How to get your operation started

[Beef11]

Step 1 Cash in your 401k use the money to buy cows

Step 2 Sell your house and buy a camp trailer use the extra money to buy cows.

Step 3 Start working overtime, use the money to pay for upkeep on the cows.

Step 4 Go to farm store and get a 80 page book on cattle. Now you know everything.

Step 5 Get second book this one on birds and bees. Realize you need a bull.

Step 6 Go to Salebarn look for guy with quick darting eyes and pointy mustasche ask him to sell you a bull.

Step 7 get second job because you need to buy another bull because guy in step 6 sold you one with a broken pecker.

Step 8 Go to courthouse file for divorce (when she finds out about steps 1 & 2 it will be inevitable).

Step 9 Go to store buy third book this one on calving to find out if 3 legs coming is a normal presentation.

Step 10 Sell cows and get a good job with a 401k

Repeat as needed

 

[Outrigger2]

circle of life?

 

[Beef11]

Its not my way of doing things but it seems alot of people use this protocol.

 

[Rod]

Step 1 Put up good fences

Step 2 Build a good corral and working area

Step 3 Get a good pasture establised

Step 4 Buy cattle(preferably from and individual, no salebarn
misfits)
Step 5 Buy a good bull

Step 6 Vaccinate all cattle on arrival

Step 7 Have a good cattle person to consult with on upcoming
problems or "how to's" on raising cattle.

Step 8 Work your way into equipment and
implements. You dont need everything all at
once.

Step 9 HAVE FUN. Not alot of money to be made so if
dont enjoy it LEAVE IT ALONE.

 

[Beef11]

Rod isn't it irresponsible post rubbish like that and let people think its realistic? It needs to be real life, like mine.

 

[Angus Guy]

He!! everybody just go to the bank. They have lots of money to give. Only hard thing is when they want it back.

 

[Sir Loin]

This sounds a lot like the book I am writing.
Title: How to make a small fortune in cattle.
Subtitle: Start with a large fortune!
SL

 

[DavisBeefmasters]

This sounds a lot like the book I am writing.
Title: How to make a small fortune in cattle.
Subtitle: Start with a large fortune!
SL

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Brute 23]

Step 1 Put up good fences

Step 2 Build a good corral and working area

Step 3 Get a good pasture establised

Step 4 Buy cattle(preferably from and individual, no salebarn
misfits)
Step 5 Buy a good bull

Step 6 Vaccinate all cattle on arrival

Step 7 Have a good cattle person to consult with on upcoming
problems or "how to's" on raising cattle.

Step 8 Work your way into equipment and
implements. You dont need everything all at
once.

Step 9 HAVE FUN. Not alot of money to be made so if
dont enjoy it LEAVE IT ALONE.

This always amazes me. Nothing like spending money that you haven't made yet.

Am I the only one who waites for the cows to have calves then spends the money from the calves to fix fences, build corrals, ect...

 

[grubbie]

How to make $100,000.00 with cattle.........
Start with $200,000.00.

 

[Jogeephus]

I don't know if it will work for cattle or not but it seemed to work well for horse farming. Plant you a victory garden on the back 40 and/or learn how to launder money. Based on my neighbor, it works really well. Wooden fences, aluminum trailers, homes in Carribean and some high dollar horses. Really something to see.

Oh, by the way, its for sale this weekend if anyone is looking for a dream ranch. Gonna go and take a look, I curious how the US Treasury Department conducts auctions.

(I'll be leaving the checkbook at the house)

 

[Rod]

Step 1 Put up good fences

Step 2 Build a good corral and working area

Step 3 Get a good pasture establised

Step 4 Buy cattle(preferably from and individual, no salebarn
misfits)
Step 5 Buy a good bull

Step 6 Vaccinate all cattle on arrival

Step 7 Have a good cattle person to consult with on upcoming
problems or "how to's" on raising cattle.

Step 8 Work your way into equipment and
implements. You dont need everything all at
once.

Step 9 HAVE FUN. Not alot of money to be made so if
dont enjoy it LEAVE IT ALONE.

This always amazes me. Nothing like spending money that you haven't made yet.

Am I the only one who waites for the cows to have calves then spends the money from the calves to fix fences, build corrals, ect...

Why would you put cattle on a place with bad fences and risk someone getting killed by hitting them. My time is worth more than chasing cows that get out and that break out of a crappy corral after I spent hours of helll getting them in.

If you dont have start up capital why would you even think of getting in the cattle business or any business for that matter.

