Texas Tendencies

[Formal]

Howdy everyone, I recently inherited some acreage and a small herd of commercial cows (mostly red angus). I've been around cattle most of my life, but really just the feeding and 'easy' maintenance. I am pretty fresh to most things that come with owning cattle every year, but I am eager to learn. Many of my good buddies have cattle so I mostly bounce my daily questions off of them. I have decent pens, 16ft covered cattle trailer, hay buggy, and a youngish mind ready to go.

I am posting to see if anyone on the site has a good guide that I can follow year after year of what to look for or do each month. I assume this depends on the area, but anything is appreciated. Calving is usually late fall for us right now and we feed hay, cubes, and usual grazing. There is an influx of information coming in right now so having something I can look back at every now and then would help out tremendously. Some examples might be when/what to vaccinate cows and calves, or when to wean since I see so much out there. Also, what I can do on my own to save me a little dough. I understand my Vet will be my best friend, but I also don't want to get the wool pulled over on me just because I'm a little new. From what I understand my grandpa usually only kept 1 maybe 2 offspring a year, and the rest went to the SB.

I appreciate all the insight in advance!

 

[Dsth]

My first advise is to decide where you want to be 10 years from now. that should guide you to a breeding program that helps you meet that goal (AI, registered bulls, cleanup bulls, crossbreeding.) You will want to get a good and trustworthy relationship with your vet so you are comfortable with his/her recommendations on health issues. your friends/neighbors guidance could be priceless as you learn along the way so do not hesitate to ask them questions as you learn. members on here also have vast amount of knowledge that they like to share on specific topics that you may run into, so please ask as you go. good luck and wecome to the CT forum.

 

[moses388]

Calving is usually late fall...

Get ready to vaccinate cows. Scour Bos or ScourGuard ...whatever you prefer.

 

[greybeard]

The photo......
when yur ass is as high as your head......

Welcome to CT.
Where in Central Tx you located?

 

[Formal]

The photo......
when yur ass is as high as your head......

Welcome to CT.
Where in Central Tx you located?

East of San Antonio..been here my whole life and sometimes refer to it as Central TX..other times it's South TX lol guess it depends on who you ask

 

[greybeard]

Yeah, we'd usually refer to anything on line with or south of Bexar as South Texas.. drive a little ways up to Austin and you're magically in Central Texas. go figure..

 

[Travlr]

I am posting to see if anyone on the site has a good guide that I can follow year after year of what to look for or do each month.

Bulls in nine months before you want calves, and cut hay with a forecast for no rain in the next week... and then get your hay in. If you want market toppers breed for black calves and if you want the best cattle breed for health and conformation. Good fences make good neighbors, rotational grazing makes your grass go farther, and think a year ahead. Don't fall for every new idea because most of them will only increase your costs without a commensurate increase in product (cubes). The entire business is a toss up between keeping your expenses down and raising the best cattle for the highest return. Somewhere in there you find a sweet spot or you go out of business.

 

[Brute 23]

Welcome, you are kind of on the north end of my area just depending on how east you are.

I'll pm you a vet in your general area that you can trust. He puts out a paper with the exact vac schedule.

My advice right now is keep it super simple... KISS. Work on doing the simple things right and proving them to be profitable before you take on more. Be leary of... "we all do it like this". Make your own spreadsheets and track your own costs. Friends and family can be the worse about telling you... you have to do it like this. Every operation is different so you will have to find your own way.

It is far easier to lose a lot of money with cattle than make a lot. Especially with the help of others.

 

[Formal]

Welcome, you are kind of on the north end of my area just depending on how east you are.

I'll pm you a vet in your general area that you can trust. He puts out a paper with the exact vac schedule.

My advice right now is keep it super simple... KISS. Work on doing the simple things right and proving them to be profitable before you take on more. Be leary of... "we all do it like this". Make your own spreadsheets and track your own costs. Friends and family can be the worse about telling you... you have to do it like this. Every operation is different so you will have to find your own way.

It is far easier to lose a lot of money with cattle than make a lot. Especially with the help of others.

Amen to that, I'll check my PM's..thank you.

 

[Warren Allison]

Howdy everyone, I recently inherited some acreage and a small herd of commercial cows (mostly red angus).

How many cows total? And how many of them are red Angus? What are the others that are not red angus?

 

[Formal]

How many cows total? And how many of them are red Angus? What are the others that are not red angus?

11 total. 8 red angus cows, and 3 heifer calves(about 300lbs)...two are charolais one is angus.

 

[Warren Allison]

11 total. 8 red angus cows, and 3 heifer calves(about 300lbs)...two are charolais one is angus.

If you get a pb Angus or Brangus bull, you will always get black calves out of those cows. Back baldies sell well, too, in most of the country. You could get a homozygous for black and polled Black Hereford bull, and raise black baldies every year. With just 8 cows, have you looked into AI?"

 

[Travlr]

If you get a pb Angus or Brangus bull, you will always get black calves out of those cows. Back baldies sell well, too, in most of the country. You could get a homozygous for black and polled Black Hereford bull, and raise black baldies every year. With just 8 cows, have you looked into AI?"

What surprise that you of all people would advise using a black bull... (sarcasm)

 

[Warren Allison]

What surprise that you of all people would advise using a black bull... (sarcasm)

I know! And it really surprised me when YOU did, in post #7!!!

