Raising Cattle

[skyhightree1]

Hello,
I have been asked a question by my neighbor that I really don't know how to answer it and would like you pros to help me answer the question correctly for him. I have a neighbor that has 30 acres of pure pasture that he does not use and I normally mow it and pay him for the hay. He has asked me basically if it would be profitable for him to raise 20-25 calves that he buys in the spring then sell them all off in Nov or Dec. I am mostly a cash crop farmer and raise only 28 head of cattle in which I am not the most experienced person to answer that question. Basically its all fenced in plenty of pasture and all he would have tied up is the expense of buying calves and basically the angus calves hes looking at are running around 100.00 - 120.00 a piece he said. He questioned me would it be possible for them to reach 900lbs between the end of march to december. I am not completely sure what to tell him.

 

[Anonymous]

That's 6 months of growth. At a generous 3 lbs a day rate of gain thats 540 lbs of potential gain. He's have to buy them at 360 lbs and there ain't no way he's getting any calf that's a 3 weight for 100-200 bucks. That might get him a bottle calf that weighs 120 lbs.
Either way, his goals are set too high.

 

[skyhightree1]

hooknline thanks I appreciate the knowledge you have given me.. I have cattle but not enough to really fully understand the business completely ... The cattle I raise are basically so I don't have to bushhog my property that I can't raise my crops on. I only sell the bull calves once they are weaned and thats to a friend of mine so I am not too familiar with the profit margin of selling.

 

[BC]

I don't know about Virginia, but here in East Texas we can take a 450 lb calf (bought now) and by late August or September plan on selling a 750 lb yearling. We can't get but about 1.5 lbs ADG on summer pastures here. By the way, those 450 lb calves are costing $825 to $900 per head ($1,83 to $2.00 per lb) at the sale barn and we think that those 750 lb yearlings will be worth $1.50 here in East Texas or $1.60 delivered to the panhandle in late August.

 

[skyhightree1]

I told him and he seems like he just wants bottle calves and will try to fatten them with grain and alfalfa he said and sell them for whatever in december....

 

[Tim/South]

Bottle calves can be tricky. They will not gain like one raised on a momma. I have tried it. We made a little money but not much. If I had not also had other cows and depended on the bottle babies then it would not have been worth the time. Most bottle calves will be of dairy breed and will not bring the same $ as a beef breed.
At some point I believe I have tried every theory there is to find an angle on how to make money with less expense. I was raised around cattle and enjoy the life. I enjoy thinking outside the box.
Age has taught me to keep most of my ideas to the thinking only stage.

 

[skyhightree1]

Tim, thats funny and true I like cattle since thats what I was raised around now they are mostly just something I like to see out my window and eventually I will need to start doing more selling. My family loves cattle and thats the way I keep kids involved in farming the soybeans and corn wheat are boring to them but they love the cattle and are always involved.