Hello how is everyone. I am new to the board but not new to rasing cattle. I live in Louisiana and i grew up on a 450 acrea farm that my dad owns and we have about 250 head of cattle. My dad recently turned 80 years of age and has done a okay job at running the farm. We mostly raised Commerical cows that we sell at the sale barn/auction. My dad is getting old and now has looked at me for more help at running/managing the farm. The only thing that i really know is what i have learned in my 26 years of following him around and i know some of the things he done we not in the best interest with raising cows. Now dont get me wrong, i have seen plenty of money that we have recieved from auctions, but deep down inside i know its better ways of doing things. My first set of questions consist of these:
1) We have all our cattle running together in 4 differnet pastuers. Heifers, bulls, calves all together. Is this the correct way or should they be broken up into age groups, sex or whatever.
2) In one field that consist of about 85 head, for the last 4 years we have had the ugliest crossbred bull running with the heifers. He an ugly grey color, small, has one horn, terrible frame, and just flat out ugly. We recently i sold him at the auction and are in the process of looking for a new bull. the heifers in this field has been back breeding for a few years and the herd frame sizing is getting smaller and smaller. I want to get a nice bull that will beef up the sizes of the cattle and eventually improve the herd. what breed would be best. In our area people love black cows so please take that into consideration.
3) we have a field that is about 100 acreas and the soil has not been turned over in over 10 years. I told my dad this winter that we should turn the group completely over and start fresh with getting a good quality field, but he insists that all we need to do is scratch the ground and that would get it. I disagree but what do you think.
Thanks for all your help and i will post question as i think of them
1) We have all our cattle running together in 4 differnet pastuers. Heifers, bulls, calves all together. Is this the correct way or should they be broken up into age groups, sex or whatever.
2) In one field that consist of about 85 head, for the last 4 years we have had the ugliest crossbred bull running with the heifers. He an ugly grey color, small, has one horn, terrible frame, and just flat out ugly. We recently i sold him at the auction and are in the process of looking for a new bull. the heifers in this field has been back breeding for a few years and the herd frame sizing is getting smaller and smaller. I want to get a nice bull that will beef up the sizes of the cattle and eventually improve the herd. what breed would be best. In our area people love black cows so please take that into consideration.
3) we have a field that is about 100 acreas and the soil has not been turned over in over 10 years. I told my dad this winter that we should turn the group completely over and start fresh with getting a good quality field, but he insists that all we need to do is scratch the ground and that would get it. I disagree but what do you think.
Thanks for all your help and i will post question as i think of them