Hard time deciding

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Brute 23

Brute 23

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I'm having a hard time with a decision to let my son run some cows on a piece of property. Sounds crazy... I know.

Back story.
My parents are cleaning up some estate stuff and deeded a piece of family land to us. No surprise, lol, its the one farthest away that we rarely use. My plate is full. My brother is not really in to cattle. We talked about letting my son put some cattle up there. He is 17.

My thoughts.
As bad as it sounds, I'm not really sure if I would be helping him or hurting him for a couple reasons.

Financials are pretty rough on cattle and I'm not going to support a bunch of debt on them at this point.

I feel like he should maybe focus on more pressing things at this time.

I want him to enjoy this time. Starting things really young for me has taken its tole.

It's a tough decision because I would never want to hold an opportunity back from him but at the same time I don't want to dangle a carrot or push him to some thing that may not be in his best interest.

He has no lack of experience in the field from helping me. He has some of his own heifers, etc. It's not like he is not learning all the lessons of an ag life.

I'm leaning toward roping the property in under my "operation", (which is the opposite direction I have been heading, trying to decrease, not increase) but giving the opportunity to head it up, for me. The goal would be to guide or coucil him, not control him. My brother is on board for some thing of this nature also.
 
Jeanne - Simme Valley said:
DISCUSS your thoughts with your son. Pros and cons. He should be included in the decision making. He may have thoughts totally different than what you expect.
Click to expand...
I will for sure at some point but I want to have my own thoughts in order to some extent. Even though I would definitely be open and excited for him to come up with an idea, I want to have option ready.

The worse thing I could think of would be to go to him and discuss it and he say... yes, I want to do it. Then we go back and say... sorry we are going to lease it out any way.
 
Brute 23 said:
I'm leaning toward roping the property in under my "operation", (which is the opposite direction I have been heading, trying to decrease, not increase) but giving the opportunity to head it up, for me. The goal would be to guide or coucil him, not control him. My brother is on board for some thing of this nature also.
Click to expand...
There's your answer. Not your original goal but the situation has changed. If this is what he wants, he'll have your guidance and support. If it doesn't work out, Plan B.
 
So don't just "give" it to him.
I wouldn't. ...

Help him make it a profitable venture and require a % paid back on your investment in HIM and his ideas about it!
Be good for everyone I think. Heck, he may wanna do some experiments on the place with his own "brand" of animals.

Hope it works out. Kids that are interested are REAL hard to find. Let us know how it goes please!
 
@Brute 23 I'd do something like you're thinking. Stock it, then let him ramrod it. Stock it so that he's got cattle in the game too, at a percentage, possibly in a way that he can profit at a percentage. This is one of the best ways for someone to really start to understand the pencil. It'll put responsibility on him, but in a way that boosts him up with no hair loss. He'll get to see the effects of management, problem solving, efficiency, not forgetting luck, on the pencil. If he decides he wants to do something else, he can get out of it relatively painlessly and you can go on with it yourself or de-stock and look for deer hunters or other ag people to lease to.

This is how I was cut into the game, and by the time I was in my early teens you couldn't have paid a day worker to put in the hours I was. I'd skip out on girlfriends, party invitations, you name it and spend weeks out there when I could. I knew what everything cost us, when we were in the red, when we were in the black. By the time I was sixteen there wasn't anything I couldn't do by myself other than pen, sort, vaccinate and load.

It'll teach him, if it goes well, not to stick his hand out either. But I am certain you've already taught that because you are a very involved and dedicated dad from everything I've seen of your posts.

But all of that is just my opinion, and you'll make the best choice from what you can see from your angle.
 
Brute 23 said:
My parents are cleaning up some estate stuff and deeded a piece of family land to us. ... My brother is not really in to cattle. ... My brother is on board for some thing of this nature also.
Click to expand...

Agree with the comments so far, but I'm confused. What is the extent of your brother's involvement? Sounds like the land is deeded to Brute 23 and it's a matter between you and your son. Many families get bent out of shape when it comes to estates and inheritance.
 
Jeanne - Simme Valley said:
DISCUSS your thoughts with your son. Pros and cons. He should be included in the decision making. He may have thoughts totally different than what you expect.
Click to expand...
Totally agree, I bought my first cow at 14. It's not an addiction unless you're trying to quit.
Lots worse things for the boy to be interested in! My dad always had a saying better to support the boy hunting than hunting the boy.
Your decision but I would support the boy even I had to skin some frogs at that age in today's time seems like money well spent.
 
Brute 23 said:
My brother and I own it. No cattle on it now but it's ready to go. It's about an hour from the house.
Click to expand...
My daughter called a few days ago all upset my 19 year old grandson had bought a new Ford Mustang cash.
I told her your missing the win here, the boy worked saved his money and bought the car cash, you did a good job. I then told her he is a grown man and I was married at his age you can't control his life if you want him to remain in yours.
 
Brute 23 said:
My brother and I own it. No cattle on it now but it's ready to go. It's about an hour from the house.
Click to expand...
I don't suppose you could sell/lease it and pick up something closer could you? I would be more comfortable with something under a 20 minute drive in the situation you have here.

If at all possible I would go for it. Let him take what he already has and let him add a few more, enough to make it worthwhile but not enough to sink him if it goes south.

Put everything in writing that way there's no misunderstanding. Be specific.
 
Caustic Burno said:
My daughter called a few days ago all upset my 19 year old grandson had bought a new Ford Mustang cash.
I told her your missing the win here, the boy worked saved his money and bought the car cash, you did a good job. I then told her he is a grown man and I was married at his age you can't control his life if you want him to remain in yours.
Click to expand...
For sure. Every young person needs to buy a toy right out the gate. They will either like them and realize the need to work hard to keep them or realize it's like having a ball tied around their ankle.
 
17 is old enough to work but a 17 year old boy can get really busy in a hurry. Just takes the right "or wrong" girl. I would lean towards allotting him some acreage around the house and leasing the away place out.
 
callmefence said:
17 is old enough to work but a 17 year old boy can get really busy in a hurry. Just takes the right "or wrong" girl. I would lean towards allotting him some acreage around the house and leasing the away place out.
Click to expand...
or any of dozens of other "temptations" out in the world today. I'm old but I well remember what being 17 was like..........
 

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