I live in the Fort Worth area and I am looking for a job where I can learn the cattle business. I would like to own a cattle operation in the future, but I have very little experience. I have been a teacher for a few years and now I am looking for a change. This is something that I am serious about and willing to commit to. If anyone can help me out I would appreciate it.
Looking for a job
- Thread starter dan571
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
mhill
Well-known member
Keep teaching. It is possible to do both. I farm about 150 acres and run a small cow - calf operation and still teach little punk 6th graders.
9 ER
Well-known member
I agree with mhill.
If you are gonna give up $40,000 + a year, then you better have a good plan. One where you already have a lot of money and/or land. I teach/coach and would love to have a cow/calf operation that would earn me a decent living, but when you start putting #'s together, they just don't add up.
I'm starting out small(4 heifers and 5 acres) and learning as I go and hoping to expand later. Want to learn about the cattle business? Then start reading this site. That's what I did. It might take a few months to read, cause these people know a lot and they like to talk about cattle.
Good luck
If you are gonna give up $40,000 + a year, then you better have a good plan. One where you already have a lot of money and/or land. I teach/coach and would love to have a cow/calf operation that would earn me a decent living, but when you start putting #'s together, they just don't add up.
I'm starting out small(4 heifers and 5 acres) and learning as I go and hoping to expand later. Want to learn about the cattle business? Then start reading this site. That's what I did. It might take a few months to read, cause these people know a lot and they like to talk about cattle.
Good luck
Very well said 9 ER. I moved to the farm in 02, never even seen a cow up close! Most of my first year working with the cows consisted of starting my sentences with "Dun says....", or "Txag does...." etc... Now I have men that have raised cattle for YEARS telling me I know alot about cattle. Stick around, and ask questions, I've asked my fair share of dumb ones, called a bull calf a steer (got corrected real quick), and read alot. As far as the cows, I started small just to get my toes wet, and now have almost 300 head. Good luck, and don't quit your day job just yet! 
[/b]
[/b]
Jake
Well-known member
Dee":28izumju said:As far as the cows, I started small just to get my toes wet, and now have almost 300 head. Good luck, and don't quit your day job just yet!
Talk about a success story :clap:
Rookie
Well-known member
dan571":cofufwhj said:
Dan, just remember that the love of cattle has to be a part of the motivation. If ya don't love the critters and the life, both will get old real fast. What ever ya do, don't give up ya day job! Good luck ;-)
george
Tod Dague
Well-known member
Dee":gc5din31 said:Very well said 9 ER. I moved to the farm in 02, never even seen a cow up close! Most of my first year working with the cows consisted of starting my sentences with "Dun says....", or "Txag does...." etc... Now I have men that have raised cattle for YEARS telling me I know alot about cattle. Stick around, and ask questions, I've asked my fair share of dumb ones, called a bull calf a steer (got corrected real quick), and read alot. As far as the cows, I started small just to get my toes wet, and now have almost 300 head. Good luck, and don't quit your day job just yet!
How did you grow to such a large number in such a short time?
I had a friend whose grandpa had pasture here he didn't use, no rent till next spring, had to rent a quarter early this spring tho to get by. Well and crick water, no water bill. Bought OLD cows during the drought out west, cheap. Kept replacement heifers. Sold all the steers. LARGE loan. Watch for deals on hay, and put up ditch hay. The old man that used to have this farm, lives down the road on an acreage now, so I have all the old equipment to use here. I kinda sound like a welfare farmer??? I worked in town 'till the end of '02. I am seriously thinking of finding something part time atleast again. And more loans!
eric
Well-known member
Hmmm, the large loan part kind of contradicts what everyone was saying on the other post about starting out. Without being too specific about your finances, would you be willing to tell us what kind of loan you recieved? Not looking for $$ amount, more less looking for whom gave the loan (i e bank, SBA, Farm Loan Bank, Loans RUs), and are you having any trouble making the note strictly from the cattle or are you needing outside help, such as wife's job, parttime job for you or whatever.
Again, this flys in the face of what most of the other guys recommended for starting out.
Again, this flys in the face of what most of the other guys recommended for starting out.
Farm Bank loan. Three diget #'s for cattle to start, and a few add ons for equipment and feed...operating loan, from my bank. Yes, sometimes I want to cry looking at all the 000000's, the loan payments are my biggest worry, ( and since they don't recognize same sex marriages, and I'm not into that.... no, I don't have a wife :lol: .) I have a bit of property rental income, which helps, and payments from an ex, which is about to come to a hault. I used my savings, almost all, and cashed out a 401K plan, and some stocks. I am still trying to figure out how many cows you need to make some money and not just get by. I also got a few head of cattle as a B-day gift. (My X-mas and B-day lists have changed dramatically since moving to the farm.. never would I have thought of putting down a fitting chute, or scale on my list!) If you are looking for advice, I'd say "start small", I got a little carried away in the beginning, and it may get me in the end?!? But I wouldn't go back to my 8 hour a day job in town, (unlkess I have to), I'd miss the girls! :lol:
Muratic
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2004
- Messages
- 470
- Reaction score
- 0
Well eric, that didn't work out the way you planned did it.
You were hoping that Dee was gonna say something to make a beginner doubt what every one has been saying about loans. Now what, better try to stir the pot in another thread...didn't work in this one.
You were hoping that Dee was gonna say something to make a beginner doubt what every one has been saying about loans. Now what, better try to stir the pot in another thread...didn't work in this one.
Running Arrow Bill
Well-known member
Agree too. Keep day job unless you have other significant source of income.
