Sold

[alisonb]

Sold my cows a month or so ago, not that there were many of them. We didn't have much rain last season so had to rely on irrigation for the fodder that I'd planted(electricity bill rocketed). The natural grazing just burnt up and had very little nutritional value. Had to buy in extra food to sustain them. What of the extra labor it entailed. This all before the winter had even started...

Woke up one morning and decided 'that's it, the cows need to go', a financial decision. In previous years when the weather did not play along I battled it out, just could not go though it again. This will be the first time in twenty years that there will be no cows to greet me in the morning. I feel light, a burden has dropped off of my shoulders but then I glance over at the kraal...emptyness, soo empty!

I'm sure many of you have had to do something similar, please share your experience with us.

 

[cowboy43]

I know how you feel, as a kid my father went through the 7 year drought of the 1950's ( he never sold out) he passed away in 1963 , that is when I took over At age 18 , I fought droughts until 1995 that is when I lost and sold out. About 6 months after it started raining again and I bought back in, built up a good size herd and the drought beat me agin in 2009 and I sold out again , it started raining agin 2010 , I let my pastures rest 2 years and could not stand it any longer and at 70 years old I am back in the cattle business again . Cattle is in my blood like a narcotic addiction and I can not get out of the business , I will be in as long as I am physically able. I am educating myself and trying to improve my operation for the next drought because I know it will come. Cow numbers are way down in Texas after the big sell out several years ago and a lot of ranchers have not gone back in . With cows and calves selling up to $4000 it is a gamble and hard to get back in.
Good luck to you with your future decisions and let us know how you feel when it starts raining again. :cboy:

 

[TexasBred]

Sold my cows a month or so ago, not that there were many of them. We didn't have much rain last season so had to rely on irrigation for the fodder that I'd planted(electricity bill rocketed). The natural grazing just burnt up and had very little nutritional value. Had to buy in extra food to sustain them. What of the extra labor it entailed. This all before the winter had even started...

Woke up one morning and decided 'that's it, the cows need to go', a financial decision. In previous years when the weather did not play along I battled it out, just could not go though it again. This will be the first time in twenty years that there will be no cows to greet me in the morning. I feel light, a burden has dropped off of my shoulders but then I glance over at the kraal...emptyness, soo empty!

I'm sure many of you have had to do something similar, please share your experience with us.

I know exactly how you feel. Had to make the same decision in 2011. Sold some beautiful cattle. I missed them but never regretted the decision.

 

[cowmilker]

You sold Lulu? I'm sure that was not an easy decision to make, Ali. I can't imagine not caring for cows every day. Send me your address when you start missing them too much, I'll mail you a care package of cow manure. Craig

 

[Alan]

I sold about 80% of my herd last year, but it was because of our prices and my greed. How's your prices in S.A. comparing to what's happening in the U.S? More cattle in the future for you?

 

[bigbull338]

i guess im just lucky.weve never really had to cut our numbers due to drought.but in the bad 1 we sold the calves down quick.i think we only sent 2 or 3 cows to town.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Sold my cows a month or so ago, not that there were many of them. We didn't have much rain last season so had to rely on irrigation for the fodder that I'd planted(electricity bill rocketed). The natural grazing just burnt up and had very little nutritional value. Had to buy in extra food to sustain them. What of the extra labor it entailed. This all before the winter had even started...

Woke up one morning and decided 'that's it, the cows need to go', a financial decision. In previous years when the weather did not play along I battled it out, just could not go though it again. This will be the first time in twenty years that there will be no cows to greet me in the morning. I feel light, a burden has dropped off of my shoulders but then I glance over at the kraal...emptyness, soo empty!

I'm sure many of you have had to do something similar, please share your experience with us.

Been down that road first time they went to slaughter because of bangs.
After 9 months of quarantine took a beating.
In 2011 sold 70% of them.

 

[cross_7]

Been in and out so many times I don't remember half of them
Be careful it's easy to get lazy without the responsibility ;-)

 

[TexasBred]

Been in and out so many times I don't remember half of them
Be careful it's easy to get lazy without the responsibility ;-)

Cross you move so often you're cattle never have time to even find the outside boundary fences. :lol2: :lol2:

 

[1982vett]

Sorry to hear that.....

