Starting Out

[TCRanch]

Welcome! All great advice! But I'm gonna add another major piece of advice. Establish a relationship with a large animal vet!!!! Because if you own cattle, you're going to have to treat, vaccinate and run into problems at some point. And you can't just run to Tractor Supply for antibiotics anymore and will need a RX from a veterinarian.

In addition to your friend, I would also recommend connecting with someone else local as a mentor. You learn by doing and listening to the advice of people in your region the most, because geography is everything (which is why everyone wanted your location).

 

[Warren Allison]

@225Cattle , what kind of cattle did your friend run when he was using the place?

 

[225Cattle]

@225Cattle , what kind of cattle did your friend run when he was using the place?

It was a mix. I think one was Black angus. Two were Black Baldies. One was either Hereford or red with white face. The bull was Tigerstriped.

 

[greybeard]

The bull was Tigerstriped.

No truck? Do you at least have a vehicle with a bumper hitch that can pull a utility trailer? Not to move livestock but to go get 'stuff'. You're going to need 'stuff' and lots of it. Feed, mineral, salt, fence posts, tools, wire, gates, fence tooling like post hole diggers, sackrete, maybe lick tubs.

For 15 acres.. don't, try to go big time on equipment. A small used tractor will do just fine, even an old 8n.
But, come winter, you can't just rely on ryegrass to get you thru. You'll need some hay and a way to move it.
A doodlebug will work. I see them cheap on Craigs list frequently.




Is there a water source there?

Nothing like that left behind. Just a small area fenced in by the barn along with a 1 acre paddock

Sounds like a horse area. You will need a more substantial holding working area, maybe inside the barn to take care of the cows.
A few corral panels and a medina gate to start, or a head gate if you have the disposable $$ for it. Keep it workable, safe, but minimal.

Decades ago, when I was very young, able to jump tall buildings in a single bound, bullet proof and all that, all we had was a nearby tree and ropes to snub 'em off to the tree. It worked, but gawd I hated trying to run around a tree with the bitter end of that rope before them old cows came around it and got to me.
Ya don't want to be doing that kinda crap...

 

[uplandnut]

225cattle, how much experience with cattle do you have personally, other than seeing them in the pasture? I started with bred cows when I started not knowing a darn thing about pretty much anything. Not even knowing it I was buying one and done cows at the sale barn, most stayed here for a couple of years. As much of a train wreck as this could have been it worked out well for me and taught me a lot. To shorten your learning curve maybe the person that rented your pasture before would be willing to help and offer advice in times of need?
I agree with the advice given on here about having a couple of pens setup to catch/corral your cows should you need to catch them. However if you have a vet clinic that has a portable chute that they can bring out or a coop that rents out a chute I would use that vet clinic or rent the chute before purchasing one. They are expensive and if you don't have much cattle experience you will more than likely be calling a vet to treat your cattle anyways. Plus you can see what you like about some chutes and other things you hate. Maybe look at more of a calving pen?
No matter what you choose to do good luck and welcome to the addiction.

 

[225Cattle]

No truck? Do you at least have a vehicle with a bumper hitch?
A doodlebug will work. I see them cheap on Craigs list frequently.

Is there a water source there?

We have a Pilot with a hitch. What is a doodle bug? We have a large pond, a large plastic stock tank filled with water from a hose in the barn.

@uplandnut We participated some In their care but mostly Fence repairs. If one seemed sick we would let him know. Hunting them down if they got out. I don't think we really took care of them to the standard of care that it seems like you all do, so our experience was limited. Two of them dropped calves and he never made it to check on them. The calves seemed to be ok though. They fed from their moms and never got skinny.

 

[greybeard]

We have a large pond, a large plastic stock tank filled with water from a hose in the barn.

That's what I was questioning...running water for the livestock.



They can be a pita, but lots cheaper than a tractor with a Front loader and hay spear.

(There used to be a young lady here at CT that moved 4x5 bales with a vehicle pulling an old car hood. Rolled the bale up on the hood by hand, tied the hood to the back of the vehicle and took off with it down the dusty roadway. Posted a video, and she wasn't light on the gas pedal either.)
There's always unorthodox ways to do something.. just git it done!

 

[Warren Allison]

That's what I was questioning...running water for the livestock.