 

[Brute 23]

I agree about having bad fences next to roads. All my fences along roads are in perfect condition... all the time... no excuses. If something happens it will not be because of me.

Granted you have to have some money to start up to buy the cattle, and other necessities.

But to go out and build new fences and new facilities before you have made any money off the cattle is not wise,,, if you are in it from a strictly business standpoint.

 

[suscofa]

If you guys are that unhappy. GET OUT NOW! I think it is a good business if you aren't stuck in the past. People get caught up on breeds etc when hard work and good pasture will make them money. Pick a breed you like, cross it with a breed that you think will help and hope for the best. Market conditions, weather and whimsical buyers are unpredictable, but if you have healthy cows with healthy calves and not much debt you can make it. I

 

[CUZ]

Gonna go and take a look, I'm curious how the US Treasury Department conducts auctions.

I'm kinda curious about that also. Sounds like it'll be a BUNCH of nice stuff. I look forward to your reporting in on how it was handled and how much paraphernalia the gov't sold.

You might want to rethink taking your checkbook. I see commercials saying people bought a $$$$$$$ house for a box of shells, or something like that. You never know, you might get a deal on a kevlar vest.

 

[rockridgecattle]

Alternate reality, or universe

step 1 moved back to family farm
step 2 relearn about cows and how they like rundown fences and broken corrals
step 3 repair and rebuild fences and corrals
step 4 up grade that steel wheel seeder (still working on that one)
step 5 upgrade 30 year old pastures and hayfields (still working on this too)
step 6 finally convince older generation vaccinations are all the "rage" Oh no reality check and brain wave, got the auctioneer to do the convincing
step 7 finally convince older generation time for new bulls, inbreeding "out of style"
step 7 buy his cows...better deal than the bank
step 8 buy the old machiery...1950's and all
step 9 start to get ahead only to find out sibling gets the home quarter and doesn't even farm or live out here. All that work out the window...or cab of the feeding tractor....oh wait no cab on feeding tractor and it gets -30 C in the winter.
step 10 realize hindsite is 20:20 and try to make it work and convince the older gereration give the sibling anything but the home quarter(work in progress )
Smile, winter is almost here. got snow 20 miles north of us today. Just skiffs of snow but snow never the less. To early.

 

[Brute 23]

If you guys are that unhappy. GET OUT NOW! I think it is a good business if you aren't stuck in the past. People get caught up on breeds etc when hard work and good pasture will make them money. Pick a breed you like, cross it with a breed that you think will help and hope for the best. Market conditions, weather and whimsical buyers are unpredictable, but if you have healthy cows with healthy calves and not much debt you can make it. I

It is simple... I agree. income - expences = profit

I am tired of people crying about not making money when it is their own fault. They say they don't make money but they insist of having the new and the best because they can't deal with a cow breaking out of the corral. That is fine... I would rather a cow get out of the corral once in a while then be in debt. :lol:

They spend $10K to cross fence a 50 acre place and put in new facilities. Now they can run 12 head instead of 10. Do the math... how lond will it take those 2 extra head to pay for that extra cross fencing?

This does not apply to those of yall who have bought land and started from the ground up. Yall will probably never profit cash and are in it for other reasons.

 

[The Bachelor]

Step 1 Put up good fences

Step 2 Build a good corral and working area

Step 3 Get a good pasture establised

Step 4 Buy cattle(preferably from and individual, no salebarn
misfits)
Step 5 Buy a good bull

Step 6 Vaccinate all cattle on arrival

Step 7 Have a good cattle person to consult with on upcoming
problems or "how to's" on raising cattle.

Step 8 Work your way into equipment and
implements. You dont need everything all at
once.

Step 9 HAVE FUN. Not alot of money to be made so if
dont enjoy it LEAVE IT ALONE.

This always amazes me. Nothing like spending money that you haven't made yet.

Am I the only one who waites for the cows to have calves then spends the money from the calves to fix fences, build corrals, ect...

I'm with you on this Brute. Just get started. Increase mommas when your pasture gets better. This year, I'm trying to get rid of some summer cedar and bitterweed thats been around a while. My pastures look awful, but my cows look fat.

edited to add- I do think a corral is important though

 

[Razorback21]

Grandfather gave me some great advice. He said the whole idea is to look at cattle as an investment first, not as a living. If you go in with the attitude that you want to get a better net return than a CD at the bank and you don't mind getting off your hind quarter and getting some fresh air daily working your investment, then do it. If you build your business to the point it supports you, all the better. But bottomline was, it was an investment, and an active one at that.

Razorback21

 

[grannysoo]

Sir Loin summed it up very well!