Is this scenario possible

[cypressfarms]

You seem determined, and that's great. We need young people in the cattle business, that's for sure. Please read the quote at the bottom of my post - I normally hate quotes, but this one has significant meaning.

Good luck!

 

[backhoeboogie]

We all started somewhere.

Nothing was given to me. I did inherit some land years later and that helps too. It just wasn't available starting out.

The best thing is to keep things paid for and build slow.

 

[djinwa]

Making a living is not only about what you make, but what you spend.

Amen.

Don't know how people can tell you whether you can make a living or not, when we don't know how much you think you need to live on. Gonna live in a tent or a mansion? Need 5 TV's and several trucks, 4-wheelers, boats, etc? Need a wife? Want 2 kids or eight?

Also don't know how Americans can judge the economy of Australia, or know the land you are talking about. What is the climate, soil, etc?

Don't know that it's necessary to make 100% of your living from cattle. Any bit contributes to the pot. Sometimes just having something you enjoy to keep you out of the bars and casinos, or off the couch, is worth alot.

 

[msscamp]

is it possible to run a decent cattle bussiness in this scenario, at first for an income that may pay bills, fund some farm equipment for the future, and hopefully with time expanding.

No, it is not possible to run a cattle business that will pay bills, fund farm equipment, etc, on 40 acres. Sorry.

 

[Onthebit]

is it possible to run a decent cattle bussiness in this scenario, at first for an income that may pay bills, fund some farm equipment for the future, and hopefully with time expanding.

No, it is not possible to run a cattle business that will pay bills, fund farm equipment, etc, on 40 acres. Sorry.

YES! It is possible! Think 'outside' the box! I just sold a 600 live wt steer for 800 bucks CA and I didn't deliver him. He was grass fed...mostly clover and there is a market for them... I just don't have any more or I woud get rich! ha!

 

[rustyb]

ye i hope everyone was reading that

i read in my local paper today, that mixed Hereford steers were being sold for 204 cents (AU) , these steers were around 230kgs per head, one of the steers on my farm, big Santa, he would now b around 500 odd kgs, and after his first year, after raisin him on crappy powder milk, he would have been around the 200 kg mark i recon, so considering the condition, with the power milk and all, i reackon its pretty gud, we have some **** powder milk here, ive seen the results and compared..... big differences

so thanks for that response

 

[grannysoo]

Sounds like daddy has plenty of money to buy you everything, seems like you already know that you can do it, seems that your mind is made up, so go for it!

I'm sure that you'll be rolling in the dough soon. :lol2:

 

[Brandonm22]

IF he was asking "Can you make a living on a 40 acre ranch?" My answer is NO, NO, and more NO. BUT I don't think he was asking that. I think he was asking 'if he gets a decent job and runs a small number of cows on the side as a second or a third enterprise to the veggies (given that they already have the 40 acres and SOME equipment) then I think the answer is yes, possibly. If he doesn't buy a bunch of equipment he doesn't need, I don't see why he can't clear a few dollars a cow. You can't live on a $2000-6000 enterprise; BUT if that is extra to your main job that can be sweet.

 

[mobgrazer]

Rusty and everyone else
Most of us think that people are in the US and not south east Queensland Australia. If you would have posted where you lived at or had it under your name I'm sure the responses would be some what different. I think most people are thinking about most parts of the US when they don't see a location and reply to a post. Just remember that if you only post half a picture for us to see then most people will never be able to see the rest of the picture you have.


With the markets and the way everything is different in Australia this might not be the place for some financial and marketing questions.

But I will say in the US it would be hard to do what you are talking about. It would also be hard to keep your organic certification depending on what certifier you are using. I would do a lot of research on your organic certification and see if you can turn all 40 acres organic if not already and find an organic market for cattle. I think this is what I would do.

 

[Brute 23]

Marketing... its all about marketing. Can you convince a group of people you have some thing they need or want.

 

[Brandonm22]

Rusty and everyone else
Most of us think that people are in the US and not south east Queensland Australia. If you would have posted where you lived at or had it under your name I'm sure the responses would be some what different. I think most people are thinking about most parts of the US when they don't see a location and reply to a post. Just remember that if you only post half a picture for us to see then most people will never be able to see the rest of the picture you have.


With the markets and the way everything is different in Australia this might not be the place for some financial and marketing questions.

But I will say in the US it would be hard to do what you are talking about. It would also be hard to keep your organic certification depending on what certifier you are using. I would do a lot of research on your organic certification and see if you can turn all 40 acres organic if not already and find an organic market for cattle. I think this is what I would do.

I don't think where he is changes much (other than currency conversions). I have never been to most of these place but I think a 40 acre cattle ranch is too small to make all your living off of whether it is in Alabama, Alberta, South Queensland, Brazil, Angola, Finland, South Africa. or California. Obviously the higher the carrying capacity the better.....that said I don't see how you shoe horn more than 40 moma cows onto 40 acres (16.2 hectares) in the very best environments without purchasing groceries and would argue that you probably can't expect to earn a decent living anywhere in the world on twice that (80 moma cows). Somebody tell me if they think I am wrong.

