New to cattle raising

[bscattle]

Good afternoon,
I joined this forum because my boyfriend and I along with another couple that we are friends with are talking about getting into the cattle business. Nothing big just raising a small herd for beef.

My boyfriend knows a guy that has three brangus calves…. 2 heifers and 1 bull calf that he would sell to us when they are weaned to help us get started. The couple that we are partnering with has 10 acres. It needs to be brush hogged and it needs to be fenced.

So if you have any advice for beginners please do not hesitate to throw my way. Especially when it comes to raising brangus calves.

Thank you in advanced!

 

[kenny thomas]

Good afternoon,
I joined this forum because my boyfriend and I along with another couple that we are friends with are talking about getting into the cattle business. Nothing big just raising a small herd for beef.

My boyfriend knows a guy that has three brangus calves…. 2 heifers and 1 bull calf that he would sell to us when they are weaned to help us get started. The couple that we are partnering with has 10 acres. It needs to be brush hogged and it needs to be fenced.

So if you have any advice for beginners please do not hesitate to throw my way. Especially when it comes to raising brangus calves.

Thank you in advanced!

Get it fenced and cleaned up and then see if you still want in the cattle business.

 

[bscattle]

Get it fenced and cleaned up and then see if you still want in the cattle business.

That's your advice?

 

[farmerjan]

There are several questions to start.... Where are you located? You can include your general area/state by going to your name top right, account details, and location.... answers will make a difference if you are in dry rangeland or moist high growth southeast... or long winters and long day summers up in the north.
Second... Calves are NOT the way for a beginner to go... as far as getting into breeding stock...

If you have no real experience, you might want to get 2 at a weaning size and raise for your own beef...Still requires fencing, water and feed. 10 acres will not feed 3 head to breeding size and maintain them except in some very prolific areas... and won't feed them through the winter. Young growing stock need higher protein that just grass can provide unless you are a knowledgeable grass farmer...

The cost to fence 10 acres, alone will cost A LOT of money... $300 for a 330 ft roll for woven wire which is the safest for perimeter fence to keep them in and prevent neighbor problems and cattle getting hurt. Add posts, at least a gate or 2.... you are talking money.... I have never handled brangus, they say they are more "athletic" than some other breeds... GOOD FENCES are essential... electric is useable if the animals are trained to it but is not suggested for perimeter fence most places.

How good is this land that needs to be bush hogged....

SOOOOOO Many things to consider...

 

[kenny thomas]

That's your advice?

Yes, lots of people want in the cattle business until they realize the expense in doing it. Fencing is very high now but also are calf prices. Most calves now straight off the cow and not even weaned will bring $1000 each. Figure footage around 10 acres and multiply that by $3 a ft. Plus water, feed, hay. Its a great thought and i hope you can do it but it may be very costly.

 

[farmerjan]

One other thing to add; cattle prices are very high right now.... which is helping those of us in this business... BUT.... input costs are very high right now.... and honestly, I would not buy any cattle now to start out because of the outright costs of the animals... To start with weaned calves, and then if everything else goes PERFECTLY.... it is still going to be 3 years before you have a calf to sell.....
Right now we are getting in the neighborhood of 1300-1400/hd for a weaned calf... 6-7 months old at 500 lbs just for example... costs are in the average of $2/day to raise it up... $5-700 yr for feed and anything they need just for round figures... breeding not before 15 months at the earliest... 9 months to carry... deliver a live calf.. another 7 months to weaning to sell.
In the meantime you are feeding a bull that you only use for 2 months at most for 2 cows... he will not stay home if he gets a whiff of a female in the neighborhood needing to be bred... their sole purpose is to breed a female.... wasted feed... lots of other things to consider...
You will have over 3,000 in each animal before you get a calf ready to sell... and the market could drop again... as it follows cycles.... and the calf could be worth $500...

There are tons of other things... just a few off the top of my head.

 

[RustyTub]

That's your advice?

Bless your heart...yes, that was his advice.

 

[J+ Cattle]

That's your advice?

I think the point that he's making is that raising cattle sounds great to a lot of people but very few are willing to put in the work that it takes to do it right.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

Good afternoon,
I joined this forum because my boyfriend and I along with another couple that we are friends with are talking about getting into the cattle business. Nothing big just raising a small herd for beef.

