GANGGREEN
Well-known member
OK, I'm getting close to getting my first beef after years of dreaming about it. Now it's time to decide what I want to go with. I have 6 acres of fertile ground, get plenty of rain and just put in a new pasture (perennial rye, red clover and orchard grass). I plan to rotate between two paddocks (may turn it into a 4 paddock system if I see the need but will likely start with two). I live in northern Pennsylvania where it's warm in the summer and cold in the winter. Initially, my only intention is to have some fun and to raise some beef for the family. Once I get some experience and possibly put in some new pastures, I might consider a small commercial operation of some sort.
I'm not independantly wealthy but efficiency and quick weight gain isn't that important to me, I'm more interested in having animals that will be easy enough to raise and that will provide excellent quality beef. Initially, my idea is to get weaned calves this summer or fall and keep them over the winter to butcher next spring or fall. The other option would be to take on two calves this year and two more next spring so that I'd always be able to butcher two per year and keep the other two as a rotation. I'll keep one of them for my own family and sell the other to a friend or family member to pay for feed.
Most of the beef guys in this area are raising Hereford, Angus or Hereford/Angus cross though there are some Charlais, Simmentals and Limousin around I think. I hope nobody will think that I'm crazy but I'm actually considering raising Jerseys because I think that they may be easier on the pasture if I stick with the same number of animals and because I can get Jersey bull calves for practically nothing. I've heard that they provide delicious and tender beef.
I'm also somewhat interested in Dexters, Devon or Scottish Highland cattle mostly because I think they look neat but I think they might be harder to get around here and know that they'd cost more. I also think it would be neat to run a few more head and could probably do it on the 6 acres of pasture if I could find some Dexter calves locally for a price I was willing to pay.
Any advice or opinions would certainly be appreciated. I'm just running a hobby operation here but I really would like to learn and some day do it on a larger scale. Thanks in advance.
GG
I'm not independantly wealthy but efficiency and quick weight gain isn't that important to me, I'm more interested in having animals that will be easy enough to raise and that will provide excellent quality beef. Initially, my idea is to get weaned calves this summer or fall and keep them over the winter to butcher next spring or fall. The other option would be to take on two calves this year and two more next spring so that I'd always be able to butcher two per year and keep the other two as a rotation. I'll keep one of them for my own family and sell the other to a friend or family member to pay for feed.
Most of the beef guys in this area are raising Hereford, Angus or Hereford/Angus cross though there are some Charlais, Simmentals and Limousin around I think. I hope nobody will think that I'm crazy but I'm actually considering raising Jerseys because I think that they may be easier on the pasture if I stick with the same number of animals and because I can get Jersey bull calves for practically nothing. I've heard that they provide delicious and tender beef.
I'm also somewhat interested in Dexters, Devon or Scottish Highland cattle mostly because I think they look neat but I think they might be harder to get around here and know that they'd cost more. I also think it would be neat to run a few more head and could probably do it on the 6 acres of pasture if I could find some Dexter calves locally for a price I was willing to pay.
Any advice or opinions would certainly be appreciated. I'm just running a hobby operation here but I really would like to learn and some day do it on a larger scale. Thanks in advance.
GG
I live up in Oswayo and you know me/I know you. 
