Getting started in Kentucky

[kentuckian]

Hello everyone, I am new to the forum and have enjoyed researching the topics that have been posted on here. I am in Central Kentucky, and just purchased 30 acres to build a house on and start a small farming operation. I work full time for the postal service and have a decent portfolio of rental properties so money isnt too big of an issue. Both of my grandparents were full time farmers, along with every generation before them, so farming is in my blood. Unfortunately they have all passed on, and their farms were sold when I was very young, so I didnt get an opportunity to learn much from them. I am not here to make a killing, and dont plan on using any of the farm income to pay bills, but at 20 years young I am hoping to get a good herd built up to hopefully make life easier in the future. I am up in the air about how to get started. I am considering buying about 8 bred angus cows to get started, and turning them out to the 30 acres to pasture to keep feed costs to a minimum. Farmers around here give a rule of thumb of 1 cow per acre due to the great climate and rainfall, so I know I will be good with the acreage. Any input about the best way to get started will be great and as always is much appreciated!

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

:welcome:

What part of central Kentucky? My wife is from Warsaw (northern KY) and her grandparents on her mother's side are from the Dunnville area near Russell Springs.

 

[slick4591]

:welcome:

 

[kickinbull]

:welcome: good luck

 

[jondunn]

I'm not to far from you. We can run about 1 cow per 3 acres here. We don't have the rich ground like the bluegrass does, but it's still pretty well. If you plan on running cow-calf which I think you are, make sure you account for rotating pasture and cutting hay.

 

[bigbluegrass]

:welcome: Hello Neighbor!

1 cow per acre is what I was told as well.... but I am having a hard time making that work. I have 52 acres - about 40 of that is wooded. I really only have 12 acres of grazing. I had 9 momma cows at one time and this place won't support them rotating between 4 pastures. A dry year and I sold half of them. The next years grass was so stunted, I had to sell a few more the next year. I only have 3 momma cows now and we are doing good. Time to build back up :cboy: Thanks to help and suggestions from agmantoo I started doing rotational grazing on a scale that I think could support that 1 cow per acre number. We will see! At todays cow prices, I am just going to retain my own heifers and work my way back up slowly.

The old saying is "plant nothing by fence posts the first year"

 

[kentuckian]

Thanks for all of the replies! I am in Greensburg just the other side of Columbia from Russell Springs! I have a good source for some decent hay for 40 dollars a roll. Not sure of the protein content, but for that price I think its hard to go wrong! I do plan on rotational grazing, would I be better off splitting the 30 acres and having two 15 acre pastures or do I need to bust it up even more? I do know of some folks that buy cattle at the cheaper sales and keep them a few days and resell them at different auctions that bring better prices. Anyone had any luck doing this?

 

[gonzo]

:welcome: sounds like you got a good start and the right attitude , you'll do good . What about fence you'll have to start there. :tiphat:

 

[hillbillycwo]

Welcome. I have gotten so much help from folks on here. Truly some fine folks answer even our dumbest questions. I have a farm over in Hudgins and it started out small with very little grass. I am now at One cow-calf pair per 1.5 acres and the pastures are slowly improving with each season. I graze 25 pairs (there about) on 35 acres. I have the land split up into pastures 3-6 acres apiece and rotate the herd through every 5-9 days depending on grass amount and how well they graze it down. I read all of Agmantoo's articles and he had a thread on another website that I lost the link too hopefully someone will remember and post it. That thread really got me excited about Managed Intensive Grazing and since beginning it I have really seen some marked improvements in cow fertility, pasture quality and calf development. As my land improves my $$$ inputs have decreased. I am at the point now my cows can't keep up with the grass but our dry time is coming so I am holding off on expansion. If my grass holds through the month of August and the cows are still behind it I am planning on purchasing 10-20 5-6 wt heifers to graze over the winter and breed them at about 800 pounds. retain half and sell half which should put me even on the expenses unless my pencil is off. The trick I have learned is to keep the grass growing. If the cows can't eat it them mow it off I clip the grass at about 16-20 inches and have rolled some acreage I normally don't roll. The farm has gone from 2 1200# rolls per acre to producing 3.5 rolls per acre in three years with annual applications of 75 pounds to the acre of Urea in the spring. I sewed 15 pounds to the acre of psature mix(fescue/orchard grass) the first fall I owned it (3 years ago now) and then 8 pounds to the acre of red clover that spring. Both were broadcast spread. Dun was a huge help in that decision. I have had my fields soil tested each year and this spring I put appropriate P and K into the fertillizer and am seeing some improvement in the pasture and even better quality in the hay fields. Like I said congrats on the purchase good luck and enjoy. PM me and I will give you my number if you want to talk.

