Help requested

[359pete]

I have a friend who has a section of land [650 acres] that is not being utilized to its full capacity.
How can I persuade and encourage him that a preconditioning program will be a profitable excursion.
I have told him that the cost of feed and vacines are the most expence. Does anyone have any advice that I could pass along to him?

 

[Hippie Rancher]

I have watched the neighbors do this for a decade. It just does not seem to pay them enough to justify it. I think it is a great deal for the buyers, but they don't seem to be paying enough more over calves shipped right off their mothers to justify all the work.

 

[Jogeephus]

I was unaware we had sections in Georgia. The key to backgrounding is numbers since the margins are pretty slim if you average over the long haul. If he has some unfair advantage like cover crops that he has to plant anyway, he might be able to make it work to his benefit. Every situation is different. You can make some money but you can also lose a bunch as well. JMO

 

[Sir Loin]

Pete,

I'm not sure what you are saying here, so let me try it this way.
Re:

I have a friend who has a section of land [650 acres] that is not being utilized to its full capacity.

By "not being utilized to its full capacity" exactly what do you mean?
Is it fenced and cross fenced?

Re:

How can I persuade and encourage him that a preconditioning program will be a profitable excursion.
I have told him that the cost of feed and vacines are the most expence.

You are correct in saying preconditioning is profitable, but it all depends on the number of animals, equipment on hand and facilities to run a preconditioning program and a local place to market them. Not to mention with the cost of feed being what it is today, I'm not all that sure about the profitability part right now.

Re:

Does anyone have any advice that I could pass along to him?

If he has pasture space that is not being utilized to full capacity, why not let the calves on the cows until they are at least 7 or 8 moths old?
And then wean, castrate and vaccinate and hold them on pasture only for 45 days and then sell them as preconditioned.
SL