Pasture question

[denvermartinfarms]

Some guys like him just enjoy the thought of telling their rich friends that they have cattle. And the longhorn aspect is even more interesting to them. Show him how he can buy new equipment for you to use and take it off his taxes. He might eat that up.

Don't think the equipment thing will happen, but this guy is sure enough capable of surprising a person with anything, so you never know.

 

[cow pollinater]

Tell him you'll give him advice where you can and charge him for every bit of labor you put into it but don't go partners. If he's ignorant to cattle then he's ignorant to what the expenses are and what the realistic outcome is. If you're supposed to be the cow guy and he doesn't know what he's looking at, he's going to point at YOU when his money isn't working like he thinks it should. Let him wander in the desert for a few years and if he still wants to partner then maybe he's safe to work with.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Thanks for all the good comments, keep them coming. My main question is still what does everyone think the piece of land I have described will run?

 

[Ouachita]

Thanks for all the good comments, keep them coming. My main question is still what does everyone think the piece of land I have described will run?

Describe all you want but nobody can know that better than you

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Tell him you'll give him advice where you can and charge him for every bit of labor you put into it but don't go partners. If he's ignorant to cattle then he's ignorant to what the expenses are and what the realistic outcome is. If you're supposed to be the cow guy and he doesn't know what he's looking at, he's going to point at YOU when his money isn't working like he thinks it should. Let him wander in the desert for a few years and if he still wants to partner then maybe he's safe to work with.

He won't do that, I have explained all the downside to him and he has explained to me that he doesn't care if he loses money. Of course I'm not going into it thinking its gonna lose for my own concern, and I don't think it will. This is a very different kind if guy, that makes it hard for me to explain without ya'll knowing him.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Thanks for all the good comments, keep them coming. My main question is still what does everyone think the piece of land I have described will run?

Describe all you want but nobody can know that better than you

I just thought there might be someone here that's ran cattle in woods and in this kind of environment, I know it works I just need to know if 12 to 14 acres per cow should work or if it won't work.

In a normal situation on pasture here I figure 3 to 4 acres per cow. But this brush thing is something I've never done.

 

[Bigfoot]

If I was your age, I would take that deal. If that land isn't ready to turn cattle on right now, fencing it would be a big issue.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

If I was your age, I would take that deal. If that land isn't ready to turn cattle on right now, fencing it would be a big issue.

Part of it has really good fence, but on the rest he's just gonna pay us to get it all fixed up.

 

[piedmontese]

Seems like a no brainer to me if u have the time.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Seems like a no brainer to me if u have the time.

Well, I'm already taking care of all my cattle in the area, so what's another 70 or 80 head, it's almost like getting a free herd of 40 without a significant financial investment. I know there is a little more to it than that, but I think it could work.

 

[Isomade]

Seems like a no brainer to me if u have the time.

Well, I'm already taking care of all my cattle in the area, so what's another 70 or 80 head, it's almost like getting a free herd of 40 without a significant financial investment. I know there is a little more to it than that, but I think it could work.

Do it dammit! Do it!

 

[denvermartinfarms]

With all the work it will take to get ready it won't be happening before things turn green at the earliest, and It may be mid summer. We'll see how things go in the next couple months. Thanks for all the opinions and I'll take any more thoughts ya'll have.

 

[Caustic Burno]

With all the work it will take to get ready it won't be happening before things turn green at the earliest, and It may be mid summer. We'll see how things go in the next couple months. Thanks for all the opinions and I'll take any more thoughts ya'll have.

It sounds like a good deal with the exception of the longhorns.
I would ask him if he liked nice gentle docile Herefords, man then talk about ring the bell with that Char bull.
So many options there even if you had to run ten head less the calves would fetch a premium. Change the bull go from yellow baldies to black red what ever your taste . It almost impossible to knock the chrome off longhorns and shorthorns. Some of the wildest color calves I have ever seen is out of Angus X LH

 

[denvermartinfarms]

With all the work it will take to get ready it won't be happening before things turn green at the earliest, and It may be mid summer. We'll see how things go in the next couple months. Thanks for all the opinions and I'll take any more thoughts ya'll have.

It sounds like a good deal with the exception of the longhorns.
I would ask him if he liked nice gentle docile Herefords, man then talk about ring the bell with that Char bull.
So many options there even if you had to run ten head less the calves would fetch a premium. Change the bull go from yellow baldies to black red what ever your taste . It almost impossible to knock the chrome off longhorns and shorthorns. Some of the wildest color calves I have ever seen is out of Angus X LH

I might try that, you know if I had my way that's exactly what we would be doing.

 

[hevmando]

A successful farmer friend of mine told me once that your first feeling/instinct/gut check/idea is usually correct. If you think it is right, you bust your butt to make it work. Act on those little thoughts or feelings, but be smart about it. Address the potential hang ups, then jump in and make it work! Good luck.

 

[Don McCallum]

I did what you are considering last summer in SW. MS. I have some 18 year old chip and saw planted pines that have
been thinned. This has plenty of sunlight and hedge. This track of land has about the same percentage of open pasture
as you describe but on a smaller scale.
I over estimated the # of cows needed. They had plenty of hedge all summer, but cut the grass down to nothing. I moved
some cows to another place, and the ones left did great. This winter I have feed very little hay or supplement to these
dry cows. I visited your state a few winters ago, and I realize that we have more rain in the summer and much milder winters.
From what I learned I would go 60 instead of 80. You can always make adjustments as needed.
I had a mixed heard, and the longhorns outperformed the others.

Let us know how you come out.

Bigtime

 

[Dave]

I know a guy who does that longhorn char cross on scab rock ground and it works pretty well. The calves are basically off white with some grey or yellow undertones. And the calves are certainly beefier than a straight longhorn. I would be looking to find polled char bulls. Otherwise you will be burning a bunch of horns. I would under stock to start with. It is easier to add animals than it is to have too many for the amount of feed. I would think it would work for you.

 

[cow pollinater]

I just thought there might be someone here that's ran cattle in woods and in this kind of environment, I know it works I just need to know if 12 to 14 acres per cow should work or if it won't work..

We're in two different worlds but here where I'm at my brushy stuff will run as many cows as the open stuff. The feed never gets as strong but it greens up faster and holds longer because of the shade.

 

[Angus Cowman]

DMF from living and running cattle in your are I would say 75 -80 hd would do fine in the summer but in the winter you will be over stocked
I would imagine the rate would be closer to 50 to 60hd and a lot of that depends on your calving season and time spread and also would allow you not to have to feed much hay just be sure and keep a GOOD mineral out all the time

is any of this fenced off where you could calve In one location in a short time frame 30-45 days and then turn them out on the rest of the place
I also believe going with the LH or LH cross cows would be best

 

[jasonleonard]

Hey Denver, just a thought, where are you going to pick up that many LH cows?
Do you see them in your local salebarns pretty often?
It would take forever to find that many at auctions back here! Private breeders would be real high priced, I would think?