lifeofleisure
Well-known member
Ok little background here. I visit and read boards regularly without logging in to often. I appreciate the vast information that I have read. Forgive me if this is long.
I am a long time US Navy Reservist (29 years active/reserve) and have a decent civialn job that lets me farm. I have 54 head at the present time in SWVA. most are a X-angus with few of really known cross. Of the older cows at least one has shorthorn-angus, charolais- angus, Blck/whiteface, etc. I have 12 5 year olds all black with a couple red angus ( 2 of my favorites), and 4 heifers bought this spring (I had AI in May with limelight i think was the name of the CE bull) that are 3/4 angus-1/4 saler and well as an 18 month old 3/4 angus-1/4 saler Bull.
I am nearing retirement but have just been tapped for a 270 day deployment overseas starting in October. this isn't the first time but it is the first since I started rebuilding the herd. We (FIL and I) had 96 head in 2006 but he passed away while I was deployed in Iraq and I came home and sold over 1/2 when he passed. A great friend helped with feeding the last 3 months of that deployment.
I have a helper who is a senior in high school who is very experienced with cattle. His dad has 300 or so head. He will be feeding and most likley watching my spring calves be born. Wife is able to help some too, but both Girls are in college 2 hours away from home.
Options
1 Sell everything. Invest money and rebuild with good stock when I return. (seems like a big tax hit and doubt they will get cheaper)
2 Sell calves and all cows older than 5 years old and rebuild when I return. (might be best option even if I wasn't deploying)
3 Sell last spring calves wait for spring cow calves and sell older cows and calves. ( more hay, and feeding time all winter and who knows what this one will be like)
Wife will need some capital for expenses, fertilizer, commodity feed, meds, etc.
Ok wise folks what other options or ideas? I will be retiring from the reserves when I return so this is last time, and I was looking to start expanding again next spring. Guess I will wait a year.
Thanks
I am a long time US Navy Reservist (29 years active/reserve) and have a decent civialn job that lets me farm. I have 54 head at the present time in SWVA. most are a X-angus with few of really known cross. Of the older cows at least one has shorthorn-angus, charolais- angus, Blck/whiteface, etc. I have 12 5 year olds all black with a couple red angus ( 2 of my favorites), and 4 heifers bought this spring (I had AI in May with limelight i think was the name of the CE bull) that are 3/4 angus-1/4 saler and well as an 18 month old 3/4 angus-1/4 saler Bull.
I am nearing retirement but have just been tapped for a 270 day deployment overseas starting in October. this isn't the first time but it is the first since I started rebuilding the herd. We (FIL and I) had 96 head in 2006 but he passed away while I was deployed in Iraq and I came home and sold over 1/2 when he passed. A great friend helped with feeding the last 3 months of that deployment.
I have a helper who is a senior in high school who is very experienced with cattle. His dad has 300 or so head. He will be feeding and most likley watching my spring calves be born. Wife is able to help some too, but both Girls are in college 2 hours away from home.
Options
1 Sell everything. Invest money and rebuild with good stock when I return. (seems like a big tax hit and doubt they will get cheaper)
2 Sell calves and all cows older than 5 years old and rebuild when I return. (might be best option even if I wasn't deploying)
3 Sell last spring calves wait for spring cow calves and sell older cows and calves. ( more hay, and feeding time all winter and who knows what this one will be like)
Wife will need some capital for expenses, fertilizer, commodity feed, meds, etc.
Ok wise folks what other options or ideas? I will be retiring from the reserves when I return so this is last time, and I was looking to start expanding again next spring. Guess I will wait a year.
Thanks