wacocowboy
Well-known member
Learning how to do a rain dance.
What makes you a better cattleman?
- Thread starter tdc_cattle
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cow pollinater
Well-known member
Ok, a pencil sharpener.tdc_cattle":3ssqkriy said:
Watch your cows close. When you see a need that needs to be met think of a couple different ways to meet it and figure out which one is most cost effective and try it. An easy starting point is heterosis. Other than my registered cows I don't want a purebred on the place. That's one simple step that will make you a better cowman in one generation as it fixes a lot of the problems you will see when you really start paying attention to your cows.
RanchMan90
Well-known member
What in particular? It's tough for a cow calf operation, all you can control are your input costs. Try to add any value to your calves that you can. Think outside the box :2cents:tdc_cattle":1dn6enfw said:
Dave
Well-known member
tdc_cattle":33v2w7t5 said:
OK, I said find your unfair advantage so here are a couple of mine.
This is an isolated market that doesn't get enough cattle to fill a pot every week. As a result cattle are generally 20 cents under the real market. So buy cheap and ship them to somewhere that pays real market price.
There are thousands and thousands of acres of irrigated hay raised for the export market. They don't take hay that is slightly off. So that hay can be bought cheap. Why spend time and money when there is a reliable source of good cow hay.
There is a sweet corn processing plant near me. For 2 to 2 1/2 months of the year they haul off a number of truck loads every day of cobs, husks, and waste corn. Cows love it and it can be bought cheap. Either feed it fresh or put into a silage pit. Again it is a reliable source available every year.
Those are examples of my unfair advantage. I don't know your area so I don't know what your unfair advantage might be.
Jogeephus
Well-known member
Don't forget they are cows. Cows are designed to take all sorts of forage and run it through their many stomachs and turn that into meat that you sell. Don't go chasing breeds. Don't chase fads. Have a plan and an objective and stick with it because what's good for the purebred seed stock produce may not be good for the commercial guy.
wbvs58
Well-known member
I think my desire to have better and better cows. I think it all started soon after I kicked off I put in a set of scales to weigh them. I guess I am obscessed with weaning weights and to achieve that I look to improve my genetics and to improve my pasture and maybe decrease my stocking rate a bit to ease the load.
Ken
Ken
Ryder
Well-known member
Not necessarily new steps, but I would suggest:
Learn to do as much for yourself as you can. Some people believe they need to holler for the veterinarian for every health related thing. Most things you can do for yourself.
Get a couple of good books and learn.
Use common sense in buying equipment depending on size of your operation.
You don't need the latest, fanciest, pretty equipment.
There is a world of difference between what you want and what you actually need.
A lot of things you can hire done rather than buying the equipment to do it yourself.
Learn to do as much for yourself as you can. Some people believe they need to holler for the veterinarian for every health related thing. Most things you can do for yourself.
Get a couple of good books and learn.
Use common sense in buying equipment depending on size of your operation.
You don't need the latest, fanciest, pretty equipment.
There is a world of difference between what you want and what you actually need.
A lot of things you can hire done rather than buying the equipment to do it yourself.
cow pollinater
Well-known member
Very good advice. I don't use vets other than prescriptions or when I'm stumped and sometimes they are too by that point.Ryder":1civnc2c said:
I'm bad at running out and buying something I think I need but my neighbors would loan it to me if I had just asked and everything I own is free for use by just about anyone that needs it.
cow pollinater
Well-known member
Not to argue with Ken but my idea of better cow is different than his. I'd rather run more cows and wean calves that are in the middle to lighter side of what others in my area are producing. That is something you need to pencil out for yourself as production costs vary greatly from region to region. My point in saying that is that you really need to figure out what works where you are.wbvs58":27zooyaq said:
wbvs58
Well-known member
cow pollinater":dltvt4zb said:
Yes you are certainly right CP but a set of scales gets you thinking in the right direction, it may not be to get absolutely bigger calves but to keep track of how uniform in weight things are, how various cows are holding their weight. It allows you to measure and make your decisions from there.
Ken
snoopdog
Well-known member
Spending time watching them, while they graze, nurse, drinking , eating hay . Observing their piles and what grasses did they eat and what they passed over. Where are they in the field and at what time. Don't fall into the shiny paint or brand loyalty syndrome, shop smart and buy undervalued equipment . Add all the value to your product you can, as inexpensively as you can. Keep records of EVERYTHING .
Ridgefarmer63
Well-known member
LOLTrue Grit Farms":17lagb2i said:
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
tdc_cattle":1cgo3crs said:
We all were too. You see things work, then they don't work for you.
You can do these right, work your tail off, and still fail at some things. You can have an accident and come out smelling like a rose too.
I've always made money on land. Every piece I have bought has been sold for profit.
I've won some and lost some with cattle. You cannot control weather and your destiny, but you can take measures.
People have said experience. Experience will always be the best teacher.
There is also luck.
Dave
Well-known member
A fast horse, a good rope, and a hot branding iron..... oops, maybe 150 years too late for that to work.
