New here from GA

[vanacres]

Hi from South of Atlanta.

Never raised cattle before, but I plan to learn. I have 8 acres fenced in with water. Planning to get two stockers; Angus or angus cross since that seems to be what's available here. Just looking to raise beef for the family (maybe sell one to friends). Not looking to make money or necessarily even save money, but I want a little food security for uncertain times.

Still a lot I need to figure out. I'm sure this community will help with that.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

Sounds ok. You have a garden as well? Welcome

 

[Dsth]

Welcome to the CT forum. Sounds like you are starting a new hobby. Good luck and hope you enjoy raising your own meat. I like to know where my meat comes from and how it was raised. no growth hormones or genetically modified beef in our freezer. Hope you ask questions along the way if you run into something puzzling or just want to share how things are going. have fun

 

[vanacres]

Have a good sized garden. Not as big as it once was, but sufficient. With 8' deer fence. Also have chickens. Used to have dairy goats (too much work at the time, but will probably revisit). Had bees too, but they all disappeared in 2020.

 

[vanacres]

Welcome to the CT forum. Sounds like you are starting a new hobby. Good luck and hope you enjoy raising your own meat. I like to know where my meat comes from and how it was raised. no growth hormones or genetically modified beef in our freezer. Hope you ask questions along the way if you run into something puzzling or just want to share how things are going. have fun

First question:
Is "stocker" the right term for a weaned steer that I would buy and raise until slaughter?

 

[Rafter S]

Welcome to the forum, and it sounds like you have a good plan in place. We often see posts from people who buy heifers calves and plan to start a cow/calf operation, which is not a good idea for someone who isn't already familiar with cattle.

 

[simme]

Before you get cattle, you need enough facilities to be able to "doctor" them if needed and a way to load them onto a trailer unless you are going to process them on site. A way to corral and restrain the animal in case of a sore foot, pinkeye, respiratory issue and a host of other possible issues. If you are going to grow them to slaughter size, they are going to be big and strong. If you have a veterinarian come out and there are no facilities to restrain the animal, their options to assist are very limited.
Adequate grass and grazing (not just a pasture with green growth, may seem silly, but some people with no experience may not understand the different between weeds and grass). A source of hay and a way to store and feed the hay. And a freezer big enough to hold the meat from the cow.
Welcome to CT.

 

[Ebenezer]

You need support. You'll need someone to haul cattle, you'll need a basic handling setup to work and load out and first off you need someone who will sell you 2 decent calves to start the process. But that is all secondary: what is the condition of your soil and pasture forages? Learn from the ground up: Great reference

 

[vanacres]

what is the condition of your soil and pasture forages?

The 8 acres used to be a hay field, mostly fescue, but plenty of weeds. I seeded some annual ryegrass and crimson clover last year and let it go to seed this pst spring. That's coming back now. Lots of crabgrass this past summer with all the rain we had. Also spots of Bermuda grass. Overall, not bad forage, but still needs improvement.

The "great reference" link just takes me to the top of this thread. I assume it was supposed to take me somewhere else. I need all the references I can get.

As for handling, I built a "corral" into a corner of the fenced in area. I don't have a headgate or anything for catching. Suggestions in that regard are welcome.
Anything I can build myself is bonus.
I have a friend with a livestock trailer for when the time comes.

 

[Dsth]

First question:
Is "stocker" the right term for a weaned steer that I would buy and raise until slaughter?

around here we use the term "feeder" rather than "stocker" but judging by the way others use the term, they mean the same.

 

[Rafter S]

I hate to give you contradictory advice so quickly, but if you're just feeding two or three calves for beef I wouldn't worry too much about facilities to doctor them as long as you have adequate pens to get them loaded and carried to the vet when/if needed. Yes, it will be expensive, but you can make a lot of vet visits for what one squeeze chute will cost.

I would recommend taking them to your local large animal vet before you bring them home to get them dewormed and vaccinated for blackleg, respiratory diseases, etc.

 

[Mountaintown Creek Ranch]

Welcome to CT from N GA. Listen to everything your told.

 

[wbvs58]

Welcome to CT, yes you seem to have a good plan without unrealistic expectations. You don't need anything too flash to restrain them, a simple hinge gate (Medina Hinge/gate) will allow you to do most things to them safely.

