Brandi2005":rrtpvqta said:
This is a question of the people who got into Ranching on their own. (Not the people who got into from family inheritence) I am just curious as to
how you decided you wanted to start ranching
how long it took you to find a ranch and buy it
how long it took you to make a profit
if you would change one thing about it-what would it be?
thanks!
Brandi, It's funny you should ask such a question. I never wanted a thing in the world to do with any type of livestock, I didn't want to be tied down (married) to a bunch of cows, as a matter of fact I was so set on this that I turned down my father in law when he wanted me to take over his operation, around 90 brood cows. I helped my father in law alot for the first 5 years after I got married, and he just got to the point where he couldn't keep up with them, and as previously stated I didn't want a thing in the world to do with them. He made a deal with a local "broker" and the broker hauled them to the sale a few days later.
I received a phone call at work the day of the sale, when I picked up the phone my young wife was on the other end crying horribly, so upset she could barely talk. I pleaded with her to calm down and tell me what was wrong, she had just found out that her daddy had sold all of his cows, and she explained to me that this herd was started by her grandfather in the 50's, one of the first all Charolais herds in this area of the country, and she felt as though a piece of their family history had been lost.
I felt so bad that I called my brother in law and pleaded with him to go to the sale and buy four heifers, from their dads herd, back for me. Sure enough, when I got home, there they were.
I never was the type to have an animal and not care for it, so I spent alot of time with these first four heifers, and I noticed a change taking place, the more time I spent with them, the more time I wanted to spend with them, I was actually looking forward to "messing with
my cows". They have a way of growing on you. The next thing you know it's time to buy a bull, and when those first calves were born I was so proud. This was my herd and I fell in love with each and every one of them.
I have purchased some good brood stock along the way and 5 years later we have grown to 35 brood cows, and I couldn't be happeir. I bought an additional 40 acres that adjoins the 43 that my wife and I started with, and I almost have it payed off now, with a little help from my "real" job.
It has been alot of hard work, and whole lot of expense, but i'm finally starting to see some returns, money wise.
The real return is late in the evening on those hot summer days, when the sky is red all around, walking and talking to the cows and watching the stark white little calves jumping and playing, and smelling the heavy evening mist settling all around you, this is the time when it all makes sense, why you love it, why you have sweated and sacrificed for it, this time is priceless.
BTW, I wouldn't change a thing.
Trey