Hard time deciding

[Brute 23]

You don't have to have a Mustang to get there and back in a hurry. I'm sure it applies to most 17 year olds no matter the vehicle.

 

[Brute 23]

The reality is he, and we, get the short end of the stick as the new kids on the block. The owned and leased land close to the house has hoops to jump through be it partners, family members, lessors, etc. If some of yall have had these odd family/ business dynamics you understand this is a big step and it's not really a time to get picky.

My end goal would be if he likes it for him to try to aquire his own lease or land closer. The other place could service as a stepping stone towards that.

He does have a deal with my brother to run a few heifers across from his house, on my brother's land, right now.

 

[CowboyRam]

It sounds to me like it would be a good place to summer on, as long as it has good fences. Bring them home in the fall so if you need to feed you can.

 

[50/50Farms]

Well, if you don't mind me asking, if he's already got all of these other enterprises going at 17 then what's the harm in paying out a little more line? Sounds like work's in the blood in your household.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

There are probably a myriad of ways to look at this. You may have said or implied but I would ask if he is a self starter?
How does he handle things when on his own and no clear cut instructions? Is he a reader of publications that may lead to a different
perspective on any facet of the operation? Has he, to your knowledge, spent time alone at an auction and guessed weights
and matched the guess with the scales? Has he ever bought anything at the auction? Has he, as many on these pages, ever set aside
or penned anything off and fed it in a separate setting? If he has the drive I am betting he will find an opportunity in your current situation,
the logistics of distance not withstanding. You are in a great place and I wish you success!

 

[kenny thomas]

It sounds to me like it would be a good place to summer on, as long as it has good fences. Bring them home in the fall so if you need to feed you can.

Gotta remember, I doubt that they do much winter feeding. Not sure it even frosts there.

 

[CowboyRam]

Gotta remember, I doubt that they do much winter feeding. Not sure it even frosts there.

Ya I think you are right, they don't really know what cold is. I think it was about -6 when I went out to feed this morning.

 

[Warren Allison]

For 3 days, I have typed a suggestion, then erased it, then typed it again, etc. Just didn't want to see the BS that would follow form a certain few. So let me say this: About 2002 or 2003, we had about quit raising Co orriente for roping and dogging and had been doing Corr x angus for team penning and sorting. Our last crop of Corr yearlings had 21 heifers in it.The steers we kept for roping practice. anyhow, there was this boy, about 17 or so, that had been hanging around with me fooling with horses since he was 8. He lived across the raod form me. He said " Mr. John, if I had the money I sure would like to buy those girls". So I told him I would sellthem to him for $300 each..$6300. He said I don;t have $63 dollars. So, I told him I was selling them to him on credit. After he weans their forst calves, he can pay me then! He was about to bust with joy. His grandma down the road still lived on the olfd home place..about 35-40 acres, with an old barn and some old fencing down in a few places. I told him to get my tractor and the stuff he needed to fix it ( He knew how...he'd been helping me with fence for 10 years) and get some of his buddies to help him, and we'd move those 21 calves over there. Only thin on the whole place was his 2 horses, in a 5 acre loft around the barn. He got the tractor after school on Friday, and Saturday evening he came over and said " We got the fence fixed!"LOL. We moved the heifers Sunday, and I took a Brangus bull over there and left it about 7 weeks. When the calves were 6 months old, we took my trailer and took them to the sale. 400-500 pounds, and they brought $600-$700. He paid me Monday when the bank opened, and know what he did with the rest? Next Saturday he went to the sale with me, and bought 5 black baldy cows. Next year he bought 10 baldie and angus cows, and a Brahma bull with the calf money. He had a great uncle that let him use his 53 acre pasture, in exchange for him keeping up the place, etc. In 5 years he had to start selling his Corrs to make room for his 70-cow black baldy herd! All bought and paid for with those Corr x calves. He is in his late 30's now, and has about all the pasture land rented up around my old home town. The boy does well with his f1black Brafords. I bet with all the pastures he rents, he has 400_ head now. and a pasture full of Brahma bulls. he is smart, too. He does what I used to do when I did cow/calf. He sells the hell out of the calves when he weans them...doesn't waste 2 years+ trying to raise heifers. He uses his calf money to buy more cows if he needs him. His f1 steer5s sell well too, because they are all black.

Anyhow, might be something to consider for your son. Low cost on the cows, no maintenance costs...in money or labor... on the cows, little if any feed costs, and his 1st calf crop will pay for the cows and still have profit left over.

 

[50/50Farms]

Before anybody cranks up an argument over this, he's just making a suggestion based on his experiences and there's no need to derail Brute's thread.

 

[Brute 23]

Ya I think you are right, they don't really know what cold is. I think it was about -6 when I went out to feed this morning.

Ya most years we don't even avg one bale per head. I have actually gone winters with out feeding hay. If you dont over graze molasses and cubes or wcs once week will hold them.

 

[Brute 23]

My main concern is I just want him to enjoy this time and not get overloaded.

On the other side, he needs to get some experience at some point because one day he will have to make a choice to operate, manage, lease out, etc. It comes with the territory.

He is not aggressive like me so some times he needs a gentle push. He is also being raised in two different households.

I'm leaning toward letting him try it and just keeping it light and use it to gain experience. If in a year it's not working out we will do some thing different. Seems like the general consensus is you have to at least make a run at it.

 

[libertygarden]

@Brute 23 will he be living on site or traveling to see the cows weekly? Is it enough acreage to run at least 20 head? Gas expenses alone may render the enterprise unprofitable from the start. I wouldn't worry about overloading a young man with hard work, just be sure he doesn't get in over his head with debt. I would suggest some form of consignment of your cows and maybe he keeps a percentage of the calves.

Or perhaps he can grow hay and bale it.

 

[Brute 23]

@Brute 23 will he be living on site or traveling to see the cows weekly? Is it enough acreage to run at least 20 head? Gas expenses alone may render the enterprise unprofitable from the start. I wouldn't worry about overloading a young man with hard work, just be sure he doesn't get in over his head with debt. I would suggest some form of consignment of your cows and maybe he keeps a percentage of the calves.

Or perhaps he can grow hay and bale it.

It will hold more than 20. He would be traveling. Travel will definitely be a large expense that will cut in to any money to be made.

As a plus there is a house should a person need to stay to do work more than one day.

 

[libertygarden]

Perfect. It would like going to college minus the partying.

 

[Brute 23]

Perfect. It would like going to college minus the partying.

I don't know about that. I did my fair share of celebrating up there in my younger days.

 

[greybeard]

I don't know about that. I did my fair share of celebrating up there in my younger days.

Oh the joys and memories of our misspent youth

 

[gcreekrch]

IMO, the worst thing you can do is hold a kid back. Guide them but let them run.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I don't know about that. I did my fair share of celebrating up there in my younger days.

Your not stopping testosterone stupidity.
We were playing some silly game last Christmas that asked question like have you been arrested, fastest you ever drove etc.
I had some very shocked grown grandkids to some of my answers.

 

[mickroos65]

IMO, the worst thing you can do is hold a kid back. Guide them but let them run.

AMEN. If there is an ember of interest fan the flame do not throw water on it.

 

[Brute 23]

IMO, the worst thing you can do is hold a kid back. Guide them but let them run.

You are right.