My boyfriend knows a guy that has three brangus calves…. 2 heifers and 1 bull calf that he would sell to us when they are weaned to help us get started. The couple that we are partnering with has 10 acres. It needs to be brush hogged and it needs to be fenced.

So if you have any advice for beginners please do not hesitate to throw my way. Especially when it comes to raising brangus calves.

Thank you in advanced!

So many options to choose from. Do you want to buy weaned calves and grow them to slaughter? Do you want to have a cow herd that calves and then sell the calves to a grow out operation? Do you want to have a cow herd that produces calves and also grow the calves to market weight? Do you want to raise grass fed? Do you want grain fed? Do you want to grow organic certified? Not to discourage you, but is your head spinning yet? I'm just getting started...

My advice would be find a cattle grower locally that you talk to first and decide if you want an operation that is similar to theirs. Then, and only then, set up for a few animals and grow them under the watchful eye and guidance from that grower. Additionally, your local extension service as well as USDA - NRCS and FSA (Natural Resource Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency) can guide you with federal programs designed for farmers, including extra assistance for BEGINNING farmers, like yourself.

This forum is great for getting advice/opinions from other producers on single, specific questions. As for planning a whole operation from the ground up, you need a mentor.

 

[simme]

A few thoughts. What is growing on this 10 acres that needs to be brush hogged and fenced? Is it grass that will support cattle or is it brush and weeds?

10 acres is not enough to be in the "cattle business" with cows and a bull. It is enough to raise some beef for putting in the freezer or for a hobby.

Some things to consider:
Source of water and how the cattle access water.
Good fence.
A means to catch and confine the cattle in a small pen.
Pasture quality - grass type, soil fertility, soil ph. Shade and shelter requirements.
A way to store and feed hay.
Truck and trailer to haul cattle.
Time to check the cattle.
Expectations for making a profit.
Access to a veterinarian when needed.
Find that mentor that can look at this 10 acres and explain what is needed.

 

[Brute 23]

A couple things come to mind.

Fencing and cleaning up 10 acres will come at a hefty prices tag. That is a big investment in some one else's land. When you add the price of animals it's a significant investment all under their control. It's definitely worth a partnership agreement, lease, etc to cover yall side, imo.

What is yalls plan with the heifers and bull?

Welcome and definitely include a general area so you can get better suggestions.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

We are not trying to chase you away or talk you out of the great lifestyle we live.
It is just that this is a complicated business.
The 2 heifers and bull. Are they related? Don't want a bull breeding siblings.
As mentioned, you don't want a bull around.
After fencing and some kind of work facility, you might just want to buy a couple of calves to FEED OUT for butcher. That is the easiest learning experience.
I mentioned a work facility. Animals, like kids get sick and/or hurt. You have to have a way of confining them to take temperature, give medicine, give vaccines, deworm, etc.
Trust me, you do not want to try doing anything to them at the end of a rope. Not even a calf.
That's why it was suggested to fence and get land cleared up. That's a lot of money and work and you don't have cattle to worry about yet.

 

[tex452]

Welcome to the forum.
Lots of good advice has been given, the cattle business is something you have to like, I've been in it all my life with a lot of bad years and a few good ones.
I see nothing wrong with you wanting to do something.
I wouldn't try to run cows, I would buy calves, grow them out for yourself and sell what you don't need to others or sale barn.
Good luck

 

[Travlr]

Good afternoon,
I joined this forum because my boyfriend and I along with another couple that we are friends with are talking about getting into the cattle business. Nothing big just raising a small herd for beef.

My boyfriend knows a guy that has three brangus calves…. 2 heifers and 1 bull calf that he would sell to us when they are weaned to help us get started. The couple that we are partnering with has 10 acres. It needs to be brush hogged and it needs to be fenced.

So if you have any advice for beginners please do not hesitate to throw my way. Especially when it comes to raising brangus calves.

Thank you in advanced!

A lot of good advice so far...

Brangus are like other cattle in that they can vary substantially in all kinds of ways. Someone suggested concentrating on your fencing and pasture and another suggested buying some feeders to learn with before jumping in, and both are great advice. If you must have babies born to satisfy your desires I'd suggest buying older cows that have a calf at their side and are "bred back". A "three in one" deal. Don't overload yourself the first year.

