prices. I'm finding a little supplement of cattle cubes every other day while cutting back my hay and forcing my cattle to graze a bit more...saves me money. Cattle cubes adds protein and is less expensive then corn hay (due to the costs and time it lasts) I can control the amount of cubes every other day, I cannot control how fast the cattle consume hay when I'm gone. They want $60./round bail of hay and $30./round bail of corn..both bails are (4x5 to 4x6)...switching over to solely to corn hay has saved me a bunch of money. Cows conditional weight are 5 to 7...most all 6's some 7's...maybe one 5's. I'm only two years into my learning curve with cattle on the ground. I would like to know if other cattle producers are finding cattle cubes save them winter hay cost money? Because I believe if I stopped feeding cattle cubes, surplus potatoes, old apple, banana and orange fruit and skins... and went solely with just hay...my feed costs would increase by 30 to 60% (my estimate) per year. Little more protein saves big money.Your not charging all your cost to the cow, feed, fuel, fertilizer, maintenance of equipment to tend the cow, taxes, meds.
Hay alone is 240 dollars a cow.
Go back and look it will shock you at your true cost.
Lee, why would you assume this man wouldn't have sense enough to buy quality hay?I reckon you are in a good place for hay. I assume no mold, noxious, or poisonous weeds .
I hope your good fortune holds.
I don't hold the property taxes against the cattle even though they do pay the taxes. We'd own the property with or without them.I don't count all of my expenses against the cattle until tax time because some of those things I would own whether or not I owned cattle. But the things that I would only buy for cattle I definitely do count against them.
I think I'm happier not understanding the cattle business and being new to the business...my costs would never encroach 1$ a day per head. I have no steel, no equipment, i don't include my labor...i don't over tax the land (cows/acreage). Quick calculations I'm around 75 cents a day for feed alone and then add in the vaccines, dewormer, minerals and other...so ok, I'm right at $1. So, I'll be the controlled "test subject farm"...let's see if my costs increase or I go out of business. You maybe correct Lee. I don't buy steel other than barb-wire, so there's almost no fuel, fertilizer and equipment costs to speak of. I sold my old vintage 1946 Avery Model-V last year. My Ranch probably looks like something out of the 1930's to 1950's, complete with wooden head gate (literally 1954 design i hand built for $120.) I might be too cheap for my own good...but I love the land and cattle.That you would ask someone to give you a list of what you need to figure the cost of keeping a cow leads me to believe you may not have
a handle on your own numbers which sadly is a matter of fact for too many of us in this business, myself included. I do know after some
honest research and calculation that on average if you think you are feeding a cow or maintaining a cowherd for a dollar a day each, you are
probably on your way out of business whether you realize it or not.
Exactly...barb-wire and gate fencing....corrals....that goes on your Schedule F, but those are long-term improvements to the land...i'm not going to saddle those costs to my innocent cattle, my beloved business partners.I don't count all of my expenses against the cattle until tax time because some of those things I would own whether or not I owned cattle. But the things that I would only buy for cattle I definitely do count against them.
I understand him doing it that way, I figure it cost at least $5 a bale every time I handle one.He actually brought it to me this year for $30 a roll said it's cheaper on him to bring it and drop at my house then to haul to his barn unload I ain't complaining either he brought me 100 rolls for $30 each
I didn't....Lee, why would you assume this man wouldn't have sense enough to buy quality hay?
Long as he's willing to bring it I'm willing to let himI understand him doing it that way, I figure it cost at least $5 a bale every time I handle one.