 

[kentuckian]

Sounds great! Thanks for all of the replies! Looking to get some fencing done asap and get rolling! I like the rotational grazing setup you have hillbillycwo. I am leaning toward setting up my pastures the same way. Getting some pricing on fencing and putting pencil to paper to see what is the best route financially. Thanks for all of the input!

 

[bigbull338]

:welcome:

 

[J&D Cattle]

I do know of some folks that buy cattle at the cheaper sales and keep them a few days and resell them at different auctions that bring better prices. Anyone had any luck doing this?

I would definitely steer away from this as a cattle trader will flat hook you with no reserve. You would have to turn several head to make any profit along with running all over the place to different sales. I do believe you can flip some cattle but you have to invest more time than a few days and you had better have a very keen eye. Good luck!

 

[bigbull338]

I do know of some folks that buy cattle at the cheaper sales and keep them a few days and resell them at different auctions that bring better prices. Anyone had any luck doing this?

I would definitely steer away from this as a cattle trader will flat hook you with no reserve. You would have to turn several head to make any profit along with running all over the place to different sales. I do believe you can flip some cattle but you have to invest more time than a few days and you had better have a very keen eye. Good luck!

yes but if you know what your doing you can hook the cattle trader.ive hooked a trader a few times an got some good deals.i had a buddy pop me a price of $1350 for a swiss cross cow.an i said no ill buy her out of fresh cow pen at the sale.so i bought her for $1150 an he was pissed.then i bought another swiss cross heifer of his the same day for what he gave for her a week ago.this was 20yrs ago.

 

[IluvABbeef]

I read all of Agmantoo's articles and he had a thread on another website that I lost the link too hopefully someone will remember and post it. That thread really got me excited about Managed Intensive Grazing and since beginning it I have really seen some marked improvements in cow fertility, pasture quality and calf development.

The link to that thread can be seen here: http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/livest ... azing.html

 

[Bigfoot]

The cow calf pair/ per acre is really really high. Under the absolute best conditions with extreme management you might come close to that. I wouldn't let my name come in jockeying cattle from sale barn to the other. Anyone doing that and making anything is misrepresenting them as farm fresh. That is not to even consider the shrinkage they go through. I buy many calves at a yard that is known as being "cheaper". I keep them 45 days, and when they are settled, shots, and eating I run them through a graded feeder calf sale. I am tickled to average $40 profit above everything including fuel. Its a volume business. You will need handling facilities, and more than 30 acres of grass to make that plan work.

 

[kentuckian]

Thanks for all of the input! Theres a guy here local that makes a good living buying and selling cattle. He has about 5 semis and hires everyone he can with a diesel pickup and cattle trailer to haul cattle for him. He sends them all over the united states. He has a mixed reputation around here because the cattle that he sells require so much attention and medicine because they have been shipped so far. Agmantoo's article on rotational grazing is a real eye opener and has some great info!

 

[SRBeef]

Some start up suggestions:

One thing to add to the other ideas is to put your initial money into first class perimeter fences and gates rather than cattle. 5 wire with 4 of them Red Brand barb and the middle wire smooth 12 gage on insulators. On the perimeter use 4 steel T post between wood posts. If you can use 3 good RR ties for the corners. That middle wire will be your feed for cross fences all around. Look at your water source(s) and a place for a corral. Make sure the corral has easy access from the road for a trailer in all sorts of weather.

You can then make some temporary interior paddocks by hand pounding in some steel t posts maybe every 50 ft or so with P type stepins in between. Use Gripples on these initial "semi-permanent" interior fences and there is a neat little sheet metal angle brace piece available at farm stores that connects a vertical T post and one pounded in at an angle to make a pretty sturdy but quick and easily removeable end post and brace. These can be moved as you see where they naturally want to be. These all have a single 14 ga steel hot wire. The perimeter fence should never have to be moved and it makes sure that your cattle are always on your place and not on the road (one of the great high points of owning cattle is getting a call they are out on the road).

I like rectangular paddocks maybe 150 ft wide that I can string an aluminum cross wire from a reel with a gate handle at one end across and keep moving it forward ideally once a day for a week with access to water behind. Any fixed size paddock tends to be too big in the spring and too small in the summer.... By using a moveable reel with stepins between a perimeter fence and a parallel semi permanent interior fence you can adjust the size open to your cattle based on herd size, time of year and how long before you will move it again.

Enough for now. Just some ideas I have used. Lots of different opinions and ways to go. Good luck.

Jim