Tough love required.. be gentle :)

[OzssieDave19]

Hi so I have a small acreage and I am running 5 cows and calves and just come out of drought. It's low rainfall country it's boom grass growth at the moment after 3 years of no dam water and short supply of feed. I hire a bull, calve the cows, and grow the year before calves out to two years and sell or sell straight off mum if the season is unkind.

I have a full time job, this is a lifestyle choice having the property, I am trying to stay connected to farm life.

I see a lot of work, calving, being worried she might have trouble while I am at work, hire of bulls. The bull hire guys normally hire you a stud and by the time you have finished talking it's a commercial calf kept from a saleyard cow. Being a small operator you pay for everything at a premium.

Would I be better off step one= not rejoin the cows after next calf. Grow the weaned calf, the cow and the new calf all out as heavy as I can and sell , then start again simply buy 10 heifers or steers and simply buy small grow out and sell heavy spell paddock a month or so then buy another pen and repeat?

your thoughts would be appreciated. Whatever I run I will still get a kick out of maintaing fences, planting grass, handling the cattle and being on my property. I will nave affection for my stock whatever they are.

 

[Rafter S]

Have you considered buying older bred cows in the spring, don't bother to get them bred, let them have and raise the calf, then in the fall sell everything? Repeat next year.