My Yearly Cattle costs are 55 cents/day/cow in Texas, What am I doing wrong?

[shaz]

So what do land owners without cattle do? Who pays the property taxes?

I pay around 1800.00 annually for taxes. Have hunters that pay 2K in rent to hunt.

 

[TexasRancher]

@TexasRancher

I'm far from an expert and I'm constantly hunting a more efficient method also. I'll throw some ideas out but you will have to investigate if they will work for your operation. Physical limitations, equipment limitations, area availability, etc may make one thing good for me but not for you.

On your cubes you might see if you get more bang for the buck with a cottonseed cube? From the prices you said I'm guessing that's a 20% cube. You may can get a 40% cs cube for $15 and get more bang for your buck.

Is corn hay corn stalks? If so that might be another area to consider maybe spending a little more for a better quality product and get more bang for the buck. You may be able to cut the amount you feed or cut back on another supplement like the cubes.

3 bales for 7 head per week sounds like a lot. Be sure they are cleaning it up before they get more. It may not hurt to make them hustle up some forage, if it's available, in between bales.

You might also look in to another product to feed for protein other than cubes. In our area we can get whole cotton seed. It is much cheaper than cubes out of a sack and a much better bang for the buck.

Lastly I do believe in investing in your grass. No matter if it's through fert, herb, or just cutting back on your numbers. All three of those have helped us cut or winter feeding costs.

I'm cutting this and printing it Brute....for future research, Thanks!...i have been looking for cube substitutes/additions. There are 11 head eating off those corn bails not 7...i rounded to 10 cause those three calves are smaller (3 calves... 400, 500, 550 make ~ two cows weight). Mr Bull (he was starved in a former life) he's an endless pit...he's like having 3 or 4 cows. Dung pile so huge and heavy it would be in the Guinness book of world records. My Bull is an athlete, never broke out...but i saw him jump a 5.5 foot gate...cleared it, only his black leg dinged it a bit. He must be 1900 to 2300 lbs. He's amazing and gentle.
Currently supplement with cut-up potatoes, watermelon, bananas, pineapple skins, cut up oranges and apples, lettuce, cabbage carrots...anything outdated. Going to seed one area of my fields this year, hoping i won't have to buy fertilizer...we'll see in two or three years more...if the land becomes taxed.

 

[TexasRancher]

Looks like when you sell your 3 calves, you will about break even on your stated expense. What is the status of the other 4 cows, or they with a calf? If they each have a nice calf, you might come out in the black.

Yes, I'll do fine with their sale...other 4 are pregnant...two will give birth here in feb/march...other's mid to late year....it's a rotational mess but i love the mess..gives me time to adjust to things. My first two years were infrastructure and growing out my heifers....i wasn't expecting 3 so fast. And the two biggest ones hereford-angus mix white faced...i expected they would be first to deliver....Gosh, they needed 19 to 22 months to go into first heat...crazy...didn't know that. Angus cattle are faster heifers out of the gate when it comes to pregnancy. I expect to break-even or be in the black in 2023 and continue to be profitable onward. Not about the money...this stuff is fun!...and ssslow. With Cattle everything is slowed down..sometimes i lay down after a hard days work (3 or 4 hours) right in the middle of my cattle on the field, drink water and eat something...as they chew their cud. They accept me as one of their own...pretty neat.

 

[Allenw]

you need to feed your cattle every day , It really pays off, if you can not afford to feed animals you don't need to have them. I am sur you enjoy eating every day.

Don't tell my cows that, they're fat and happy with feed every other day. They may have to hustle a little grub on off days but as long as they stay in acceptable condition I see no reason to not continue.

 

[Brute 23]

you need to feed your cattle every day , It really pays off, if you can not afford to feed animals you don't need to have them. I am sur you enjoy eating every day.

That is such nonsense. I've heard stories about cattle in the deserts who only come to water ever 3 days.

Cattle are amazing animals when you don't lock them in a confoned space and make them dependent on you to serve your own needs.

 

[1982vett]

Not sure I really want to do this, but here goes.

My cattle expenses per cow....ie Schedule F...no other agriculture here except cattle.

36.37 Truck expenses...gas, insurance, repairs, 2 tires, service (2005 model truck exclusively used on the farm)
34.27 Chemicals....about 30% more than usual because of weather. Took more chemical.
259.57 Depreciation...in addition to ongoing depreciable items, I expensed 14 bought cows, my share of 500 ft of new fencing, new meter pole
14.92 Feed... Cubes for penning cattle, salt, mineral.
18.68 Fertilizer... 2 tons spred on 14 acres cut for hay 1 time then grazed.
7.57 Fuel and oil...mule, weedeater, chainsaws, lawn mowers, gas powered tools...(add $10 for tractor fuel bough every other year)
19.20 Insurance... Farm liability, building and equipment coverage.
28.42 Land rent
115.97 Repair and Maintenance...big item expense on baler and tractor this year, but usually a large expense on something each year.
25.13 Supplies....fence charger, shop supplies, small tools, baling twine, wire, water floats, ear tags.....
20.70 Farm Utilities...electricity, cell phone, internet.
.83 Veterinary
3.13 Accountant
4.53 Office Expense...computers, printers, paper, software....
.33 License and Permits...Continuing Education needed for pesticide license.
39.05 Sales Commission

By some accounting methods, it cost me $14.92 to feed my cows this year.....

