New Years Resolutions for Cattlemen ?

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Lower risks. While it may not be the fast lane, it'll be the safe road to a future in the cattle business. I'll always keep a few high risk high return irons in the fire, just as a sideline though.
 
I am working towards a quality herd that grazes 8 months per year while producing direct marketed heifers.

That should improve margins and free up some time in the fall to go hunting with the new son in law.
 
Goals written down? Heck I don't even write down a grocery list.
The 2017 plan is to sell this place and move. I have had enough of the population, traffic, and constant rain. For this year the cattle will be something simple and easy just because there will be too much other stuff going on. I am thinking broken mouth pairs to eat the hay I have on hand and grass over the summer. Grass starts getting weak about August and I will empty the pastures.
Long term I will be doing the bred heifer operation, or stockers, or short term cows. Some sort of deal where I have times of the year with few or no cattle so I can behave like a retired person. Also this gives me to ability to move from one type to another as the market dictates. I won't be dong a cow/calf operation.
 
Dave":7ya0682u said:
Goals written down? Heck I don't even write down a grocery list.
The 2017 plan is to sell this place and move. I have had enough of the population, traffic, and constant rain. For this year the cattle will be something simple and easy just because there will be too much other stuff going on. I am thinking broken mouth pairs to eat the hay I have on hand and grass over the summer. Grass starts getting weak about August and I will empty the pastures.
Long term I will be doing the bred heifer operation, or stockers, or short term cows. Some sort of deal where I have times of the year with few or no cattle so I can behave like a retired person. Also this gives me to ability to move from one type to another as the market dictates. I won't be dong a cow/calf operation.
I planned on being free this winter. Couldn't resist it and had to find some cattle to feed :)
 
I plan on to try and make some money. The cow calf thing isn't making much. I only have enough pasture for 30 cows. Getting more rented pasture around where I live is next to impossible. Thinking about buying light weight bull calves keeping them 3 or so months then selling. Not sure if I will but that's what I would like to try. Problem is I don't have time to go to market and set all day to buy calves. And I don't know any buyers good enough to trust them to buy for me.
 
I took the list of 2016 expenses to my brother today to settle up on. He told me for the third time he wants out. Says he's not making the money like we did when we first started out, so mine is getting him paid. Heck, I ran everything and fronted most of the money from the start so I'm anxious to get this done.
 
I may just load every cow here with a wild streak. They used to not bother me. Had some close calls this year. I don't want to get one of the kids hurt, and much to my surprise, I'm not as nimble as I perceive myself.
 
Steady at the wheel and full steam ahead! Keeping the goal to improve the herd as much as I possibly can.
 
Improve our AI conception rates (not sure how; maybe go to AI school to train myself and then just AI the whole friggin herd every other day just for fun); and/or cozy up to a neighbor with a decent bull I can send a cow to go visit when needed
 
slick4591":2dthpyh3 said:
I took the list of 2016 expenses to my brother today to settle up on. He told me for the third time he wants out. Says he's not making the money like we did when we first started out, so mine is getting him paid. Heck, I ran everything and fronted most of the money from the start so I'm anxious to get this done.

Sounds like you'd be laughing to unload him.

Ken
 
1) Find enough recips to put my embryos in. 2) build a lean-to off of the barn for the show calves. It will have a wash and clip area for them, and pens for sale cattle that aren't haltered. 3) put some pens up in our dry lot. Hoping they will be used for videos of sale animals. 4) purchase a new batwing mower. 5) clean up our downed trees so it can be fenced and water ran to that part of the ranch. 6) look at new forage options to extend the grazing a bit more.
 
Brake check the buying cattle for numbers increase for a while. If the young cows and heifers will make cows I'll have all the replacement heifers I need.

Improve the forage in a couple of pastures by overseeding some clover this winter.

Research my area producers for comparing raising hay to buying hay. If I can buy it cheaper than I can raise it, and have a reliable supply/quality, then I can set the place up a little better for grazing with permanent cross fence (HT).

Market my heifer calves as replacement heifers instead of sending them with the steers.
 
I've got a couple projects that are going to close/complete this year and it's my resolution I guess you could say, to see them through as successfully and seamlessly as possible.

1.We are in the process of completing the purchase of a ranch that neighbors our cow/calf ranch in Northern Nevada. Getting that closed as early this year as possible along with the agreement we have in place to buy it "turn key" with the cattle and equipment on it is one of my major projects right now. Coordinating getting all the due diligence completed on structures, minerals, grazing permits, water rights etc., etc., etc. is quite the chore.

2.The company has just completed a deal to buy half interest and possession of a truly exceptional young (5 year old) Quarter Horse stud. This horse is the maternal half brother of a pretty popular stud in the ranch horse world and his blend of Driftwood genetics in intriguing and we really feel the sky is the limit for him. Making sure that he continues to have success in the arena and at the trainers along with being promoted properly so he generates the best possible revenue in the form of stud fees moving forward. It's also critical to be sure that he is advertised and promoted properly so he is bred to the RIGHT type of mares outside of company mares so his progeny does the sort of things moving forward to increase his demand and value as a stud. This is of course above and beyond him performing his most important job and the only real reason we even fool with breeding horses; to keep the best most cowy geldings possible under our cowboys. The better a good cowboy is mounted, the better he can do his job.

3. We are in Year 3 of a 5 year project precipitated by the historic California drought to develop and reclaim as much stock water as possible on the California ranches. Range wells are being dug with a range well drill rig ran off the front of a skid steer that's been purchased and solar pumps and storage tanks are installed with them. The guys are seeing really good success and average well is pumping around 5 GPM, with a solar charged battery so the unit can pump for some portion of the night as well, this "average" unit is keeping a 5,000 gallon storage tank full and putting up enough water to maintain about 180 pair as their sole water source if need be. We are being ultra aggressive about tearing out invasive Willows and Cottonwoods along waterways. The amount of water these trees drink is shocking. The amount of water that appeared on ranches we did in Year 1 was also shocking.
More dirt tanks are being dug to capture rain water. Existing ponds and tanks are being cleaned out and resealed on a time schedule that we have accelerated 3X to help weather the drought.

While there is a constant cycle of a multi-state vertically integrated cattle business that keeps myself, my Dad, my Brother in Law and the rest of our management team and employees plenty busy all the time, those are 3 of the "special projects" that I've taken the lead on and it's my "professional life" New Years resolution to have them be as successful as possible.
 
Solar pumps are a heck of a deal.

And those trees do soak up the water. It took a bit after clearing the trees, but one place developed a spring with standing water in the creek that had just been a dry creek bed for years.
 

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