In our operation we started with 2 bred cows. After almost 4 years later, we have 30 head and 16 calves expected next spring. Also, 8 horses. Been selling about as many as we purchase (upgrades). All of our stock are registered from quality bloodlines. Have 23 acres, bermudagrass pasture and significant hay purchases. Everything is paid for here; yet, we have other "royalty" sources of income. Even then, we figure on average it's taking $25K plus a year to support our livestock habit, plus our living expenses. And, this doesn't include some indirect overhead, equipment purchases, capital improvements. We do quite a bit of advertising, have 2 websites, etc. Trying to run a first-class operation--payoff should be in the future, not in near future $$ wise.
Good news is that all of our Longhorns sell for a minimum of 3X "sale barn prices" as registered stock. We also do bull leasing out, sell semen, and some other products. Have excellent water well.
Bottomline: We estimate it will be 2-3 years more (for total of 5-7 years in business) before our livestock operation is "self-supporting". So with our registered stock (N=30 now) selling at mininum 3X sale barn prices, one would need at least 90 head otherwise--and, still our present operation is not self-supporting!
But, we LOVE what we're doing, learning every minute, etc.
In our operation we started with 2 bred cows. After almost 4 years later, we have 30 head and 16 calves expected next spring. Also, 8 horses. Been selling about as many as we purchase (upgrades). All of our stock are registered from quality bloodlines. Have 23 acres, bermudagrass pasture and significant hay purchases. Everything is paid for here; yet, we have other "royalty" sources of income. Even then, we figure on average it's taking $25K plus a year to support our livestock habit, plus our living expenses. And, this doesn't include some indirect overhead, equipment purchases, capital improvements. We do quite a bit of advertising, have 2 websites, etc. Trying to run a first-class operation--payoff should be in the future, not in near future $$ wise.
Good news is that all of our Longhorns sell for a minimum of 3X "sale barn prices" as registered stock. We also do bull leasing out, sell semen, and some other products. Have excellent water well.
Bottomline: We estimate it will be 2-3 years more (for total of 5-7 years in business) before our livestock operation is "self-supporting". So with our registered stock (N=30 now) selling at mininum 3X sale barn prices, one would need at least 90 head otherwise--and, still our present operation is not self-supporting!
But, we LOVE what we're doing, learning every minute, etc.
CattleAnnie
Well-known member
Kinda got me scratching my head over that one, too.
Take care.
Take care.
Ryder
Well-known member
Eric asked about 'wife's job'. I think reply means she is female, so there is no wife.
CattleAnnie
Well-known member
Ah so.
Thanks Ryder. It was clear as mud before you supplied the missing puzzle pieces.
Take care.
Thanks Ryder. It was clear as mud before you supplied the missing puzzle pieces.
Take care.
Rod
Well-known member
Dan,
I agree with the others, keep your job and ease into a full-time position in the cattle business. It will take you a very long time and a whole lot of paid for cattle to ever make the money that you make now. I've only been in the bisiness 1 1\2 years and have finally gotten that through my thick head. I had it all figured out on paper when I started, but I really had no idea of how it really is. For instance:
1. They do get sick (medicine and vets are not cheap)
2. You will have loses
3. Weather (cannot control it, droughts-dead grass, it happens)expensive!
4. They are very expensive to winter
5. You must vaccinate(also expensive)
6. Feed and suppliments a must(they cost more than you would think)
7. Equipment (tractors and implements, ATV's,trucks, on and on!)
8. Fencing ,Corrals, Chutes and headgates (maintaing and building)
9. Supplies ,Tools and Parts (medicine,fencing,health,equipment,fuel)
10.Misc. Problems (They get out,Dont breed back,Dont accept their calf,Bulls fight,You can make bad purchases,Get stuck in the pond,Run over you or kick the hell out of you,Need a calf pulled,Heifers gets bred too early,MARKET DROPS,ETC.ETC.ETC.)
Like I said, I've only been in 1 1\2 years and I'm sure some old timers will point out a whole lot of things I didn't, but I've personally experienced everyone of these and I can tell you it takes alot of money to pay for all the mentioned above. What really scares me the most is that prices are said to be really good right now, so what happens when they do go back down?
Not to discourage you Dan, I myself would love to be a full-timer and I love cattle very much, but I believe that making a living out of it is a long term deal!
Best of luck
Rod
I agree with the others, keep your job and ease into a full-time position in the cattle business. It will take you a very long time and a whole lot of paid for cattle to ever make the money that you make now. I've only been in the bisiness 1 1\2 years and have finally gotten that through my thick head. I had it all figured out on paper when I started, but I really had no idea of how it really is. For instance:
1. They do get sick (medicine and vets are not cheap)
2. You will have loses
3. Weather (cannot control it, droughts-dead grass, it happens)expensive!
4. They are very expensive to winter
5. You must vaccinate(also expensive)
6. Feed and suppliments a must(they cost more than you would think)
7. Equipment (tractors and implements, ATV's,trucks, on and on!)
8. Fencing ,Corrals, Chutes and headgates (maintaing and building)
9. Supplies ,Tools and Parts (medicine,fencing,health,equipment,fuel)
10.Misc. Problems (They get out,Dont breed back,Dont accept their calf,Bulls fight,You can make bad purchases,Get stuck in the pond,Run over you or kick the hell out of you,Need a calf pulled,Heifers gets bred too early,MARKET DROPS,ETC.ETC.ETC.)
Like I said, I've only been in 1 1\2 years and I'm sure some old timers will point out a whole lot of things I didn't, but I've personally experienced everyone of these and I can tell you it takes alot of money to pay for all the mentioned above. What really scares me the most is that prices are said to be really good right now, so what happens when they do go back down?
Not to discourage you Dan, I myself would love to be a full-timer and I love cattle very much, but I believe that making a living out of it is a long term deal!
Best of luck
Rod
Similar threads
