To much land

[cypressfarms]

NEVER FORGET - he is new to the game - would you do this or advise a friend to do this if you or your friend knew nothing about cattle - other than to look at them?
Bez"

As usual Bez!, you come up with great quotes and advice. I think it is very nieghbourly to approach it as "would you do this to your friend" approach. It's easy for all of us to forget and try to put our own personal favorites and spins in the scenario, but if one was truly his friend, I think we all would answer similarly (at least I hope!)

 

[Brandonm2]

Let's keep this fellow in the black as much as possible - and NEVER FORGET - he is new to the game - would you do this or advise a friend to do this if you or your friend knew nothing about cattle - other than to look at them?

How does he get experience without accepting any risk??? You are not going to learn to swim sitting on the shore watching from afar. You either jump in or you don't. If he honestly can not buy, sell, or raise cows (and this ain't rocket science) maybe he should sell the cows and plant pine trees!

 

[lilbitfarm]

I think his grandpa wouldn't give he the farm if he didn't think he couldn't do it . I know my grandpa wouldn't. and some times a person knows more than they think they know I feel that he maybe a little over welhemed . as for buying stock for his place he can look alover and not find a person to sell him any thing at a fair price and the sale barn may be his last option.

 

[andybob]

Sambo, is there someone who can 'mentor' you, in your area?
It is always usefull to pick the brains of local, established breeders. Possibly your Grandad could accompany you when looking at sale stock.

 

[la4angus]

Sambo, In your shoes, If you have a good quality herd your best bet would be to let the herd regenerate. By the time you have it up to where it needs it to be, you will have a pretty good working knowledge of the cattle. With this few of cattle you could get set to go into AI, and improve your herd from what you already have.

 

[sambo]

thanks for all the advise. I do have people to mentor me in the area, but they are still farming back in the 1950's. The knowledge i've saw on this board is much more modern and cost effective. My family has cattle on pretty much all of the land around and all they say is " don't waste your money".

 

[preston39]

Sam....,

"Don't waste your money".... is a platform of sound advice. Remember those folks made a living back in the 50's and some would say a better one than can be carved out of the industry now. Not sure I agree with that.

An important philosophy you should consider adopting is this...

"Take the proven best from the old and merge it with the proven best from the new". The key is to know the difference. That gives us the best of both worlds.

We must utilize the capital we have/generate in order to increase more capital and thereby produce more return from the overall commitment. One thing for certain unless one finds a way to purchase 20-30 cows there will not be the chance for having 20-30 calves for sale down the road. In your situation there will only be 9-10 calves for sale from the overall commitment.(twins are always nice once in a while).

 

[DD RANCH]

I started with 10 cows in 95 those 10 cows have worked up to 150 cows + I have another 40 replacement heifers it will start out slow but once you get up in numbers you will grow fast.Just remember to stay out of debt as much as possible.I have a welding shop I have built feed bunks,waterers,corral panels most everything I can if at all possible improvize.Cattle make money new equipment and fancy pickup's don't.Also good cattle eat the same as poor cattle so get good one's.

 

[hillbilly]

I've taken over my grandfathers cattle business. As he got older he let the cattle numbers go down to just enough to pay for fertilize and his taxes. The problem is that I've got 10 cows on over 100 acres. My question is should I buy replacements or let the herd regenerate.

If you let the herd regenerate, you'd probably be as old as your Grandfather by the time you had a herd.How did he pay taxes and fertilizer bills on ten head?

It won't take long to build your herd raising your own replacements. This is 2006 [close to] by 2010 you could have 25 cows with 10 bred heifers and 12 weanling heifers.

hillbilly

 

[JHH]

I would take the advice from BEZ and a few others on here.

I know that I wish that I had found this forum BEFORE I purchased cows (heifers). I am sure that I would have gotten the same advice from these folks. I got a loan and now the cows and calves are not mine they are the banks property.Wish that I had just let my herd build up like some are suggesting that you do. Just my thoughts not worth much. JHH

 

[Caustic Burno]

I would take the advice from BEZ and a few others on here.

I know that I wish that I had found this forum BEFORE I purchased cows (heifers). I am sure that I would have gotten the same advice from these folks. I got a loan and now the cows and calves are not mine they are the banks property.Wish that I had just let my herd build up like some are suggesting that you do. Just my thoughts not worth much. JHH

I saw a lot of cattlemen go under when all the savings and loans went belly up. Lot of people on this board are young and don't remember 35 cent pound calves when the bottom fell out in the 70's and a lot of cattlemen went belly up then to. Building on today's prices is a trainwreck looking to happen this is a comodity market we are in, and don't forget about ole Ma Nature she doesn't always play fair either.

