Little operation ,medium operation, big operation

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

Here are a few Canadian numbers of herd size. In Manitoba, I think the average herd size is @ 20 cows.


http://cattle.guelph.on.ca/kids_cattle/fastfacts_print.html

 

[Campground Cattle]

Another factoid from TAMU

An interesting challenge noted about South Texas ranchers was their average age of 58 years with only 33 percent prepared to transfer ranch operation to children. The majority were uncertain as to the disposition and long term operation of the current enterprise. This has resulted in many properties being leased for both cattle and recreational usage. The future challenges appear to be focused on enterprise selection and determining the management aspects and practices that represent a long term survivability and financial advantage to land ownership and ranch operation utilizing cattle and other livestock, including wildlife. These same concerns are applicable to any beef cattle enterprise in other areas but are critical in South Texas due to the restrictions to alternative agricultural opportunities, limited rainfall and other regional environmental conditions. Primary attention to better production and marketing knowledge and business management skills is considered absolutely necessary.

 

[jerry27150]

we talking hobby farmers or farmers that make their whole living from it?

 

[Scotty]

Does size really matter.(That what she said) Oh we are talking ranches here. :shock: I hear the average in the US is 25 head. Can not remeber were I heard this. ;-)



Scotty

 

[Jake]

most days that I wouldn't call anything under 10 head an operation..... those are usually pets.... but those herds are factored in...

 

[mwj]

most days that I wouldn't call anything under 10 head an operation..... those are usually pets.... but those herds are factored in...

When that beef goes on a plate there isn't any label that tells the consumer the no. of head in the herd! These cattle move the mkt. just the same as a large herd.
your friend
Mike

 

[Jake]

most days that I wouldn't call anything under 10 head an operation..... those are usually pets.... but those herds are factored in...

When that beef goes on a plate there isn't any label that tells the consumer the no. of head in the herd! These cattle move the mkt. just the same as a large herd.
your friend
Mike

I still don't consider it a operation.... and your not gunna change that opinion.... You can't tell me that those 10 or fewer head are going to have the impact that 50 or 100 will... When you have less than 10 head your not in it for a living it's a hobby... and a hobby isn't an operation to me...

 

[Dave]

Jake, they may not be operations in your opinion but they add up to a lot of beef. Within two miles of my house there are over 200 momma cows, but there are two guys with over 20 cows and both of them have less than 50. So when all of those others go to the sale five or six at a time it adds up to a lot of cattle. There are some large sections of the country where this is the norm. This is one of the main things that have kept the auction barns going all over the country.
Dave

 

[Campground Cattle]

Jake, they may not be operations in your opinion but they add up to a lot of beef. Within two miles of my house there are over 200 momma cows, but there are two guys with over 20 cows and both of them have less than 50. So when all of those others go to the sale five or six at a time it adds up to a lot of cattle. There are some large sections of the country where this is the norm. This is one of the main things that have kept the auction barns going all over the country.
Dave

Very true Dave the same in my part of the country an average of 1500 head go through the Houston county salebarn every tuesday, most trailers have four or five calves in them. Thats a lot of beef, the little guy keeps the big guy in business your local feed, tractor, custom balers would go broke waiting on a few big guys.

 

[SPRINGER FARMS MURRAY GRE]

Whats your idea of a small ? medium ? large?
How many head?

Approximately 30,000 farms in Arkansas produce beef cattle. The average herd size is 30 head with 80 percent of the farms having less than 50 head. About 97 percent of the beef cattle farms are family owned and operated. There are 1.8 million cows and calves with total cash value over $432 million. The total economic impact of the Arkansas beef cattle industry is over $1.4 billion. ;-) :cboy: 8)

I personally have 22 soon - to - be - 32 head.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Here at home, small. Most of the places in my area are small. Many, many head in these parts, but all small (less than 100) herds. Most of these folks (myself included) need to work off-farm, in order to make ends meet. In our area it's all us "small-timers" that keep all the co-ops and equipment places in business.

Katherine

 

[Oldtimer]

Under 200- small operation
200- 500 - average operation
500 + - big operation

We're seeing more and more of all size operations selling out to the major corporate outfits which buy up or lease several places--run 5,000-10,000 head-- Have several in the state now over 20,000 head.....