By the way....FICA and Federal Taxes will take about another $6.25.

That left about an $86.88 net profit per cow.

Stocker Steve...that's roughly $14.48 an acre...

 

[georgiabob]

Lee VanRoss and Caustic Burno got me thinking I might be doing something wrong in my cattle producing endeavor located just below Dallas, Texas. I'm first generation cattle producer and I'm only 2-1/2 years being a cattle producer. I don't want to go out of business...unless the corn hay fertilizer is not enough for the land to come back.

My cattle are not starving, they're very healthy. I don't claim to know much about cattle, I've studied a lot. Here's where I'm at with one of my farms.

7 cows+ 1 bull, with (3) 300 to 450lb calves to be sold soon (I'll calling that ~10 full grown Cattle)… yearly breeding on 42 acres, Only fertilizer being used is the (additive corn hay and cattle cubes, old expired free potatoes and fruits-treats) resulting in cow manure and left over trampled corn hay spread thinly to disintegrate afterwards. I have a nice big red barn, attached corral for the cattle. Water is free, I pump it from a well with a 2.3kw generator, probably 2 gallons of fuel/year used. Have a small pond they cool off in. Lots of cool summer trees with leaves to eat. You know the "Promised Land".

March 1st​ to October 31st​…cattle solely field graze and use loose minerals and mineral blocks, due to the abundance of giant ragweed and Lambsquarter (contains salt)…they don't use much mineral. Less than one Feed bag of Dewormer used in spring and fall.

Breakdown of my yearly feed costs:

Winter Cattle cubes are used starting in mid-November, December, January, and February we'll call it 12 weeks every other day ½ bag 25 lbs. so 12weeks X 7days= Less than 84 days of harsher winter in Texas…then divide by 2 cause I feed every other day =42 actual feed days of 25 lbs (1/2 bag)= so I use 21 bags of 20% protein 50lb bags over the course of winter.

Price of cattle cubes went from $9.95 to $11.29 in the two years so $11.29 x 21= $237.09 (no tax, exempt)

Winter Corn Hay Costs, every other day Monday, Wednesday, Friday….at least 3 bails a week....i bring them a (4'x5.5') corn bail on my way in my truck-bed and unload with truck and cut-take away the netting (weekends if it's not too cold I let them graze)…so 12 weeks of winter X 3.3 bails per week (0.3 for a few of those cold weekends)= 40 bails/year @$30. /bail…thus Winter Corn hay costs are $1200.

So, $237. Cubes + $1,200. Hay= 1,437./year then add in + $400. for yearly minerals, Dewormer, Permethrin and vacs= $1,837./year Total out of pocket feed costs for 10 grown cattle, so we'll adjust up to $2,000. /10= $200./ cow/year/365= 0.55/cent per day per cattle.

Your feedback and comments on my "open book" newbie cattle experience are welcome. I'm like William Hung....remember what he said..."I've never taken any professional singing classes, but I love singing and want to try"....that's me with cattle.

Run the numbers on planting winter forage that includes legumes vs the cost of the hay. Clover may reseed itself do the second year you can cut part of the seed cost out. It and other legumes will add nitrogen to the soil. I'm in a similar situation to you and .55 a day/head isn't that bad early in the game. The goal is to get to a point of relying on forage as much as possible. I have a day job and i'm just trying to break even as i build and improve and add more fence. The tax breaks are the bulk of what i'd consider "profit" for now.

 

[TexasRancher]

Don't tell my cows that, they're fat and happy with feed every other day. They may have to hustle a little grub on off days but as long as they stay in acceptable condition I see no reason to not continue.

lol, I've never mentioned it to my cattle either...i set-them up...and they just know the pattern and what to do after i leave for 45 to 48 hours.

 

[TexasRancher]

Run the numbers on planting winter forage that includes legumes vs the cost of the hay. Clover may reseed itself do the second year you can cut part of the seed cost out. It and other legumes will add nitrogen to the soil. I'm in a similar situation to you and .55 a day/head isn't that bad early in the game. The goal is to get to a point of relying on forage as much as possible. I have a day job and i'm just trying to break even as i build and improve and add more fence. The tax breaks are the bulk of what i'd consider "profit" for now.

I've seeded clover....but strangely clover is growing in parts where i never seeded...baffling. I'm always working on forage improvements and soil health. I'm "with you" the tax break exemption was a nice feeling of profit while i was building infrastructure too.