What do you do with your cattle?

[Waldershrek]

I would like to rotational graze during the summer and only have to feed hay during the winter. I would be using my parents little bit of land and then whatever surrounding land I can use. My mom has 5 horses though so I'm sure she would want me to provide hay.

A lot of the land surrounding them is owned but not used and I'm sure I could get free or cheap use of it. the hay would be for use but as long as I have enough I'd like to sell some.

 

[Caustic Burno]

We're always just one drought away.

Sell a bit of hay in years like this one. Keep a good stock of hay just in case it doesn't rain for months. Cows are holding their own for now.

You can't have to much hay.

 

[bigbull338]

we haul the bull calves to the sale when we think they are big enough.personally i like to sale them at 650 to 800lbs or more.

 

[dutchcowboy]

Like to sell all the bullcalfs at 5 to 7 months, sell some heiffers too. Keep most of the heiffers and then breed some of those and make freezer beef of the rest.

 

[andybob]

We slaughter on farm in the abattoir on farm, and maket direct to restraunts and through the farm shop and internet.

 

[Waldershrek]

We slaughter on farm in the abattoir on farm, and maket direct to restraunts and through the farm shop and internet.

If I had more knowledge that would be my ultimate goal

 

[Waldershrek]

For you guys selling cattle to the sale barn.....


You have a herd and then breed them and sell the calves or just the steers? You let your heifers run with a bull or use AI? Or are you buying bred heifers at auctions? How do you decide which ones to sell and which ones to put back in your herd?

 

[dun]

For you guys selling cattle to the sale barn.....


You have a herd and then breed them and sell the calves or just the steers? You let your heifers run with a bull or use AI? Or are you buying bred heifers at auctions? How do you decide which ones to sell and which ones to put back in your herd?

If they aren;t of breeding quality they go to the salebarn or are sold directly to the feeders just like the steers. We AI all heifers. If they don;t settle in 2 services they go to the feedlot or salebarn . Their dam and sire are part of the selection cirteria, how they develop before and after weaning and their peno type are the other parts.

 

[Waldershrek]

So what route would you recommend to somebody like myself who is trying to get started? Buying calves to raise and selling them once they are 800-1000 lbs or doing as you do?

 

[dun]

Depends on your forage and time.

 

[Waldershrek]

Well I plan on doing rotational grazing in the summer and feed hay in the winter. Pasture is about 25 acres of mixed grass, timothy and a little alfalfa. I work my full time job from 8am to 4pm. Other than that I have all the time free. I'm just starting out so I don't have any equipment spare for a tractor with a bucket and I'll have to buy my hay for now.

 

[dun]

Although the price cycle won;t be all that favorable, I would think about buying light stockers, grazing them till you run out of pasture then sell them

 

[Waldershrek]

I know I'm asking a lot of questions and I'm sorry for that

Just looking to draw some strategies from the experts since I have zero experience in the beef world. Are you saying I should only let them graze through the summer months and then sell them and do nothing in the winter months?

 

[dun]

I know I'm asking a lot of questions and I'm sorry for that

Just looking to draw some strategies from the experts since I have zero experience in the beef world. Are you saying I should only let them graze through the summer months and then sell them and do nothing in the winter months?

Pretty much. That way you won;t have the costs of buying and feeding hay, won;t have to worry about frozen pipes and waterers, won;t have to put in the cold hours that always seem to be required if you have livestock.
Try it for a copule of years and get a feel for what the place will really support and to find out if you really enjoy the business. Gain experience in health matters and feed reuirements.
Then you will be better prepared to branch out into the cow/calf end of things.

 

[Waldershrek]

Luckily I'm in a good spot because I do have a full time job and can take things slow. Should I be looking at bull calves or cow calves?

 

[dun]

Luckily I'm in a good spot because I do have a full time job and can take things slow. Should I be looking at bull calves or cow calves?

Either if the price is right, but I would favor bull/steers.
Keep in mind this is just one opinion, I don;t understand why more people haven;t joined in to tell me I'm wrong

 

[Isomade]

Luckily I'm in a good spot because I do have a full time job and can take things slow. Should I be looking at bull calves or cow calves?

Either if the price is right, but I would favor bull/steers.
Keep in mind this is just one opinion, I don;t understand why more people haven;t joined in to tell me I'm wrong

Dun, your wrong! :banana: feel better?

Nope, he is spot on in my opinion. 25 acres ain't gonna run more than a few head of momma cows. With that small of an operation you would be lucky just to recover your investment on the cows. Run the steers for a couple of years till you know more about the business. Then look at expanding or moving into the cow/calf operation.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I don;t understand why more people haven;t joined in to tell me I'm wrong

There's one other alternative. The only way I can see making a go on 29 acres is to run a half dozen nurse cows cycling 4 calves on each cow atleast twice. This is going to be a lot of work unless the place is set up for it.

Beef splits are getting higher and higher all the time. I bought a split heifer for $200 last weekend and only spent that much because she had a lot of ear. By the time she is weaned I will have another $80 in her so I stand to make a little. The $70 splits are long gone it seems. The nice thing about these higher prices is that the ring man will split much more often now.

With 6 cows yielding 8 calves a year, a person can make a few nickels even when buying baby calves at the current prices.

 

[Waldershrek]

Nope, he is spot on in my opinion. 25 acres ain't gonna run more than a few head of momma cows. With that small of an operation you would be lucky just to recover your investment on the cows. Run the steers for a couple of years till you know more about the business. Then look at expanding or moving into the cow/calf operation.

Well I may have access to more land for free or very cheap but 25 is what I have for sure. How many calves would 25 acres support?