 

[Rookie]

It's all in your prospective. There be many folks around me who run over 50 head and work full time jobs. They willingly call themselves hobbyists. To me they be pretty big. There be one ranch near me that runs 450+ brood cows year round. To me that be huge. But there be ops out in w/sw ks which probably consider that ranch small to medium in size.

george

 

[denoginnizer]

So much information is put out about something helping or hurting the "small" cattle farmer that it is interesting to note there are many different definitions.

 

[mwj]

most days that I wouldn't call anything under 10 head an operation..... those are usually pets.... but those herds are factored in...

When that beef goes on a plate there isn't any label that tells the consumer the no. of head in the herd! These cattle move the mkt. just the same as a large herd.
your friend
Mike

I still don't consider it a operation.... and your not gunna change that opinion.... You can't tell me that those 10 or fewer head are going to have the impact that 50 or 100 will... When you have less than 10 head your not in it for a living it's a hobby... and a hobby isn't an operation to me...

Jake
How long do you think 100 head will keep the chain full in a beef plant. A few minutes one day a year doesn't impress them much either! Very few if any operations are big enough to afect the industry one way or the other.
your friend
Mike

 

[Jake]

most days that I wouldn't call anything under 10 head an operation..... those are usually pets.... but those herds are factored in...

When that beef goes on a plate there isn't any label that tells the consumer the no. of head in the herd! These cattle move the mkt. just the same as a large herd.
your friend
Mike

I still don't consider it a operation.... and your not gunna change that opinion.... You can't tell me that those 10 or fewer head are going to have the impact that 50 or 100 will... When you have less than 10 head your not in it for a living it's a hobby... and a hobby isn't an operation to me...

Jake
How long do you think 100 head will keep the chain full in a beef plant. A few minutes one day a year doesn't impress them much either! Very few if any operations are big enough to afect the industry one way or the other.
your friend
Mike

Didn't say they had no effect on the market, but a run of 5-8 calves isn't going to sell as well, or have as much impact as a run of 100 calves. You all seem to be somewhat missing my point. It's not that the herd of under ten animals play no role, it's just that they are not going to have as large of an impact on doing something as somebody that has a 50 or 100 animal operation. My whole point was that anything under ten head or so is really just a hobby herd, not a full blown operation.

 

[greatgerts]

I honestly think that the small guy does make a big difference. It is a lot easier for the "small guy" to change his herd with the times than it is for a large operation.

 

[Jake]

but isn't it usually a big guy who sets the kind of times it is?

don't know of many little guys that'd ever have enough power to start a new fad, or be able to alter the times... just chase them...

 

[tom4018]

Been sitting back and reading this with interest. One figure that I have in front of me state that 80% of cattle come from herds of less than 50 head. Our Farm Bureau president told me the average herd size in Kentucky was about 40 head a couple years ago.

And as far as this comment goes..............

"Didn't say they had no effect on the market, but a run of 5-8 calves isn't going to sell as well, or have as much impact as a run of 100 calves"

A small guy that has good calves will sell just as well as everyone else in his area if the calves sell in the graded pens. We have always had our calves sell graded and I know we have done better than some of our neighbors with our animals getting in the graded pens. Just thought I would throw in my thoughts because I know there are more of us small guys out here than the big ones.

 

[dun]

Didn't say they had no effect on the market, but a run of 5-8 calves isn't going to sell as well, or have as much impact as a run of 100 calves.

The smaller herds may not be making the "fads" or for that matter chasing them, but with the co-mingle sales, marketing alliances, etc., guys with a few calves can get involved and get the same dollars as the larger herds. When selling in small groups there may or may not be a slight difference in price. But that's primarily because buyers prefer uniform large groups of calves.
That said, many of the smaller producers don;t use the best genetics, herd managment, and other practices that some of the larger producers do. They pay for it at marketing time, but those calves end up in the same feedlots as the one from the larger folks.
Frequently they're just leaving oney on the table because of the lack of time, knowledge, facilities, or just the desire to do what is required to get the best return on their dollar.

dun