cattlepower
Well-known member
everything you need, (land, facilities, cattle, etc) and it's all paid for what can you realistically net with 50 mama cows, 70 mama cows or 100 mama cows? Answer all three or one or two or none.
cattlepower":38s3iysn said:everything you need, (land, facilities, cattle, etc) and it's all paid for what can you realistically net with 50 mama cows, 70 mama cows or 100 mama cows? Answer all three or one or two or none.
Bez+":3lku1cqc said:cattlepower":3lku1cqc said:everything you need, (land, facilities, cattle, etc) and it's all paid for what can you realistically net with 50 mama cows, 70 mama cows or 100 mama cows? Answer all three or one or two or none.
Well the national average used to be stated as 100 bucks - now I believe it is somewhere around 25 bucks - and some say it less. Some will tell you it is in the negative - so you can start from there.
Cheers
Bez
farmwriter":30459tn9 said:Still a lot of variables...
Hay/winter grazing
minerals
feed
vaccines
preg check/other vet expenses
fertilizer
fuel
all before calves arrive, then what?
vaccines
castrate/dehorn
Are you selling them all at weaning? retaining heifers? start on feed?
cattlepower":1nrii9bb said:Bez+":1nrii9bb said:cattlepower":1nrii9bb said:everything you need, (land, facilities, cattle, etc) and it's all paid for what can you realistically net with 50 mama cows, 70 mama cows or 100 mama cows? Answer all three or one or two or none.
Well the national average used to be stated as 100 bucks - now I believe it is somewhere around 25 bucks - and some say it less. Some will tell you it is in the negative - so you can start from there.
Cheers
Bez
I assume you mean per calf?
cattlepower":27rfreq0 said:It's obviously up to you how you figure all these variables, it will be a little different for everyone more than likely.
Bez+":27fjmrt5 said:- put a thousand bucks in a jar and do not use any money other than that money to do the following - buy one open cow and put her in the field - then breed her and maintain her and feed her for one year - then sell the calf - if you get one. Bet you run out of money before you sell that calf.[/i]
Bez+
grannysoo":26u3kpz8 said:I have some days that all it costs to keep the girls up is what electricity it takes to fill the water tank. Then I have those days that everything breaks, trees fall on the fence, and everything that can go wrong does. Any way you look at it, if you can make a few dollars a head, you doing better than most.
I do make a little money, and I don't have to mow all of that grass.
The big point to me is that I love raising my cows. It's getting to the point where it's not a hobby anymore as my quantity is getting larger, so it's more important than ever to make money, and especially not lose any.
The bottom line for me is that if you don't absolutely LOVE raising cows, you would be better doing something different with your money.
These black girls are the best therapy that I have ever had...
You made $300/hd profit? Now I've heard it all.grubbie":2p6wp5b1 said:Many people in this area make a good living raising cattle, there is money if you have the land and do it right. My profit last year for 50 pairs was $15,077.00. We do it by watching our costs. Old equipment, raising our own heifers, not giving them a bunch of stuff that some "study" has convinced us they need, not buying overpriced "super" bulls. The cows grow on grass and home-raised hay, get bred, have calves that sell good in the fall. Simple formula. But,....buy one nice shiny green tractor or a fancy pickup or trailer and there goes your profit for a few years. Around here you need a lot more than 50 head to make a decent full time living off cows in my opinion. I'm still building the herd, I just refuse to buy cows, takes 3 years to make a profit off what you buy around here.
marksmu":3uh7bmiq said:Ask me again in a year, and Ill give you the gods honest answer on 20 pairs.
I bought 20 pairs in May, @$1050/pr.....we had one little calf die 2 weeks after purchase, she had pneumonia, and was only 10 days old at the time of purchase. Since then, her momma cow looks terrific and just recently was bred back...some of our first year cows that are still nursing some larger calves are lookin a bit rough bc of the heat we have had, and the extreme drought...but the calves all look great, and its not time to pull them just yet.
Since purchase our input costs have consisted of 1 50lb bag of 20% protein cubes ($8.99) per week (actually 2 bags per week during the first 3 weeks to help acclimate) to keep them gentle and so they will follow my gator into the next field....I dont count lost opportunity for hay, or lost lease income, or any of those numbers...I am looking purely 100% at actual cost incurred and what I get when I sell my first group. I have not fertilized (no need this year), and I have not needed to do anything else yet. They were all vacinatted and tagged prior to purchase.
We are going to have to mow this weekend, which will be the first time this year, b/c the cows are not trampling the bean trees as much as I had hoped, and they will be going to seed soon...but other than that, I figure my expenses are $9/wk at this point, and my loss is about $400 for the calf that died.
I keep meticulous records of every expenses, gallon of diesel, mile incurred to get to the ranch, hours on the tractor etc...at the end of the year, I intend to determine whether or not this is profitable, or if its just cheaper than mowing...Im hoping for a profit, but Im happy with just cheaper than mowing.
grubbie":xak6mem6 said:Many people in this area make a good living raising cattle, there is money if you have the land and do it right. My profit last year for 50 pairs was $15,077.00. We do it by watching our costs. Old equipment, raising our own heifers, not giving them a bunch of stuff that some "study" has convinced us they need, not buying overpriced "super" bulls. The cows grow on grass and home-raised hay, get bred, have calves that sell good in the fall. Simple formula. But,....buy one nice shiny green tractor or a fancy pickup or trailer and there goes your profit for a few years. Around here you need a lot more than 50 head to make a decent full time living off cows in my opinion. I'm still building the herd, I just refuse to buy cows, takes 3 years to make a profit off what you buy around here.
grubbie":36d4jd3n said:Many people in this area make a good living raising cattle, there is money if you have the land and do it right. My profit last year for 50 pairs was $15,077.00. We do it by watching our costs. Old equipment, raising our own heifers, not giving them a bunch of stuff that some "study" has convinced us they need, not buying overpriced "super" bulls. The cows grow on grass and home-raised hay, get bred, have calves that sell good in the fall. Simple formula. But,....buy one nice shiny green tractor or a fancy pickup or trailer and there goes your profit for a few years. Around here you need a lot more than 50 head to make a decent full time living off cows in my opinion. I'm still building the herd, I just refuse to buy cows, takes 3 years to make a profit off what you buy around here.
Jogeephus":3jk7tbz7 said:grubbie":3jk7tbz7 said:Many people in this area make a good living raising cattle, there is money if you have the land and do it right. My profit last year for 50 pairs was $15,077.00. We do it by watching our costs. Old equipment, raising our own heifers, not giving them a bunch of stuff that some "study" has convinced us they need, not buying overpriced "super" bulls. The cows grow on grass and home-raised hay, get bred, have calves that sell good in the fall. Simple formula. But,....buy one nice shiny green tractor or a fancy pickup or trailer and there goes your profit for a few years. Around here you need a lot more than 50 head to make a decent full time living off cows in my opinion. I'm still building the herd, I just refuse to buy cows, takes 3 years to make a profit off what you buy around here.
I'm not touching this thread but I think you and I have the management philosophy and ironically we both seem to be well in the black. Isn't it ironic how so many people brag on their EPD's and their high dollar bulls and then end up complaining that they don't make any money. I think my mentor was right when he told me you ain't gonna make money chasing breeds and you ain't gonna make money with those front pasture cattle, and a cow will eat all you can afford to feed them.