Like many of us here in the states, I ended selling off a bunch due to drought and horrible economic effect of the drought. I was 2 months away from selling all of them when the tide started to turn. Like cross7 says, be careful about getting lazy... ....or is that just a sign of getting old and just wanting to slow down. I guess you could call me lucky for not having to go out all the way but I'm finding operating on half a herd frees up a lot of time.

Hope your situation turns for the better. Our moisture situation is the best it's been in about 8 years....but even then we were dried out by July 4th so with our track record their isn't a reason to believe it won't do that again.

 

[Jogeephus]

I feel for you but understand. Our last drought almost had me toss in the towel. Its frustrating when there is nothing you can do to make things work because its just out of your hands. Rest assured the worm will turn. Enjoy your freedom while you can.

 

[Williamsv]

Yes, do enjoy your freedom. I threaten every week to sell all of mine, but then I keep on trying. I get a lot of pleasure from my cows and calves. It is so peaceful to just watch them graze on their green grass. I love to talk to my calves.
They do require a lot of time and attention. I sure don't make that much on them.
Good luck.

 

[alisonb]

Thanks guys, it would seem that some of you have really had it bad.

Cowboy43 - That's perseverance for you, all the best to you!

Cowmilker - Yes, I sold Lulu, it was terrible. Sold 2 young cows to a dairy about 7 miles up the road from me. The next morning I heard a racket and there was one of them, Girly had found her way back home and in the process cut her chest, sides and udder on barbed wire. I felt like just letting her stay but the new owner arrived with a trailer and loaded her.
The older cows were quietly loaded and taken to a friend of mine who has his own slaughter facilities...
It'll probably take a bit of time before there is any fresh manure here so I may well have to send you my address, thanks for the offer :lol:

Alan - The cattle market here has been strong the last couple of years, this past year beef demands increased as in the USA. I got really good prices. Cattle for the future, I'm sure ;-)

1982vett - I remember, it seemed everone got rain except you. So glad it's changed for you. There are too many things to keep me busy so don't worry about the 'lazy'...as for the 'age' thing, let's rather not mention that

Williamsv - I used to get carrots from a neighbor and feed them to the cows, always loved the way they put their huge ol' noses in the air and crunched on those carrots. It sounds like you really find enjoyment in you cattle

 

[cross_7]

Been in and out so many times I don't remember half of them
Be careful it's easy to get lazy without the responsibility ;-)

Cross you move so often you're cattle never have time to even find the outside boundary fences. :lol2: :lol2:

Sure seems that way
Sometimeswhen I wake up it takes me a minute to remember where I'm at

 

[Jogeephus]

1982vett - I remember, it seemed everone got rain except you. So glad it's changed for you. There are too many things to keep me busy so don't worry about the 'lazy'...as for the 'age' thing, let's rather not mention that

Its his own fault because he's stubborn as a mule. I kept telling him to send me some money and I'd go out of my way to give to my preacher and he refused to do it. You just can't help some people. ;-)

 

[Deepsouth]

Alison I'm so sorry you got hit this way and I know you're going to miss your cattle. Please don't let not having cow's take you away from Cattle Today. We kind of like like you around here.

 

[Jogeephus]

Alison I'm so sorry you got hit this way and I know you're going to miss your cattle. Please don't let not having cow's take you away from Cattle Today. We kind of like like you around here.

Ditto that. Go on another fishing/camping trip and post pics.

 

[alisonb]

Thanks guys

 

[cowboy43]

Sometimes hanging on too long can be a killer if you want to get back in when the rains starts again.
You borrow money to buy feed until you have borrowed up to the value of your herd, you sell the herd and pay off your debts. You end up with no money in the bank to buy back or collateral to borrow against. This happened to ranchers in the last long drought who had spent their lifetime building up their herds. They never went back into the business.

 

[greybeard]

Making the right business decision doesn't often jive with our emotional tendencies, but sometimes it works out best with a pencil and paper instead of trying to figure with our hearts. You'll miss 'em but it won't stay dry forever and you can get back in.
You stick around here AlisonB--you can laugh and poke fun at us that don't have sense enough to know when to exit.