Granger Cattle Co - Registered Texas Longhorns

Ken

 

[Travlr]

As for handling, I built a "corral" into a corner of the fenced in area. I don't have a headgate or anything for catching. Suggestions in that regard are welcome.
Anything I can build myself is bonus.

If you build a simple feed bunk that is supported by posts into the ground you can make the access to feed into a catch. All you need to do is have two solid uprights with a third board attached at the bottom with a bolt so the third board can move side to side.

If you go in any older barn where people handled cattle you will see these head lock type catches. Dairies used them all the time when people hand milked.



The one in the video is at the end of a chute but most are set up so the cattle stick their head through to eat from a feed bunk. You can also secure the movable board at the top with a simple loop of bailing wire or twine.

 

[TCRanch]

Welcome! Sometimes you have to think outside the box with handling facilities. This livestock shelter is worth its weight in gold. And something you could easily build, just by using a corner & panels. There are swinging gates so I can close it off in 3 sections or shut it completely. In a pinch, I've used the gates to squeeze cattle just enough where I could slip on a halter, secure it to a brace and administer shots. Gates can also swing out as a rigged loading facility.

 

[vanacres]

Thanks for the ideas. Makes me think.

most are set up so the cattle stick their head through to eat from a feed bunk.

I actually built a goat milking stand with a design very similar to that. Didn't even think about that idea for cattle. If I can find some dimensions, I'll probably build one.

 

[sstterry]

Thanks for the ideas. Makes me think.



I actually built a goat milking stand with a design very similar to that. Didn't even think about that idea for cattle. If I can find some dimensions, I'll probably build one.

I have seen videos of homesteaders that use that setup to milk their cows on a daily basis.

 

[Warren Allison]

I hate to give you contradictory advice so quickly, but if you're just feeding two or three calves for beef I wouldn't worry too much about facilities to doctor them as long as you have adequate pens to get them loaded and carried to the vet when/if needed. Yes, it will be expensive, but you can make a lot of vet visits for what one squeeze chute will cost.

I would recommend taking them to your local large animal vet before you bring them home to get them dewormed and vaccinated for blackleg, respiratory diseases, etc.

I agree with Rafter S @vanacres. If you gonna raise two calves to eat, you won't need all of that handing facility. Just get some panels and make a little place to keep their salt in , and to feed them in. Great sale every Monday at Carrollton. There is a vet there every sale, and you can get him to work them after you buy them there at the barn. Lot less costly than taking them to a vet. What county are you in? I recommend sending in soil samples to the extension office, and then fertilizing and liming it according to the specs. This is the most cost-effective way to fertilize. You are just throwing money away if you fertilize with any mixture other than what the specs call for. This will go a long way toward cleaning up the weeds, etc. When you send the samples in mark them for bermuda pasture. With just 2 calves on 8 acres, you won't have to buy a lot of hay. If this was a hayfield, I assume there are no trees in it? If not, you may want to build a small shed for shade in the summer. Or one of those free standing metal; sheds you see for sale just about every where.

There will be Herford and Charolais and red Angus..all kind of non-black calves there. Since you aren't raising calves to sell, no need in paying the premium that black calves bring. since you plan on eating them. it won't matter what color they were before they were processed!

If you haven't a;ready sign up for the Market Bulletin. https://agr.georgia.gov/market-bulletin.aspx

 

[vanacres]

Good info. Thank you for that. Looks like I need to head to Carrollton on a Monday.

What county are you in?

Coweta

I assume there are no trees in it?

No trees in the field, but along the sides and a nice clump at one end. It's an "L" shaped pasture. I just finished running water the length of the field and put access points along the way, 3 of them in different shade spots.
May sound crazy, but I actually plan to do some rotational grazing.

 

[Walking W]

Welcome to CT. It sounds like you have a good start. Your age and physical condition may better determine what facilities you need. I built a tub and alley with a head gate on the end just because I had some big Charolais that I needed to worm and load. I am retired and not as strong or fast as I used to be. I looked at those cows and determined that I needed at least minimum facilities where I could handle them without having to wrestle with them. Sure made it easy and I never any question of me getting hurt when one of them decided to show how strong they really were.