Put your location on your profile (state, south or north) as a lot of the information you'll need is location dependent.

 

[kenny thomas]

As others said i definitely dont want to discourage you from beginning in the cattle business. But your location can mean a lot in regards to profit. I assume by you saying Brangus that you are in the south or southwest. 10 acres in Alabama vs 10 acres in West Tx is a lot different in the inputs.

 

[bscattle]

Yes, lots of people want in the cattle business until they realize the expense in doing it. Fencing is very high now but also are calf prices. Most calves now straight off the cow and not even weaned will bring $1000 each. Figure footage around 10 acres and multiply that by $3 a ft. Plus water, feed, hay. Its a great thought

 

[Warren Allison]

@bscattle cattle Raising a small herd for beef, I assume you are talking about getting those 3 weanlings and raising them to slaughter size for y'all's freezer. This is very doable for a novice like yourself. If you meant raising these 3 to breeding age, then raising calves off of them to sell, then NO. You can buy and eat a Waygu steak every day for what this wil cost you before you eat the first bite of your own farm raised beef....about 3 years from now. What is on those 10 acres now? You can fence it in, put the calves on it, and then bush hog it after they eat it down a little, depending on the time of year. First thing to buy, while waiting on those 3 to reach weaning age, is a god used tractor with a bushhog, and a post hole auger or post driver. Do your own fence building and bush hogging. Dunno what the grass etc is like in your part of Oklahoma., Down here you can raise 10 easily on 10 acres and there are parts of the country you need 100 acres per head! For sure, though, tell the neighbor to go ahead and make that bull calf a steer.

 

[bscattle]

Thank you for your replies, you gave me a lot to think about and discuss with the others that want to take part in this adventure if you will.. I will try to answer some of your questions.
* Location: Northeastern part of Oklahoma (Ochelata, OK/Washington County)
* We have 10 acres that we need to finish fencing. We have the t-posts, but we will need to get the barb wire. We are aware that we cannot start this without putting money into it.
* We will brush hog the 10 acres, I do believe that there is Bermuda grass under all the weeds along with some other grasses. I have no doubt that I can get the grass to grow if we can keep the weeds mowed down.
* My boyfriend has a friend that has 3 brangus calves, he said that he would let us have them for $500 per head.
* I have express to my boyfriend and our friends that I think it would be a good idea to visit some local sale barns to see what breeds are going for at the best prices.
* I am aware of what it takes to take care of livestock, I have 2 horses. I know its a lot of hard work.
* I have relative that use to raise red angus in Colorado, we are friend on FB and she would talk about all the work she had to do especially during winter - and she used horses to do the round up and go check on calves in the middle of winter etc...
* Water source - 2 ponds on the 10 acres -
*There is a barn where we can store hay
* I have a truck and trailer
* The vet that I use for my horses also does cattle and owns them himself.
* the heifers and the bull calf all come from the same bull

So from what I am understand we need to figure out what kind of operation do we want to do:
Do we want to get calves raise them and feed them to take to slaughter, then buy more calves and repeat the process?
Do we want to get the 2 heifers, get another bull - and after all are of breeding age let the heifers have calves - wean the calves to take to slaughter while breeding the cows again until they are no longer breeding age... which is a cow herd, right?

During the winter I think most people around where we live try to sustain their cattle on their pasture and hay. But I do understand that depending on pasture that you may need to feed grain of some sort... correct?

I hope my reply has helped you to help me... if not I will try to answer more of your questions.
Again, thank you for your replies, they have given us a lot of things to think about.

 

[wbvs58]

I don't think having your own bull is where you want to go. Much better to rent one or to go the AI route if breeding your own is what you want to do.
Welcome.

Ken

 

[tex452]

I don't think having your own bull is where you want to go. Much better to rent one or to go the AI route if breeding your own is what you want to do.
Welcome.

Ken

Agree, not with ten acres he's just using resources for a couple of calves.
Someone might have mentioned this and I just missed it, if you buy calves straight off the cow you will need to wean them in a pen for a couple of weeks, I wouldn't turn unweaned calves straight out in the pasture.