View attachment 39471

Down here, Volkswagon Beetles were called "Doodlebugs" LOL

 

[greybeard]

A few cows don't take up a lot of physical time but they do take up a substantial amount of your mental time. Make sure you're up to that. For the most part, they take care of themselves as long as they have grass/hay and water. Good ones won't push fences as long as they have enough of those 2 things. A bull is a different matter if there are other cows close by............. Bulls aren't cheap and hat libido is always there driving 'em.

 

[greybeard]

Dow here, Volkswagon Beetles were called "Doodlebugs" LOL

Yep, always were. I don't do Hitler's Revenge tho, no shape or fashion.

 

[Travlr]

No truck? Do you at least have a vehicle with a bumper hitch that can pull a utility trailer? Not to move livestock but to go get 'stuff'. You're going to need 'stuff' and lots of it. Feed, mineral, salt, fence posts, tools, wire, gates, fence tooling like post hole diggers, sackrete, maybe lick tubs.

For 15 acres.. don't, try to go big time on equipment. A small used tractor will do just fine, even an old 8n.
But, come winter, you can't just rely on ryegrass to get you thru. You'll need some hay and a way to move it.
A doodlebug will work. I see them cheap on Craigs list frequently.




Is there a water source there?


Sounds like a horse area. You will need a more substantial holding working area, maybe inside the barn to take care of the cows.
A few corral panels and a medina gate to start, or a head gate if you have the disposable $$ for it. Keep it workable, safe, but minimal.

Decades ago, when I was very young, able to jump tall buildings in a single bound, bullet proof and all that, all we had was a nearby tree and ropes to snub 'em off to the tree. It worked, but gawd I hated trying to run around a tree with the bitter end of that rope before them old cows came around it and got to me.
Ya don't want to be doing that kinda crap...

"Medina gate"? Got a picture? I'm unfamiliar with the term.

But then, what I call a chute, some call a squeeze, and I still use the word squeeze for what they call a chute, it seems.

 

[gman4691]

"Medina gate"? Got a picture? I'm unfamiliar with the term.

But then, what I call a chute, some call a squeeze, and I still use the word squeeze for what they call a chute, it seems.

Don't know much about them but I've heard they are funky and cold...

 

[Little Joe]

Don't know much about them but I've heard they are funky and cold...

That took me a second to catch. I'm sure there are several on here that don't know Tone.

 

[gman4691]

That took me a second to catch. I'm sure there are several on here that don't know Tone.

wondered if anyone would get the reference...lol...I don't know much about the guy but I do remember that line from the club hopping days...

 

[TCRanch]

wondered if anyone would get the reference...lol...I don't know much about the guy but I do remember that line from the club hopping days...

Thanks, @gman4691. Now that song is stuck in my head and Mr TC is looking at me side eyed. Gotta bust a move!

 

[gman4691]

Thanks, @gman4691. Now that song is stuck in my head and Mr TC is looking at me side eyed. Gotta bust a move!

Throw down til you throw up…that was our motto

 

[Little Joe]

Throw down til you throw up…that was our motto

That was our motto too, I don't miss those hangovers. I had one hangover that lasted 2 days, thought I was going to die the first day but I went to work any way. That one involved a mix of MD 20/20, wild Irish rose and Budweiser, I was so dumb back then.

 

[gman4691]

That was our motto too, I don't miss those hangovers. I had one hangover that lasted 2 days, thought I was going to die the first day but I went to work any way. That one involved a mix of MD 20/20, wild Irish rose and Budweiser, I was so dumb back then.

MD 20/20...ugh...don't even want to remember..

 

[tex452]

If you have a few cows it would be good to find a local cattle hauler that does it for a living and is insured. You'll likely only need to move cattle once or twice a year and even if you pay $100 each time you would take 20+ years to justify a $4-5k used trailer of your own. And you don't have to worry about maintenance, insurance and registration. A good pickup you will have a lot of use for with getting feed, lumber, and fencing supplies.

This.
I have my own trailers, but when it comes to buying and selling at the sale barns, the sale barn owners will pick them up for free, I have two that do this as two of my places are 75 miles apart, when I buy something at the barns there are people that will haul them to my house for a reasonable fee.
As small a place as you have it will take a while to pay for a trailer if ever.

 

[Travlr]

Our friend didn't have anything other than a truck, trailer, and broken down tractor.

Are you still around? The last comment was about making enough to pay for a trailer. There are a lot of old trailers around that can be put back into service. I've never bought a new one and my old ones were always in need of a floor when I got them cheap. And I've never had a single cow complain about having to ride in a trailer that had seen better days...