 

[Formal]

If you get a pb Angus or Brangus bull, you will always get black calves out of those cows. Back baldies sell well, too, in most of the country. You could get a homozygous for black and polled Black Hereford bull, and raise black baldies every year. With just 8 cows, have you looked into AI?"

Funny story..got to talking to my neighbor this evening, and turns out he’s willing to let us use his registered brangus bull this season. Nice guy, sometimes these things just have a way of working themselves out.

But to answer your question I have looked into it and it seems I still have a lot to learn. From what I see though it can be very beneficial when done correctly.

 

[Travlr]

I know! And it really surprised me when YOU did, in post #7!!!

That wasn't a recommendation.

 

[Warren Allison]

Funny story..got to talking to my neighbor this evening, and turns out he's willing to let us use his registered brangus bull this season. Nice guy, sometimes these things just have a way of working themselves out.

But to answer your question I have looked into it and it seems I still have a lot to learn. From what I see though it can be very beneficial when done correctly.

Yeah, if he is going to let you breed to his Brangus bull, then no need to fool with AI. Neighbor just made your life a whole lot easier. So did @Brute 23 , by sending you the contact info for that vet near you, and vouching for him. With just 8 cows, you ought to be able to get a 30 day or tighter calving window. Why do the other 8 not have calves? Have they just not calved yet this year, or had they calved before those 3, and the calves weaned and sold before you inherited them? Does you pens have a head gate and/or a squeeze chute? Do you have someone with you that can help with the worming, tagging, vaxx, etc.? Loading them up to haul to the sale? (Spouse, kid, parent, etc.?) How many acres of pasture do you have?

 

[Formal]

Yeah, if he is going to let you breed to his Brangus bull, then no need to fool with AI. Neighbor just made your life a whole lot easier. So did @Brute 23 , by sending you the contact info for that vet near you, and vouching for him. With just 8 cows, you ought to be able to get a 30 day or tighter calving window. Why do the other 8 not have calves? Have they just not calved yet this year, or had they calved before those 3, and the calves weaned and sold before you inherited them? Does you pens have a head gate and/or a squeeze chute? Do you have someone with you that can help with the worming, tagging, vaxx, etc.? Loading them up to haul to the sale? (Spouse, kid, parent, etc.?) How many acres of pasture do you have?

That is correct. There were 8 calves to start and 5 had already been taken to the sale. I am on the FB marketplace hunt for a head gate right now, but would much rather go for a squeeze chute..so we'll see what comes available. Figured I'd need to get one if I wanted to administer worming/vaxx on my own. My wife usually helps the most, and also has a little ag background so I put her to work! I have a buddy just down the road though that is a pretty solid hand. We have a little over 30 acres (pretty wooded) 2 of it is fenced in homestead, then a fence that goes through the middle of the property separating the remaining 28 (roughly 14 on each side).

 

[OBAX]

I think the Brangus bull is a great choice in your part of the world, but don’t get hung up on black is the only way to go. I started years ago with red cows that I got from my grandparents, similar to you it sounds like. I couldn’t wait to turn them black. It was for many of the same reasons that you are reading here. Like, black sells better, or black grows better, or etc. etc. etc.
There are many great options for great cattle that are not black. I’m glad that I mixed in some great angus genetics, but I also mixed in some charolais and quite a bit of Simmental. I have gone back to all Red Bulls and I couldn’t be happier with my calves. Most of the time, actually, my red calves outperform the black calves on the rail, scales, and sale ring. Find what works best for, #1 your liking, and #2 what fits your marketing plan best.
From someone that has come full circle, never let anybody tell you there’s only one way or one breed/color.

 

[Warren Allison]

That is correct. There were 8 calves to start and 5 had already been taken to the sale. I am on the FB marketplace hunt for a head gate right now, but would much rather go for a squeeze chute..so we'll see what comes available. Figured I'd need to get one if I wanted to administer worming/vaxx on my own. My wife usually helps the most, and also has a little ag background so I put her to work! I have a buddy just down the road though that is a pretty solid hand. We have a little over 30 acres (pretty wooded) 2 of it is fenced in homestead, then a fence that goes through the middle of the property separating the remaining 28 (roughly 14 on each side).

Tell ya what, you are set up pretty well for success. You have 8 cows that are a very good breed to have. Get the neighbor's bull for a month or so, to get them bred. When you go to wean them, all 8 black , polled calves will fit on that 16' trailer for the ride to the sale barn. At today's prices, you looking at a $12k-$16k pay check that day. When and if one of those 8 cows ages out, just carry her to the sale with the 8 calves, and you will have more than enough money to buy a young pair, young bred cow, or a 3-N-1 deal. You will have enough money from the sale to buy a NICE cow. You don't have the place overstocked...all you need is the head gate/squeeze chute, and you are set up as good as a lot of us that have done this for a longtime. I don't think I would change one thing about how you are doing things. @Brute 23 gave you another sound piece of advice: Use the KISS format. How do you water them...creek, pond, or water troughs? If it is water troughs, and they are inside a pen or other smaller area, with a funnel point they have to go through to get water, I would hang an oiler or duster at that entrance gate, for flies.