Herefordcross
Well-known member
Ask me about profit at the end of this year and I'll give you an exact per head figure.
Herefordcross":2hc3cxij said:Ask me about profit at the end of this year and I'll give you an exact per head figure.
Caustic Burno":1jf3lis7 said:Rogerwilco":1jf3lis7 said:aplusmnt":1jf3lis7 said:backhoeboogie":1jf3lis7 said:aplusmnt":1jf3lis7 said:The Governement does.
The number of hobby farms continues to grow. The most recent Ag Census shows that hobby farms comprise 59.3% of total farms in the U.S. By their definition, a hobby farm is a farm that makes under $10,000 per year.
Dang. Now I am a hobby farmer by yet another definition. The truth still doesn't hurt tho.
But what if one year I went over 10K? Does that make me a has been but now hobby again farmer?
Important thing is we are the Majority at 59.3% we could rule the world if we pulled together :lol:
I do not even own any cattle yet, but I would say offhand that if 59.3% of the producers any industry had lilttle or no vested interest in producing a quality product or earning a profit that it could not help but drive the value of the industry down to some extent. I'm not saying that it is wrong by any means, or that you shouldn't do whatever you want to, but hopefully everybody understands the goals of the industry and buys in to some simple standards.
Another interesting and genuine statistic is that 8% of the cattle priducers in this country produce 50% of the beef.
You are so right that is my point on the pet owners versus hobby farmers versus the part timer. Part timers are entering this as a business.
Caustic Burno":1jf3lis7 said:Rogerwilco":1jf3lis7 said:that if 59.3% of the producers any industry had lilttle or no vested interest in producing a quality product or earning a profit that it could not help but drive the value of the industry down to some extent.
but hopefully everybody understands the goals of the industry and buys in to some simple standards.
.
You are so right that is my point on the pet owners versus hobby farmers versus the part timer. Part timers are entering this as a business.
Workinonit Farm":hl8s1ycj said:Caustic Burno":hl8s1ycj said:Rogerwilco":hl8s1ycj said:that if 59.3% of the producers any industry had lilttle or no vested interest in producing a quality product or earning a profit that it could not help but drive the value of the industry down to some extent.
but hopefully everybody understands the goals of the industry and buys in to some simple standards.
.
You are so right that is my point on the pet owners versus hobby farmers versus the part timer. Part timers are entering this as a business.
This is one reason I get so fired-up at times regarding the management of these animals. There are several so-called "producers" in my area that have the cattle for whatever their reasons are, not really paying attention to the quality of the calf crop they are producing nor paying any attention to their cost of production etc. They like getting the checks at market time, and often wonder why their animals don't bring as much as others. They like the Ag. exemption regarding their real-estate taxes.
About 3 years ago, while chatting with some of these fellows, I asked their opinion regarding the possibility of NAIS, they hadn't a clue what I was talking about, and thought I was nuts that I would believe that such a thing could be implimented. This bothers me, because a large percent of beef animals are raised by folks like these, and it does have an impact on the industry.
I'm not saying that all small-time producers don't care, many do because as Caustic put it, they are operating as a part-time business and running it like a business,and trying to keep up with what's going on in the industry and keeping themselves informed and educated.
I'll shut up for now.
Katherine
Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 2:02 pm Post subject:
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Herefordcross wrote:
Ask me about profit at the end of this year and I'll give you an exact per head figure.
I hope you make a bundle.
Last year I was at 372 bucks a head to maintain, with fuel cost sliding that might come in a little lower this year and I don't take another direct hit from a hurricane.
KNERSIE":1osmdi4y said:Not wanting to get into the hobby farmer argument as I am quite a few thousand miles from you guys and would not really know what I speak of as regards to your situation I just want to offer my opinion on the situation here in SA.
Quite a few of the so-called more influential seedstock producers in SA are rich businessmen who practises purebred breeding as a high profile hobby. The main interest being success in the showring and well published record topping sales.
The added benefit would be the tax write-offs.
The consequences of this is that the cattle are overfed (they want to write the loss off as tax, anyway) to produce even more overfed show type cattle with little regard to the natural environment where the commercial farmer has to produce offspring from these record topping bulls. The result being high maintenance,large framed cows that simply don't produce in our arid environment. Now the rest of the purebred breeders that don't operate that way is usually the runt of the "purebred family" and the good bulls they produce are being talked down by the highprofile hobbyist resulting in more commercial cattlemen falling into the same trap. The vicious circle just continues.
Now this is the type of hobbyist that really hurts the industry, at least here in my part of the world.
Bluestem":1m7zmcv5 said:Caustic Burno quote-"I am not in favor of NAIS but I am registered as it is required in Texas."
Been following this thread. I don't want it to go off topic, though it has somewhat. But I don't think registeration is required yet in Texas. They want you to think it is.
KNERSIE":3dnjjpcd said:Not wanting to get into the hobby farmer argument as I am quite a few thousand miles from you guys and would not really know what I speak of as regards to your situation I just want to offer my opinion on the situation here in SA.
Quite a few of the so-called more influential seedstock producers in SA are rich businessmen who practises purebred breeding as a high profile hobby. The main interest being success in the showring and well published record topping sales.
The added benefit would be the tax write-offs.
The consequences of this is that the cattle are overfed (they want to write the loss off as tax, anyway) to produce even more overfed show type cattle with little regard to the natural environment where the commercial farmer has to produce offspring from these record topping bulls. The result being high maintenance,large framed cows that simply don't produce in our arid environment. Now the rest of the purebred breeders that don't operate that way is usually the runt of the "purebred family" and the good bulls they produce are being talked down by the highprofile hobbyist resulting in more commercial cattlemen falling into the same trap. The vicious circle just continues.
Now this is the type of hobbyist that really hurts the industry, at least here in my part of the world.
KNERSIE":24pzrkd2 said:Veld performance testing is very popular in certain areas and is a good thing, however some of the extensive farming type cattle lacks muscle. If only we can meet halfway between the show types and the veld types. the extensive guys take that to the extreme the same as the show guys.
From my personal experience a reasonably heavy muscled animal do just as good under veld conditions.
Donnie Frazier":3u496sek said:I have enjoyed reading and also learned quite a bit from reading many of these responses. I know I have much more to learn. I only have 5 cows as of right now and have just started this beef cow project last winter. As of now I haven't seen or experienced the expenses and other complications brought up in some of the post. For the most part I bought the cows and have had them pastured with little maintenance having to be done involving the cows. I borrowed a registered bull and I think they are bred. I found a couple of laid out fields and worked a deal with a guy to bail I think it was sixty 800 lb. round bails of hay for me to get me through the winter. I paid him $8.00 per bail and he left it in the field. Unless something changes I don't see a lot of problems with me increasing my herd size over time.
With that said; after reading some of the replies to my original post on profit per head I wonder if I am in for a rude awakening. It kind of makes me wonder if I am going in the right direction with cows and maybe I should just sign the cow pastures I have available up in some kind of CRP or CREP program with the government. Heck they pay something like $100.00 per acre, per year for 15 years to watch trees grow. In 30 years you can then cut the trees and put the money in your pocket. Have a good day!
Donnie