Need your small operation reccomendation.

[txfishing]

Here is my situation. I have 11 acres of bahia pasture. My fenced property already has a .5 acre pond plus city water and electricity. I already have most of the equipment needed to support a small operation (Tractor, feed bunks, mineral feeder, corral/chute)

Here's the tricky part. I live about 130 miles away from my property and can only go to stay on the weekends . My parents live nearby my property and can go by my place to check on the herd during the week when I'm not there. Most ranchers in the area have beef cattle (Angus, Herford etc..)

Curious what type of small operation you more expierenced folks would reccomend in my particular situation? My intention is to have cattle on my property to enjoy, learn more about cattle, lower my taxes, and make a small profit if possible. I have aabout 3 years of expierence with cattle but not a great deal. Since we can't watch them every single day, bottle calves are out of the question etc.. Here are some options that I've come up with. Please feel free to reply with your reccommedation.

1. Buy A few young bred cows. Have them drop the calf and breed the momma again. Sell the Hiefers off once they are weaned.
2. Buy young heifers to be bred and sell as Bred Yearlings.
3. Buy young heifers to be Bred and have calfs on my place.
4. Buy young heifers and sell them off at puberty (not bred).
5. Buy Cow calf pairs then sell the momma off bred and sell off the weaned heifer once it reaches a good weight.
6. Buy young steers to sell off at a good weight.

Thanks!

 

[cherokeeruby']

I like #5 the best, less problems, have to have a bull on the place for all this. Some of those calves could be bull calves also.

 

[watso059]

I like both, or either, 1 and 5. When we started a year ago, we did a combo of both. Basically, we just got what we could afford and could make a little money off of. Now we are weeding out the worst of our early purchases, which allows us to turn back around and put that money on some other good ones. We are about to have our first registered bred heifer if all goes well. We also have a small place right now too, so do what ever you think will work best in your area. Good luck with your choice.

 

[bullred]

I definitely wouldn’t be calving out heifers on a place I could only get to once a week. I won’t even calve out heifers on my place, which is only 22 miles from my home, and I or my brother-in-law go everyday. On eleven acres around Centerville I’d get a few (probably 5) proven bred cows. By proven I mean four years or older and have already have one unassisted birth. Calve them out and sell them as pairs or wean and sell the calves off of them. Don’t mess with a bull. And whatever you do make sure you make friends with the neighbors and leave them your home and cell phone numbers. Your biggest concern is going to be your fences, make sure they’re in jam up shape, and good luck.

 

[stocky]

I think #1 is your best bet in your situation. I think any of the situations are dangerous because of cattle thieves and you being that far away. The cows are harder to get up and load than the weaned calves that are bunk broke would be. The cattle rustling situation is one that you need to address in any of your considerations. There were 24 more 600 lb calves stolen not far from here last week. The rustlers are driving in mid-day while people are at work, loading the calves and leaving without any trace. There have been many bunches stolen like this over the last 2 months. Another problem is haystacks set on fire. There have been many thousands of bales burned and hay is already real scarce. The thieves will steal anything they can. Finally, a thief was caught a couple of weeks ago, he stole one of my buddy's hay feeding trucks with a deweze on it and he was involved in a high speed chase with the police that ended in the pickup being destroyed, but he wasnt even hurt. That is the only person they have caught in all this stealing spree.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Someone to check on your place & cattle daily at "random" times would be prudent.

Also, if you can drill a water well, would advise it. Paying for city water for livestock operation can get expensive. Not to mention city water chlorination which may or may not be harmful to cattle.

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

Pay to drill a water well, when he's already got a half acre pond plus city water and will probably only have 4 or 5 animals at most on that 11 acre spread :?:

 

[SPRINGER FARMS MURRAY GRE]

Pay to drill a water well, when he's already got a half acre pond plus city water and will probably only have 4 or 5 animals at most on that 11 acre spread :?:

Never hurts to have a "plan B". Especially in a drought situation.He could cap it and use it only if he needs to. If the need arises, he will have it to fall back on.He can even get NRCS help to drill the well. ;-) :cboy:

 

[CattleAnnie]

Agree with Ruby.

Once the fences are tight and arrangements have been made for daily checks witha reliable person, buy some likely looking grasser steers in the spring, brand & vaccinate them, and turn them out till fall.

Oops...almost forgot...make some sort of gathering/holding pen so you can contain them for a couple days before you let them out to grass, and so you have somewhere to corral them when you want to ship.

Just my thoughts, as would avoid having a bull or needing help for calving season.

Take care.

ps. Might just want to talk to a neighbour about leasing those acres. Would give income without hassle of owning/managing livestock for absentee landowner.

 

[Alan]

If you're not there most every day then I would do anything on the list except drop calves unattended.

Alan

 

[jersey lilly]

11 acres in Centerville, Texas is only gonna support about 2 cows..........maybe 3

 

[txfishing]

Thanks for everyone reply. I already have a holding pen and loading chute. As for the city water supply, I have a small trailer that I stay in up there, so I need the city water for that as well.

I've heard of bulls breaking through fences and so forth, how are steers when it comes to their temperment?

Thanks,

 

[msscamp]

Steers temperament is fine, remove the testosterone and the attitude generally goes with it. ;-) Hey, maybe I'm on to something! :lol: :lol: :lol: (j/k)

 

[Nowland Farms]

I vote for the Steers (#6) because you only be there on the weekend and will have minimal support of having someone checking on them daily.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

For the situation you have described, #5 or #6 sound like they would work well.

Katherine

 

[Victoria]

Go with the steers. I know someone around this area who has a similar situation and that is what she does, it works well.
Msscamp is right, cut off the testosterone and they'll behave. I think she is on to something! :shock:

 

[Texan]

Let's make a number 7. Thin, short solid-mouthed cows that are short bred (1-3 months). Good dispositions, with some eye appeal and uniformity---probably a Hereford type cow. Take your time buying them, or better yet, have an order buyer pick them up for you at Buffalo, Crockett, etc. Take your time and you should get them bought not too high over slaughter prices, as dry as it is.

You should be able to get them bought close to the price of steers that you will be forced to move at some time. Running steers is nice once they get straightened out, but when it's time to do something with 'em, you don't have many choices---you can only hold a steer so long. Then you've got to do it all over again.

Several ways to go with the type of cow I suggested. If you get tired of being in the cattle business in a few months, you can sell them as closer springers---they should make a little money at that.

Or, you can calve them out and sell them as pairs.

Or, you can calve them out and let them raise their calves and then sell the whole bunch.

Or, you can calve them out, breed them back, let them raise their calves and sell them as bred cows.

Or, you can calve them out, breed them back, sell the calves, and calve them out again and sell them as pairs.

Or, if you decide you like them, you can keep 'em and still have several years of production from them.

Lots of choices to make with this kind of cow depending on market conditions, weather conditions and how well you like running cattle. You're not locked into anything and you haven't invested a fortune trying to buy the type of cows that everybody else is wanting. The key to making money in the cattle business is to do what everybody else is not doing.

Don't forget to go here....

http://www.texascattleraisers.org/

...and join. A Cattle Raiser's gate sign will be a great help to you in deterring the kind of thieves that Stocky mentioned.

 

[farmer4620]

my vote is on steers...get quicker cash flow turn around...put self feeders out...with hay and let em go

 

[cypressfarms]

I would think steers also; and I'm gonna stay away from Victoria and Msscamp's places!

 

[msscamp]

I would think steers also; and I'm gonna stay away from Victoria and Msscamp's places!

:lol2: :lol2: You're perfectly safe as long as you don't have an attitude!