New Member from Northeast GA

[DMIINC]

Hi all,

Know nothing about being cattleman. Know nothing about terminology in this endeavor. Don't own any cows or a piece of land to raise them on yet. However, I have always had an urge to do so, and I might have an opportunity here soon. I mostly read forums and do not post unless I have to. I use search function a lot.

Tell me I am crazy, my wife thinks I am but she kind of likes the idea. It would life changing experience to say the least. Been reading this forum all day long.

Suggestions and ideas are welcomed.

Thanks,
DMIINC

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

You came to the right place. No shortage of opinions and those willing to share them.

 

[kenny thomas]

I'm through NE GA fairly often delivering Kiefer horse and cattle trailers to a dealer in Gainesville GA. If you get started maybe I can help answer questions.

 

[Mountaintown Creek Ranch]

Welcome.
not a lot of flat land over that way.
I guess it takes a little bit of crazy to be a rancher. It is a life commitment most normal people can't handle.

 

[moses388]

Welcome.
not a lot of flat land over that way.
I guess it takes a little bit of crazy to be a rancher. It is a life commitment most normal people can't handle.

What does "flat land" have to do with raising cattle? I think flat land grows row crops and hills grow cattle...

DMIINC - wish you luck. I recommend having a cattle working area ready before you bring cattle home. Avoid heifers if you are new to cattle. Plenty of bred cows on the market or buy from someone you know and trust.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

Hi all,

Know nothing about being cattleman. Know nothing about terminology in this endeavor. Don't own any cows or a piece of land to raise them on yet. However, I have always had an urge to do so, and I might have an opportunity here soon. I mostly read forums and do not post unless I have to. I use search function a lot.

Tell me I am crazy, my wife thinks I am but she kind of likes the idea. It would life changing experience to say the least. Been reading this forum all day long.

Suggestions and ideas are welcomed.

Thanks,
DMIINC

Well... for starters, the back end gets up first, usually. I will never ask but where you have been and the experience
gained there. Those days will have a great influence on how you will look at any new endeavor and that includes the cattle business. I hope you can stay with it long enough to look back upon this day with good memories and a
satisfied mind. Good Luck! LVR

 

[Mountaintown Creek Ranch]

What does "flat land" have to do with raising cattle? I think flat land grows row crops and hills grow cattle...

DMIINC - wish you luck. I recommend having a cattle working area ready before you bring cattle home. Avoid heifers if you are new to cattle. Plenty of bred cows on the market or buy from someone you know and trust.

We are in North Georgia and spent the last few years building a new ranch from 250 acres of heavy timber and not a flat spot anywhere.
We are only at 1600 ft but the biggest challenge is controlling water and erosion. Fences being washed out by storms. Unstable soil makes trees fall all year round. Waste runoff protection of nearby creeks and springs also are a big issue!
The other thing is the digging/driving of posts...rocks are a real pita.
I worked a large Angus ranch in S Illinois.... To me there is a lot of difference between the N Georgia mountains and flatland ranching.

 

[coachg]

Welcome to the forum ; I'm on Sand Mtn in NE Alabama. My suggestion for a new breeder with no cattle experience is to find an older cattleman and pick his brain . Buy a few cows with calves at side , 3 in ones are even better . Stay away from heifers , and stockyard bargains. Make sure you have good fences and grass ; and a catch pen with a working chute is a big plus .

 

[DMIINC]

You came to the right place. No shortage of opinions and those willing to share them.

My kind of place.

 

[DMIINC]

I'm through NE GA fairly often delivering Kiefer horse and cattle trailers to a dealer in Gainesville GA. If you get started maybe I can help answer questions.

Thank you.

 

[DMIINC]

What does "flat land" have to do with raising cattle? I think flat land grows row crops and hills grow cattle...

DMIINC - wish you luck. I recommend having a cattle working area ready before you bring cattle home. Avoid heifers if you are new to cattle. Plenty of bred cows on the market or buy from someone you know and trust.

Thank you,
I see that avoiding heifers keeps repeating it self throughout forums when it comes to those who are new. May I ask why?

 

[DMIINC]

Well... for starters, the back end gets up first, usually. I will never ask but where you have been and the experience
gained there. Those days will have a great influence on how you will look at any new endeavor and that includes the cattle business. I hope you can stay with it long enough to look back upon this day with good memories and a
satisfied mind. Good Luck! LVR

Spent lot of time with my grandfather raising pigs, chickens also him having peach, apricot, pomegranate and apple orchards. So not totaly new to farm life. It never bothered me and was enjoyable. Totally new to cows on the other hand, Thank you sir.

 

[DMIINC]

We are in North Georgia and spent the last few years building a new ranch from 250 acres of heavy timber and not a flat spot anywhere.
We are only at 1600 ft but the biggest challenge is controlling water and erosion. Fences being washed out by storms. Unstable soil makes trees fall all year round. Waste runoff protection of nearby creeks and springs also are a big issue!
The other thing is the digging/driving of posts...rocks are a real pita.
I worked a large Angus ranch in S Illinois.... To me there is a lot of difference between the N Georgia mountains and flatland ranching.

You must be in high altitude county of GA. Almost want to say Gilmer or maybe north of Dawson. That is hill on top the mountain and then some. Property I am looking at is in Franklin county 800 feet above sea level and almost flat. I hear you about erosion. I deal with it on daily basis even around Gwinnett county where I live and work currently.

