marksmu
Well-known member
I've only been working with Cattle for three years, but I think a profit can be made if you do as SirLoin said and you separate the assets from everything else. That is how I do it, and this will be the first of the three years that I show a profit, though it will be minimal. We started with 20 pairs and selected cows with only heifer calves. We lost one calf that first year to pneumonia. Year two we sold only 4 steers and again retained our heifers. This year our first batch of heifers calved, all of them, and completely unassisted. In spring the second group will calve. We went from 40 to 110 in the last 3 years (3 bulls are bought and 5 more cows added middle last year). Sold this summer at about $800/steer, plus sold 2 for freezer, and it looks like I will pencil out about $3500 ahead after you take into consideration the diesel and seed.
We plant our winter pasture in rye ($7900), and we dont feed hay....our only expenses are mowing after the cattle come out of a pasture, and then we work them twice per year....the meds/worming are only about $12/head...The way I figure, is this year is $3500 profit, but next year should be closer to $35,000. Once last years heifers calve in the spring, I should have 80 cows calving. Take out $7/acre rent ($5400) With equipment and land paid for our only expense are 1) rent $5400 2) seed $7900 3) fuel $5000 4) vaccinations $1,300 and 2 bags of cubes/week ($936)
Total income assuming 90% calf should be about 72*800=$57,600. Total expenses $20,536 - plus random tractor maintenance, and small fence maintenance ....
For me, A big savings is having much more grass than we need....I can rotate pastures quickly, keep cattle off my winter pasture until January, and also I dont worry about the pasture not being perfect. There are weeds in my pastures until I run the cattle through and get a chance to mow them, but each year they look better than the previous year as the cows become less picky. Also I have found that our cattle actually gain substantial amounts of weight over the winter on the rye grass despite the fact that they are still nursing calves.
The first year we fed hay and only had about 80% breed back on time, and the cattle lost weight. We ended up with 100% calving but some were late due to poor condition on hay. Year two we did rye grass, and we had 100% breed back on time and all of them gained weight. This year we are gambling a bit because of lack of rain, but I have enough grass stockpiled to get me through at least February....
I find a winter pasture to be more profitable than hay - less equipment needed to make it, less equipment needed to feed it, less cost, more gains, and during the winter I don't have to go out there daily to check if they have food.
Honestly I don't know how the folks up north can compete with us down south folks who don't have harsh winters and can grow grass year round....does not seem fair. Our land is cheaper, our labor is cheaper, and our winter is not hard, and on a normal year we have plenty of rain. Just does not seem fair to you northerners.
We plant our winter pasture in rye ($7900), and we dont feed hay....our only expenses are mowing after the cattle come out of a pasture, and then we work them twice per year....the meds/worming are only about $12/head...The way I figure, is this year is $3500 profit, but next year should be closer to $35,000. Once last years heifers calve in the spring, I should have 80 cows calving. Take out $7/acre rent ($5400) With equipment and land paid for our only expense are 1) rent $5400 2) seed $7900 3) fuel $5000 4) vaccinations $1,300 and 2 bags of cubes/week ($936)
Total income assuming 90% calf should be about 72*800=$57,600. Total expenses $20,536 - plus random tractor maintenance, and small fence maintenance ....
For me, A big savings is having much more grass than we need....I can rotate pastures quickly, keep cattle off my winter pasture until January, and also I dont worry about the pasture not being perfect. There are weeds in my pastures until I run the cattle through and get a chance to mow them, but each year they look better than the previous year as the cows become less picky. Also I have found that our cattle actually gain substantial amounts of weight over the winter on the rye grass despite the fact that they are still nursing calves.
The first year we fed hay and only had about 80% breed back on time, and the cattle lost weight. We ended up with 100% calving but some were late due to poor condition on hay. Year two we did rye grass, and we had 100% breed back on time and all of them gained weight. This year we are gambling a bit because of lack of rain, but I have enough grass stockpiled to get me through at least February....
I find a winter pasture to be more profitable than hay - less equipment needed to make it, less equipment needed to feed it, less cost, more gains, and during the winter I don't have to go out there daily to check if they have food.
Honestly I don't know how the folks up north can compete with us down south folks who don't have harsh winters and can grow grass year round....does not seem fair. Our land is cheaper, our labor is cheaper, and our winter is not hard, and on a normal year we have plenty of rain. Just does not seem fair to you northerners.
