One thing that really pushes our buttons is hearing people say, over and over, that there isn't any money in cattle. There IS! Lots! IF you do your research and question every decision you make, and always ask yourself if there is a better way. So far, we have done very few things the way that we did them the year before. Feeding decisions are extremely important...we drive an hour one-way for our feed, and save $250-350 on just a couple of tons, sacked, after gas cost, than if we went to any of the 5-6 feed stores that are all within 15 minutes of our house. That adds up to about $4000/year. It's the little things like that, that add up over time and ultimately determine whether or not you are profitable.
One "beef" that I have with the article, is the mindset that you have to either have a terminal or maternal breeding program to be successful. Who says you can't have both?? Our purebred Brangus steers always top the market, and the heifers make some of the best cows you can find. A terminal cross, which to the majority of cattlemen means simply putting out a Charolais bull, isn't always necessary to sell top $$ feeders, steers or heifers. I'm sure the Angus, Simmental, and (fill in the blank) breeders would say the same thing. I always wonder how much more money ranchers, who put a Charolais bull on mongrel "rainbow" cows, would make if they used a black bull instead. (Yes, Charolais covers up different colors, but so does black, and it's pretty easy to find bulls to add pounds these days.) Here, black is usually at least a $10-15/cwt difference, everything else being equal. WORK them, and put a butt on them, and it only goes up from there. Black heifers are selling for a premium, too. People won't KNOW that if they don't spend a tiny amount of time to do their RESEARCH. Sadly, a lot of them won't, and it's their loss. Literally.
The great thing about our business is that there are an infinite number of ways to do things and still make a profit. It might look like I'm just making a case for black cattle, but really I'm just trying to point out the importance of doing research, and that people shouldn't be afraid to think outside the box. Find out what you like, and what will keep you in the black. Taking everything you hear with a grain of salt doesn't hurt, either. Especially from your feed/equipment/pharmaceutical reps. That cost us a bit of money when we started. Lesson learned.
Stepping off my soapbox to see how many buttons I pushed.
