Set Up Ideas

[JWheeler331]

Hello, name is Joe. I have been interested in getting a few cattle for a while so I found the board in my research. Not coming from a family in the livestock business I have to pretty much learn everything on my own and usually by trial and error. That can get expensive in some cases which I have found out with our horses.

We have about 35 acres and we recently fenced in a pretty large portion of the land on the back side of the property. In the pictures the new fence that we ran is in RED. The BLACK lines are the general property outline.

Never having owned cattle before I have searched on here for a general step by step guideline but have not found one.

I obviously dont want to buy some cattle and not be able to give them the care they need. That is why I am trying to do my research first as much as possible.

I could just buy a few cows and throw them in the pasture but I know there is more to it than that.

I read over the "Raising Beef Cattle on a few Acres" thread here and found it very interesting.

I dont know what determins the type of cows I should choose and some of the lingo used here is like reading a different language at times.

Would anyone be willing to help with a general outline from picking out some cows and putting them on the land till.......sale, slaughter etc?

I know you must get tired of the "hey im new.....help me" threads but the truth is I am getting some cows....and it will start as a hobby but I would eventually hope to make a couple dollars in the future. I would like to better understand the process better before I buy.

Right now it is just fenced off land and a small barn. No chutes or anything like that.

Thank you kindly for any tips.

 

[Isomade]

You need to cantact your local county extension agent and have them out for a visit. It's going to be awfully hard to give you advice on what to do without knowing what your forage quality are and stocking rate. You also need to find an older rancher in your area that has done it for many years and drop by and ask him for advice.

The best advice I can give you at the moment is do not buy any cows until you have done a lot more research. Good luck.

Things to determine: Stocking rate, hay requirements (have at least 1.5 x what you need so you have at least half a year in reserve, a years worth would be better.), Working facilities so you can take care of your animals, breed of animals, what machinery you will have to have, ect...

 

[JWheeler331]

Thank you. I knew it would be a challenge to give info by what little info you have. I will try to find and make contact with a county agent. I didnt know there was such a person.

What exactly is a stocking rate?

Obviously I am not running out to buy 10 cows or anything. I have much to learn before I buy.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I don't mind the "I'm new" questions at all.

The ones I hate are from "I know it all but I got a problem, can you help me" and I am scratching my head wondering how a person got themselves into such a bad situation. Then you respond and they tell you what an idiot you are.

Stocking rates are going to vary from climate to climate and season to season. Where are you from? Maybe someone from your proximity will respond to your questions.

Isom gave you good advice. Extension agents are paid to work for you on such things. Some are outstanding people. I hope you have a good one.

 

[JWheeler331]

I don't mind the "I'm new" questions at all.

The ones I hate are from "I know it all but I got a problem, can you help me" and I am scratching my head wondering how a person got themselves into such a bad situation. Then you respond and they tell you what an idiot you are.

Stocking rates are going to vary from climate to climate and season to season. Where are you from? Maybe someone from your proximity will respond to your questions.

Isom gave you good advice. Extension agents are paid to work for you on such things. Some are outstanding people. I hope you have a good one.

I am in the Picayune, Ms. area.

I am searching now for a contact for some type of extension agent. Thanks.

 

[Isomade]

Stocking rate is how many cows you can run on a certain number of acres. Many things can effect this and two places can be side by side and have a different stocking rate. The place I grew up on would run a cow per 2 acres per year. Where I have my own place I run a cow to 4 acres and am only 35 miles from my home place.

 

[JWheeler331]

Stocking rate is how many cows you can run on a certain number of acres. Many things can effect this and two places can be side by side and have a different stocking rate. The place I grew up on would run a cow per 2 acres per year. Where I have my own place I run a cow to 4 acres and am only 35 miles from my home place.

I see. Thanks for the info.

 

[IluvABbeef]

Correction Iso: You missed the time period needed. Stocking rate is the number of animal units (or AU, where 1 AU = 1 - 1000 lb cow with or without a calf) you can have per acre per month or grazing period. In short stocking rate is the number of AUM's (Animal Unit Months)/acre. JWheeler, don't confuse stocking rate with stocking density, which is the number of animals on a certain grazing area at a set period of time.

I agree with the others that you will need to have a county extension agent and a good mentor to help you get started. There's not much we can get from with the Google Earth pictures you posted of the land you have to work with. You will need to plan out handling facilities, a fencing plan, forage/soil analysis of your area, what breed you're interested in raising, whether you're going stocker or cow-calf, what market you want to target, what kind of cows you want if you aim to go cow-calf, the list goes on.