How would you describe the herds?

[mind235]

Just for the heck of it what numbers of cattle would you say are small (my answer under 20), medium (My answer 20-30) ,medium large (my answer 30-50), large (my answer 50-80) and the big one would be 80 +.

Just want to see the perspective of others. I told someone I had a small herd 25 and they said that wasn't small but another place they said that was small.

Show your numbers and you opinion.

 

[bigbull338]

guess id fall in the med group 30 to 50.extra large to me would be 150 or more cows.

 

[Brandonm2]

Obviously everybody has different opinions. I agree that small is less than 20, medium I would say 20 to 60, large is 61 to 150, and BIG is anything over 150 mama cows. Now somebody with 700 cows in Montana probably views anyone with less than 300 as a hobby boy.

 

[sizmic]

We have around 250 and thats too many for the 2 of us to handle. I would call the 150 big and the 200+ hard to handle.

Sizmic

 

[CowCop]

~~

Different regions have their "comfort zones" and definitions.

You are in NY, and here right near you--in Vermont-- a beef herd of 25 is considered Large. 50 is enourmous.

Most folks have 1-3 on 10-15 acres.

I saw 8 on 20 acres this morning.
New herd in the neighborhood........

 

[Keren]

My answers are pretty different to all of yours.

Hobby = <20

Small = 20 - 60

Medium = 60 - 150

Large = 150 - 500

Very Large = 500 - 1500

Extra large = 1500 +

Interesting to see how the viewpoints of people vary according to their area.

 

[mind235]

Maybe we should have a gead count of "roos" mate as well. I will start I have 0

 

[mind235]

Siz....If I brought that many head onto the property there would no longer be an "us" she would call me crazy...stupid... and good bye> Thats a lot of critters for 2 people.

 

[Beefy]

i think less than 50 is small.
51-250 is medium
250-1000 is large
1000+ is extry large.

 

[purecountry]

I'd agree with keren and beefy. In our area the scale is bigger for each size group. Here's a twist for ya, now how many people do you think each group requires for proper care? I'm real interested in Keren's answer, because according to some experts I've heard speak in Alberta, Australia and New Zealand have the lowest ratio in the world for caretakers:cattle. For us, we run 145 pairs comfortably, with the wife working full time, and just me at home; with 4 & 2yr old boys helping. I feel we could easily handle 250-300 cows with the way we're doing things. Maybe more, too.

 

[Beefy]

i would be interested in that too purecountry. i am the only one that looks after our cattle, but dad helps me sort them and such. sometimes it can get a little difficult to move them into the smaller pens with just us two but we always get them in there somehow. usually something simple like me clapping or jumping up and down, lol. i can feed them all in the winter but its a lot easier with two people. i asked a while back in a thread how many head everyone thought one person could handle alone. i definitely could not sort and work ours alone if i had to. according to my numbers we'd be in the large bracket.

here is that thread:
http://cattletoday.com/forum/viewtopic. ... one+person

 

[mind235]

When I went from 1 to 25 it didn't feel like that much different with the exception of a hiefer I put up to make sure she is ready to breed well and a kid has a steer I help him with for a 4H project inside as well. I rotate 2 pastures 3 days in a row then off for 3 then back for 3 etc. If my gals have the kind of hiefers like last year I am going to keep as many as look good. So based on last year with the same amount of cows/hefs I will go to maybe 40+. I am retired and this suff is fun to me keeps me busy or I would be bored.

 

[Limomike]

How big is big? How small is small? How rich is rich? How many is too many?

 

[cutter]

I think it also depends on the type of operation your running and where. For a commercial cow/calf operator you might run a much higher amount than if it is seedstock or club calf operation and if it's in the western grassland states vs east or midwest it's difficult to compete with crops.

 

[Anguscollegekid]

"little place/not too many"-less than a hundred
medium-100-200
"decent sized"-200-400
big-400-800
"pretty big operation"-800+

As to how many can one person handle, I'm reminded of what my dad said about the number at a "medium" place, "too little to make a living, too many to go get a job in town"

 

[mind235]

Big difference when you have 25 on 45 acres than 200 on 1000 acres. More interaction I think with the 25/45.

 

[elwapo]

Here in Canada the average herd size is pegged at 150 by Statistics Canada. I do believe that the 400 mark is probably what it will take to make a half decent living. The herds are getting larger every year with many of the smaller producers getting out. The 50 cow outfit is just about extinct in Alberta.

 

[hillsdown]

Here in Canada the average herd size is pegged at 150 by Statistics Canada. I do believe that the 400 mark is probably what it will take to make a half decent living. The herds are getting larger every year with many of the smaller producers getting out. The 50 cow outfit is just about extinct in Alberta.

The 20 cow outfit is just getting started as the OIL boomers are buying and playing.Look around and you will see a brand new home and JD machinery with all the bells and whistles.

 

[elwapo]

The oil boomers around here are buying the 1.5 mil acreages, but no cattle. They dont want the tie down and commitment that cattle create. There are some, however, that are investing in large tracts of land and leasing out to ranchers.

 

[Brandonm2]

The oil boomers around here are buying the 1.5 mil acreages, but no cattle. They dont want the tie down and commitment that cattle create. There are some, however, that are investing in large tracts of land and leasing out to ranchers.

Exactly, used to a 1000 acres was strictly cattle or crops. NOW that size tract and up sells as a hunting club. They get a 100 acres in CRP to pay the upkeep, maybe plant 30 acres of corn, bale a hundred rolls, and drill in 100 acres of ryegrass too attract wildlife and that is it. They make their money (if they even need money) on guided hunts and selling memberships. Most of the cows in Alabama are increasingly on the small farms(300 acres or less) ....particularly the chicken farms.