 

[dun]

I saw a lot of cattlemen go under when all the savings and loans went belly up. Lot of people on this board are young and don't remember 35 cent pound calves when the bottom fell out in the 70's and a lot of cattlemen went belly up then to. Building on today's prices is a trainwreck looking to happen this is a comodity market we are in, and don't forget about ole Ma Nature she doesn't always play fair either.

I'm beginning to worry! This is the second time I can recall agreeing 100%

dun

 

[Caustic Burno]

I saw a lot of cattlemen go under when all the savings and loans went belly up. Lot of people on this board are young and don't remember 35 cent pound calves when the bottom fell out in the 70's and a lot of cattlemen went belly up then to. Building on today's prices is a trainwreck looking to happen this is a comodity market we are in, and don't forget about ole Ma Nature she doesn't always play fair either.

I'm beginning to worry! This is the second time I can recall agreeing 100%

dun

No Dun we have just been over some of the same rough trails puts a wrinkle in your horn makes you remember.

 

[JHH]

I would take the advice from BEZ and a few others on here.

I know that I wish that I had found this forum BEFORE I purchased cows (heifers). I am sure that I would have gotten the same advice from these folks. I got a loan and now the cows and calves are not mine they are the banks property.Wish that I had just let my herd build up like some are suggesting that you do. Just my thoughts not worth much. JHH

I may have worded that wrong. I still have the cows I just feel like the bank owns them and not me. JHH

 

[preston39]

dun...,

I too share your concerns. But, what is the alternative for someone entering the industry? No one is going to sell them an animal at 50% or less of the current market so they can get started.

Certainly a newcomer should go slow and have a viable backup plan.....if there is such animal....for a market downturn or demand change. Also, be cautious in taking on to much debt. We must watch for early signs of the market changing...such as the imports from north and south impact on supply and demands.

Anyone who is not aware of what happened to hog prices just a few years ago better get up on the news. I saw a pin of 200-250# hogs on I-57 up in Illinois with a sign on the fence ..."05 per pound..if you please..otherwise you can have them". That industry can be saturated with production increases much faster than the beef industry. Since 1996 we have lost over 100,000 beef producers in this country...per an RFD tv commentary.

Could that happen to beef? Yes, but I don't think it will in the next few years as long as mickey-dee keeps cooking and Opra doesn' decide that a new diet fad...excluding beef... is the way to go. :lol:

 

[Crowderfarms]

I've taken over my grandfathers cattle business. As he got older he let the cattle numbers go down to just enough to pay for fertilize and his taxes. The problem is that I've got 10 cows on over 100 acres. My question is should I buy replacements or let the herd regenerate.

If you let the herd regenerate, you'd probably be as old as your Grandfather by the time you had a herd.How did he pay taxes and fertilizer bills on ten head?

It won't take long to build your herd raising your own replacements. This is 2006 [close to] by 2010 you could have 25 cows with 10 bred heifers and 12 weanling heifers.

hillbilly

Maybe I'm too impatient, or overly industrious, but I would not want to regenerate a herd with 10 head. You have to count culls and deaths, and a bunch of other incidentals.I might keep one out of five Heifers, on a good year.Besides, I almost always sell my Heifers and buy sound bred cows.Numbers dont mean anything unless you have quality. Just my opinion.

 

[hillbilly]

I've taken over my grandfathers cattle business. As he got older he let the cattle numbers go down to just enough to pay for fertilize and his taxes. The problem is that I've got 10 cows on over 100 acres. My question is should I buy replacements or let the herd regenerate.

If you let the herd regenerate, you'd probably be as old as your Grandfather by the time you had a herd.How did he pay taxes and fertilizer bills on ten head?

It won't take long to build your herd raising your own replacements. This is 2006 [close to] by 2010 you could have 25 cows with 10 bred heifers and 12 weanling heifers.

hillbilly

Maybe I'm too impatient, or overly industrious, but I would not want to regenerate a herd with 10 head. You have to count culls and deaths, and a bunch of other incidentals.I might keep one out of five Heifers, on a good year.Besides, I almost always sell my Heifers and buy sound bred cows.Numbers dont mean anything unless you have quality. Just my opinion.

I agree with the last sentence, assuming his grandads last
ten cows are his best. I would build from them.
It's not about economics or how fast you can hit a number.
It's about building a cow herd.
If you buy your replacments you are not building twords
something you are just rolling the genetic dice over and over.
Sometimes you win sometimes you lose.

hillbilly