Green as it gets

[brianjjohnson]

I have just bought 33 head of cattle and am in need of some direction. Ive been doing as much reading on general info as i can, but still have a few (a lot) of questions. I have 13 calves and 20 heifers on 25 acres. No barn, no catch pin and 2 feed troughs. The land was purchased from a lady with a third party lease on it. He was using it for cattle (the same cattle i ended up buying). I had intentions of cleaning up the land and then starting with a few cows and working up my own herd. However, long-story short a good deal persuaded me in purchasing the cows as well. The land was COVERED in summer cedars, to the point you couldn't see any grass and calves and smaller heifers would get lost in the muck. Since purchase I have bush-hogged everything down. Lastly the cows are pretty puny looking and to my knowledge have not been wormed, preg-checked or had any fly prevention. Cows are located in North Alabama and I was told that they are a black-angus mix.... Okay now that you have that back-round here are my questions.

1. What type of grain feed if any do i need to be getting to get the weight back up/ how long do i keep them on it
2. What type of mineral-block and how many /how long do i keep them on it.
3. Do i need to spray fields for weeds and cedars now or weight till next year./ What do i need to spray them with
4. What type of wormer should i give/ injectable -pour on- vet gun?
5. Fly prevention?

I have a buddy i go to church with coming out to look that works with the north american limousine association. hes going to tell me about which ones i need to get rid of and which ones to keep.

 

[Ol' 243]

Oh boy, I'm afraid you done bit of a chunk. First thing to do is concentrate on getting some facilities to work them in.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

you can cut the cedar growth over half cutting it in bloom,, right now... Depending on how bad you have it,can have it under control in a couple years...you need to get portable panels up..you can borrow,rent a portable squeeze chute from the extension office.to get you by. Sounds like they need a injectable wormer now,to get full effect.the pour on is good on healthy cows...get your buddy to mouth the cows...https://www.google.com/search?q=portabl ... AXLAkGasXM:

 

[callmefence]

My advice would be to sell 2/3 of your herd and get things in order.

Edit sell 3/4.

 

[1982vett]

From your pasture description I think you need to start by selling off half your cows. If you don't have grass for them now, you sure aren't going to have enough thru the winter.

Other option is to buy more and run a feedlot.

Ya beat me to it fence....

 

[HDRider]

Why not sell all the cattle, work on the place, then buy the way you planned?

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Who might your buddy be that works with North American Limousin?

 

[Aaron9876]

Wow...way to dive in head first...off a cliff...blindfolded...

If the pastures are as bad as you describe why did they have so may head per acre?

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Wow...way to dive in head first...off a cliff...blindfolded...

If the pastures are as bad as you describe why did they have so may head per acre?

overstocking seems to be the norm in North Ala..

 

[boondocks]

Sell them. If you sell them for more than the "great deal" you got them for, you will be ahead of me for this year profit-wise. (And ahead of many others, I'll bet). Having pocketed some profit, consider yourself a successful cattle farmer and retire from it. (Only half joking).

Seriously, consider selling them and getting proper facilities before you jump back in. Just because you got a good deal doesn't mean your original plan wasn't good. They need worked and you need a way to do it safely.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Doubt you'd get much for them if their looking poor,, a lot of it due to the calves pulling them down..and you say they are first Calvers..sell the calves if their old enough..and before the market is flooded next month...fertilize pasture now, so it can recover,and some fall and winter grazing...weve been getting plenty of rain to do it good...if you keep em get in shape going into winter...

 

[kilroy60]

Whew, whatever you do, good luck. Sounds like you got a lot of work ahead.

 

[Rafter S]

1. What type of grain feed if any do i need to be getting to get the weight back up/ how long do i keep them on it
Give them some good hay, and all of it they'll eat. Any good feed will help, but don't give them a lot of it right away. Ease them into it.
2. What type of mineral-block and how many /how long do i keep them on it. Don't get blocks. If you have a place to keep it out of the weather then loose mineral and loose salt are a better choice. Keep both out for them year round. If you can't keep it out of the weather then get a mineral block and a salt block. Again, year-round.
3. Do i need to spray fields for weeds and cedars now or weight till next year./ What do i need to spray them with Wait until next spring
4. What type of wormer should i give/ injectable -pour on- vet gun? Since you don't have any way to catch them, spray-on or pour-on may be your only option.
5. Fly prevention? That's the least of your problems right now.

 

[HDRider]

1. What type of grain feed if any do i need to be getting to get the weight back up/ how long do i keep them on it
Give them some good hay, and all of it they'll eat. Any good feed will help, but don't give them a lot of it right away. Ease them into it.
2. What type of mineral-block and how many /how long do i keep them on it. Don't get blocks. If you have a place to keep it out of the weather then loose mineral and loose salt are a better choice. Keep both out for them year round. If you can't keep it out of the weather then get a mineral block and a salt block. Again, year-round.

3. Do i need to spray fields for weeds and cedars now or weight till next year./ What do i need to spray them with Wait until next spring
4. What type of wormer should i give/ injectable -pour on- vet gun? Since you don't have any way to catch them, spray-on or pour-on may be your only option.
5. Fly prevention? That's the least of your problems right now.

I like these for mineral... Cows like them too...

 

[Rafter S]

1. What type of grain feed if any do i need to be getting to get the weight back up/ how long do i keep them on it
Give them some good hay, and all of it they'll eat. Any good feed will help, but don't give them a lot of it right away. Ease them into it.
2. What type of mineral-block and how many /how long do i keep them on it. Don't get blocks. If you have a place to keep it out of the weather then loose mineral and loose salt are a better choice. Keep both out for them year round. If you can't keep it out of the weather then get a mineral block and a salt block. Again, year-round.

3. Do i need to spray fields for weeds and cedars now or weight till next year./ What do i need to spray them with Wait until next spring
4. What type of wormer should i give/ injectable -pour on- vet gun? Since you don't have any way to catch them, spray-on or pour-on may be your only option.
5. Fly prevention? That's the least of your problems right now.

I like these for mineral... Cows like them too...

Thank you for posting that. I have some of those too, but clean forgot to mention it this morning.

 

[Craig Miller]

Wow...way to dive in head first...off a cliff...blindfolded...

If the pastures are as bad as you describe why did they have so may head per acre?

overstocking seems to be the norm in North Ala..

Yes it is. I was told all growing up that a cow/pair to the acre is good. It didn't take me long to figure out that's too many unless you plan to graze down to nothing. I have found that a lot of things I was told growing up weren't exactly true.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Get with the farmers co.op, on some good minerals..our pastures are copper, selenium deficient... No doubt as foul as you say yours is,,you need a good one... Get them started on high magnesium mineral in the spring.. The coop also has a good baked protein tub for our fescue....

 

[ALACOWMAN]

By the way Im half Johnson...where you at ?

 

[kd4au]

Wow...way to dive in head first...off a cliff...blindfolded...

If the pastures are as bad as you describe why did they have so may head per acre?

overstocking seems to be the norm in North Ala..

ha ha you must be from North Alabama too.

 

[kd4au]

Wow...way to dive in head first...off a cliff...blindfolded...

If the pastures are as bad as you describe why did they have so may head per acre?

overstocking seems to be the norm in North Ala..

Yes it is. I was told all growing up that a cow/pair to the acre is good. It didn't take me long to figure out that's too many unless you plan to graze down to nothing. I have found that a lot of things I was told growing up weren't exactly true.

Just out of curiosity how many acres per pair do you run and what time of year do you calf?