New Farmer needs advise

[jbradley]

I have a question i am currently farming with my uncle and have 16 head of my own i would like to get more but dont have the space our barn is always full every winter so was considering renting a barn off a neighbor to run about 50 head of colored feeders i would like to buy them in the fall around 300 to 400 pounds and sell them in the spring around 600-700 pounds i figure i can do this in about eight months i was just wondering if anyone had any experience with renting a barn for cattle and could give me any advise and if you think my figures are right and if it is profitable to rent a barn for this, i was planning on feeding them corn silage and grass hay and corn oats mix for grain, any advise or hints would be very helpfull thanks

Jason

 

[chippie]

Your location will help people answer your question.

 

[jbradley]

Sorry i live in northern michigan we have ran cattle ever since the farm was started we run a cow calf operation right now i have 8 holistein feeders and 8 holistein bull calf still on milk to sell this coming fall but want to get more cattle but like i said our barn is full with about 70 head every year so not any room for another 50 so i was considering renting a barn and just wanted some ideas on how to go about doing that and what i should plan for when trying to figure it out on paper one thing im worried about is being able to find 3-4 hundred pound colored cattle in the fall cause most of the local beef farmers aorund here keep there calfs and sell them in the spring but hoping i could pick them up at the local sale, like i said before any advise and helpful hints would be very helpful thanks

Jason

 

[CottageFarm]

:nod: Price of hay would make it a losing proposition around here.

 

[jbradley]

yeah hay isnt cheap here either we are gonna have just enough for what we got now but i picked up some more hay ground for next year and was thinking about doing this next winter depending on the hay crop next year

 

[AllForage]

Hay + bedding+ rent + price slide

I would pass. Looks to me that the cow/calf guy is only one really making out now IF one has their own hay.

 

[ohiosteve]

Hay + bedding+ rent + price slide

I would pass. Looks to me that the cow/calf guy is only one really making out now IF one has their own hay.

You forgot to add Corn silage + corn/oat grain + calf price.

 

[jbradley]

Thanks for all the post currently we put up all our own hay and corn silage already and bale our own wheat straw for bedding and grow our own oats and corn for feed so i wont have to buy that which would help out but it still might be tough to make a profit with the price of cattle today but thanks for all th advice

 

[snake67]

Add in your vet costs for sale barn cattle unless you go to pre-sort sales and get them already done and even then it is not a guarantee.

Quite frankly with the number of animals you are talking about the profit will be small enough I would not be interested in doing it - but - if you are remember this: Just because you bought 50 does not mean you will sell 50 - do not forget to factor in the risk as well.

I figure you will be lucky to do much more than break even unless your uncle supplies the feed for free.

Best to you

Bez

 

[jbradley]

alright thanks and yeah i was either considering renting that barn or buying into the cow calf part and the more i think about it, i might safe my money and buy some cows instead, do you think that would be a better investment and thanks again for all the advice