how to start

[scott wilson]

Hello, I have just leased 170 of pasture adjoining my place. It is all fenced and has had cattle on it for the past 30 years. It noramlly had about 50 head and I never saw them feed hay.
I want to get a few cows to get started. I have no real life cattle experience. How is the best way for me to get started.
My goal is to have another hobby that will make a little money.

One idea to get started I have:
Most every one is feeding hay now. I wonder if I could bring some one elses cows in for X long. at the end of X they will leave me with Y cows to keep. This way I can get started building my heard.
Any other ideas and if the above idea will work I can I decide what is fair?
thanks
Scott
http://www.RabbitHuntingBeagles.com

 

[smart_slider]

sorry, i don't know much bout cattle but that is why i'm here... i am a horse gal... welcome to the boards!
ss

 

[dun]

Check with your extension office for the going rate for pasture rent. When you rent it out make sure the cattle have all been vaccinated before bringing them in and work with the cow owners to get your feet wet.
There are courses from almost all of the landgrant universitys, some correspondence type, some have a beef producers manual.
Storeys has a book on cattle, by something or other thomas I think.

dun

 

[Hasbeen]

This board allows you to learn from other's mistakes. Mine was to start out with all open heifers in Nov. '05. Bred them in May '06, due to calve Feb. '07, hope to sell first calf in Sept. or Oct. '07. That's almost two years without the first dime of income from them. Plus, one has already had a stillborn calf so she's a total expense for at least three years and being heifers, the others are a gamble. Doing it again I would have settled for lesser quality bred cows and built from there. The only intelligent thing I did was bought only what I could pay cash for with money I could afford to lose.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Hello, I have just leased 170 of pasture adjoining my place. It is all fenced and has had cattle on it for the past 30 years. It noramlly had about 50 head and I never saw them feed hay.
I want to get a few cows to get started. I have no real life cattle experience. How is the best way for me to get started.
My goal is to have another hobby that will make a little money.

One idea to get started I have:
Most every one is feeding hay now. I wonder if I could bring some one elses cows in for X long. at the end of X they will leave me with Y cows to keep. This way I can get started building my heard.
Any other ideas and if the above idea will work I can I decide what is fair?
thanks
Scott
http://www.RabbitHuntingBeagles.com

There are no free rides in this business.
The best advice I can give you is to buy older proven "red cows" and a good Angus or Char bull with low birth weight.