RAISING BEEF CATTLE ON A FEW ACRES

[Ranch7DK]

We only have a few cares too. (15) You will need to choose a breed that will bring you the most bang ($$) per head. You will need quality over quantity. Your input on feed and such should be the same, if you want to care for them properly. Intiial star-up will be higher, but (imo) I believe you will benefit with having a $3500-$4500 animal to sell over a 1500-2500.

 

[CreekAngus]

We only have a few cares too. (15) You will need to choose a breed that will bring you the most bang ($$) per head. You will need quality over quantity. Your input on feed and such should be the same, if you want to care for them properly. Intiial star-up will be higher, but (imo) I believe you will benefit with having a $3500-$4500 animal to sell over a 1500-2500.

Couldn't agree more. Also when running a small herd and going for the bigger bang, you can justify some of the higher costs. It costs you the same to raise 500lb steers to weening as it does to raise registered (name your breed) to weening. Hence it cost the same to raise raggedy heifers to replacements as it does to raise great heifers to replacement. For us small fries, our inputs when averaged out will always cost more, so you might as well put it in the highest return you can get.

 

[darcelina4]

I just want to say that just because they are registered does not mean they are high quality. Commercial can be very high quality or low also. I have too many animals on my 10 acres in Oklahoma but I feed hay year round. I'm growing my herd and then plan later to move to a bigger property. I think part of farming on a small acreage success depends on you finding a niche that works for you. I start out with bottle calves. I raise lots. I don't raise a bunch of dairy bulls. I raise some dairy (raise my own nurse cows) and mostly beef calves. I have many breeds of cattle right now. There are good cattle in every breed and bad ones too. I have a 16 year old daughter that shows cattle and horses. She is a tough wrangler. Every cow we have gets halter broke. We have a little niche market selling halter broke very tame gentle calves to families for 1st time showmen and young cows to people for backyard family cows. We also sells culls as feeders at the salebarn or to individuals to feed out in their back yard. People new to cattle like to buy calves that are healthy, vaccinated, and that they can handle. We are slowly growing our herd and our business. My daughter plans on taking an AI course so she can free lance as a tech while she goes to college. She plans on raising cattle on a much bigger scale in the future.

 

[se7en]

Thanks a lot a very useful information

 

[greggy]

Take a fistfull of money each, as much as you can grab and throw it down on some of that arizona dirt. Light it on fire and then head home. A lot less work than cattle, and achieves the same results.

Yeah, I think cattle do not add up unless you have a plan, break even if you ignore most of the costs may be the more likely outcome.

Arizona is pretty dry from what I know, but we are in a bad drought here, and I have way too many animals according to everyone, including my boss, but I decided I want to learn more and was committed to hand feeding, so profit is not so important ATM.

If you get back to the nuts and bolts of it all, at least down here, unless you inherit the land and working equipment, or are very good at doing this and buying right, it is going to be a loss making venture, land is very expensive even with cheap interest rates, good land is hard to get even if you have money too burn and do not care about loss, and you need a lot of land and ability to carry a lot of animals.

I know someone who earns a modest living from 100 acre of land where pasture grows year round if there is rain, but this excludes the buying costs from donkeys years ago, and current land value etc.

In the drought, it is pretty clear you will lose if you do conventional things, cause the hay will cost more than what the animals will ever bring.

 

[greggy]

I think you folks need to study the dairy industry on this subject. I spent over thirty years with a total confinement herd. Management and management problems increase the more dense the population. Things such as disease and hoof problems require much more attention. It is hard to put a value on sunshine and excersize for a breeding stock animal. Every operation is different just as are dairy farms so there can be no one plan to fit all. There are benefits to intensive management but there can be monster problems to if not aproached realistically to. Again take time and observe Dairys in your area. There is no logic in trying to reinvent the wheel.

Most of the problems would seem logical, but what were the hoof problems ? due to concrete and excess waste always under foot ?

Dairy would be worse than some small scale feed lots run outside ?

 

[greggy]

Hello there y'all!

Just as the person above Arkansas posted I am new as well! Me and a friend have acquired land in South Arizona if you know the area specifically a town called Arivaca about 30 minutes or so past Tuscon. We have decided to jump into the cattle world.

We do own about 10 acres of property, five of which could definitely be used for pasture. We have decided on going for Angus specifically lowline.

Just wanted to get the input and any tips from more expire fed fellers like yourselves about what might we be in store for. Just to give another idea we are planning on selling beef cattle. Full grown lowline. That's what we have planned. Any tips and pointers are always welcomed.

Thanks again for your time and advice!
-ArizonaRanchers

Your going to be running a feedlot basically by the sounds of it.

The thing with small scale, is you need to have much of the same stuff as a larger scale or larger property at least, to do things on 10 acres is same as doing things on 100, just more of it, doing it manually is possible, but there are x hrs in a day.

To make money you prob have to think outside the box, not do what a large competitor can do or does, basically, it will be a hobby ?

PS I am not that experienced, I have more hands on with sheep, but similar applies, except sheep are a better bet down here. And prob so on small acres if feeding.

PS PS just look at what a crush, yards, feed and water troughs, rates, equipment, medical etc etc costs.

 

[joewabell]

I HAVE A QUESTION-HOPE SOMEBODY CAN HELP ME. I HAVE A COW THAT IS 7 MONTHS BREAD. I HAVE NO WAY TO WEAN OFF THE CALF THAT IS ON HER NOW. WILL SHE KICK OFF THE CALF NOW BEFORE THE NEW CALF COMES. PLEASE RESPOND IF YOU CAN TO -- I NEED A ANSWER BAD

 

[bird dog]

No not really. You need to find some way to get the calf off of her asap. She needs a little time to dry up before starting over.. You are doing harm to the cow and her next calf.

 

[Arkansas]

Guess when they updated the forums they un-pinned this ? Sad to see because this is usually the #1 Question everyone has over and over..