 

[mobgrazer]

Your right brandomn22 I don't see a slim chance that he make money breading cows like he first asked about with 40 acres. I could see 40 pushing it with the right management.

If he you back to pouring cheap milk down there mouths it takes it all out of farming part time. He11 I could see him with 100 calves with that land. Mix the milk in 55 gallon drums and go to town. Grow what ever crop that they will do good on. Yes you could make good money.

But to do that on 40 acres and keep your organic certification fat chance.

 

[msscamp]

is it possible to run a decent cattle bussiness in this scenario, at first for an income that may pay bills, fund some farm equipment for the future, and hopefully with time expanding.

No, it is not possible to run a cattle business that will pay bills, fund farm equipment, etc, on 40 acres. Sorry.

YES! It is possible! Think 'outside' the box! I just sold a 600 live wt steer for 800 bucks CA and I didn't deliver him. He was grass fed...mostly clover and there is a market for them... I just don't have any more or I woud get rich! ha!

Ok, fine - you've met the electricity, gas, groceries, and filled your car/truck up a few times. How are you going to meet the mortgage, pay for that tractor you've been needing, fix the feed wagon, pay for the diesel to run what equipment you've got, fertilize your 40 acres (assuming your into that kind of thing), pay for feed for the animals your running, and then do it all again the other 11 months that typically come in a year? The fact of the matter is it ain't happening on 40 acres, unless you have a pretty darned good off farm job.

 

[rustyb]

remember that the sprouting grain idea that we picked up and have seen before is quite economical, can raise the carrying capacity, and it is very cheap.....

i dont have to keep the organic certification, it is for all the 40 acres as far as I know, but havin the certification would be a good advantage, but i know it can be hard, so wuld being organic really do much about my income ?, wuld i get better prices , would my meat be in good demand ?

can anyone else shed some light on the subject

thankyou

 

[chippie]

More people are becoming health conscience and make a point of buying organic products. Organic products sell for considerably more than non-organic. So yes, organic can put more money in your pocket. Once people learn about your product, you will build a customer clientele with repeat customers.

 

[Brandonm22]

I don't think that we are in a position to really make that decision. We can't possibly know enough about YOUR 40 acres to know WHAT it will produce organically versus conventionally. "IF" you have the ability too direct market or have access to a supply channel that REALLY pays premiums for organicly grown beef you CAN get more money for the beef; BUT what level of production will you lose by going the organic route? There are some folks in West Texas that couldn't support 2 cows on 40 acres organically. The same 40 acres with heavy irrigation, chemical fertilizers, herbicides, ivomec, and store bought feeds could have 30 moma cows out there. Now I suspect both guys are losing MONEY, but part of that is just being a little guy in West Texas. This is something that has to be game planned in intimite detail and we just don't have enough site specific information to be able to go there.

 

[1982vett]

More people are becoming health conscience and make a point of buying organic products. Organic products sell for considerably more than non-organic. So yes, organic can put more money in your pocket. Once people learn about your product, you will build a customer clientele with repeat customers.

Might be able to get more for the product, but most likely you will have less product to sell. Might be more labor intensive also.

 

[rustyb]

Might be able to get more for the product, but most likely you will have less product to sell. Might be more labor intensive also.

i know how producing organic veggetables is more intensive....but organic meat ?


please explain...... i know i wont be vaccinating, or drenching animals, ect, that would be disallowed in the organic market, but of course i would you if an animal was sick or something, but that animal would never be able to sold organically. So with that in mind, that would take out a fair bit of labour, and costs, which is good, and we have never had problems with animal sickness or anything, my dad hasn't over the 30 years he has been there

Id like to ask a question bout organic beef tho, could a cow that has been disallowed to sell on the organic market because she has been vaccinated ect, could she still produce an organic calf that would be allowd to sell on the organic market ?

thanks, so if anyone could answer that, it would be good, along with , how is organic beef more intensive with labour ?

thanks again

 

[redfornow]

Yes its possible.
Heck anything is possible. But you have to think "out of the box"
Dont take the salebarn price, make your own through private treaty or freezer beef.
Yes! Organic will bring more money but you are in a TOTALLY different country. Look in to the law....

Also, 40 acres is small. But think of leasing, dont know if that happens in your neck of the woods.
But around here I dont know a farmer that owns all of the land he farms.
Start small grow and make contacts.

What is missed here on this board is that 95% of all start ups go under in less than 2 years...
Farming aint hard, business is hard. That's what we are in.... business....
Its hard! Most do not make it.
But just because most dont make it doesnt mean you shouldnt try.

Good luck! The odds are against you if you had 4000 acres or 40.

But hey 5% make it! The question is are you in that 5%?
I cant answer that for you, and neither can anyone on this board.

 

[1982vett]

i know how producing organic veggetables is more intensive....but organic meat ?
please explain...
...how is organic beef more intensive with labour ?

Would not anything you fed the beef need to be "organically" produced? Same problems that plague organic produce will most likely apply to organic forages. It would seem logical if forage growth or production was hindered or weight gain was slowed for any reason attributed to organic farming, labor cost for the unit as a whole would increase.

Something like more $ for fewer pounds of beef may = more $ per pound but less pounds produced = higher labor cost per pound produced. I don't know, maybe I'm just full of organic material.