 

[DMIINC]

Welcome to the forum ; I'm on Sand Mtn in NE Alabama. My suggestion for a new breeder with no cattle experience is to find an older cattleman and pick his brain . Buy a few cows with calves at side , 3 in ones are even better . Stay away from heifers , and stockyard bargains. Make sure you have good fences and grass ; and a catch pen with a working chute is a big plus .

As I answered and asked in one of the previous posts "Stay away from heifers , and stockyard bargains." repeats it self a lot. Why may I ask? Genuinely want to learn before going head in first. Yes fences and grass must be top notch in my opinion.

 

[TCRanch]

As I answered and asked in one of the previous posts "Stay away from heifers , and stockyard bargains." repeats it self a lot. Why may I ask? Genuinely want to learn before going head in first. Yes fences and grass must be top notch in my opinion.

Welcome to CT!

Heifers are the equivalent of 14-year-old girls having babies. Some mother-up, some don't. Some don't initially produce enough milk. And unless you buy (preferably private treaty) from a reputable producer that has had their heifers pelvic measured & bred to a calving ease bull, you may be in for a train wreck. Just because it's a big heifer, doesn't mean she's physically able to calve, say, a 70+ lb. calf. You have to know when to intervene and what to do. You have to have already established a good relationship with a large animal vet (that's on call). And in a perfect world, you'd also have friends/neighbors that are available at a moment's notice in a crisis.

Stockyard bargains. As a general rule, there's a reason they're at the sale barn. Some of it legit, a lot of it is getting rid of their problems. I've sold nice, bred cows with calves on their side just to get back to a defined calving season. But I've also sold a heifer that didn't mother up, cows that fall behind, nasty attitude, aborted her calf, etc., in addition to the obvious cull (butcher). If you're buying from a sale barn, please have someone experienced with you because you may be buying someone else's problem(s).

 

[coachg]

What TC said ! My son and I started back in the cattle business 6 years ago . We bought 6 bred heifers from a registered breeder . We pulled 3 out of 6 ; lost 2 of those . One of the ones that did calve gave 0 milk so I wound up bottle feeding that one . Heifers can make you want to quit the cattle business.

 

[Warren Allison]

We are in North Georgia and spent the last few years building a new ranch from 250 acres of heavy timber and not a flat spot anywhere.
We are only at 1600 ft but the biggest challenge is controlling water and erosion. Fences being washed out by storms. Unstable soil makes trees fall all year round. Waste runoff protection of nearby creeks and springs also are a big issue!
The other thing is the digging/driving of posts...rocks are a real pita.
I worked a large Angus ranch in S Illinois.... To me there is a lot of difference between the N Georgia mountains and flatland ranching.

Yep. Running joke I have heard all my life is that north GA cattle have legs shorter on one side that the other. Here in Bartow, Gordon, Floyd area, we do have a lot of flat (or flatter) land , because of the river bottoms and numerous creek bottoms. Y'all are in the prettiest area of the state, though. Looks like all the farms up north of here are turning into vinyards and wineries here lately.

 

[Warren Allison]

As I answered and asked in one of the previous posts "Stay away from heifers , and stockyard bargains." repeats it self a lot. Why may I ask? Genuinely want to learn before going head in first. Yes fences and grass must be top notch in my opinion.
Good advice on not fooling with heifers, because they are more likely to have trouble with their 1st calf, than cows will with their 2nd and subsequent calves.

Down here, all commercialo caattle..99% at least, are bought and sold at the weekly sale barns. Sure, people will bring their cull cows...usually sold by weight, but this is where the best of the best are bought and sold, too. Usually by the head. Not too much raising replacement heifers ....they are sold at weaning along with the bull and steer calves. I took after my grandpa., I guess: I'd rather sell 4 heifers and take the money and buy back 3 2nd-calf or better cows.

Whenever you do get your piece of land get it fenced. go ahead and build barns, sheds, working pens, etc, and get a trailer and get a tractor, etc., before you buy the first cow.

 

[coachg]

As I answered and asked in one of the previous posts "Stay away from heifers , and stockyard bargains." repeats it self a lot. Why may I ask? Genuinely want to learn before going head in first. Yes fences and grass must be top notch in my opinion.
Good advice on not fooling with heifers, because they are more likely to have trouble with their 1st calf, than cows will with their 2nd and subsequent calves.

Down here, all commercialo caattle..99% at least, are bought and sold at the weekly sale barns. Sure, people will bring their cull cows...usually sold by weight, but this is where the best of the best are bought and sold, too. Usually by the head. Not too much raising replacement heifers ....they are sold at weaning along with the bull and steer calves. I took after my grandpa., I guess: I'd rather sell 4 heifers and take the money and buy back 3 2nd-calf or better cows.

Whenever you do get your piece of land get it fenced. go ahead and build barns, sheds, working pens, etc, and get a trailer and get a tractor, etc., before you buy the first cow.

Great advice especially the last paragraph !

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Welcome to the board. All good advice.
No heifers - buy from a reputable breeder (commercial or purebred) - find a neighbor willing to be a mentor! - build facilities/fencing first. Visit different farms and see how they do things. ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS.
Yes, you can buy from a sale barn - but I would not advise it. Unless you are cattle savvy or have someone around to help pick out something, don't do it.