What would you like to learn about the cattle business?

[alacattleman]

what about backgrounding calves. . if nothing other than castrating and vaccinations which would go a long way

 

[cleland]

Get your area ABS rep to come out and talk about the benefits of AI, Syncronization, and genetics.

 

[Bez+]

How to manage 500 acres and 200 mothers and pay all the bills and not have to work out. We want a vacation and health insurance pay also.

My friend - there are several people on this board that will tell you that if you are not making money, you are simply not doing it right - there was an entire thread a while back that was all about how much profit there was in cows and how some folks where making $15K on 50 pairs - a short list follows - if you want more I can dig them up for you - they all should be on the speaking trail making millions keeping cattle folks in business

1.Go here and learn how Marksmu does it: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=58598&start=0#p677648

He is going to make big bucks and has no expenses

2. Go here and talk to Grubbie:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=58598&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&p=677718&view=show#p677718

He claims he cleared $15K plus on 50 pairs

3. Go here and see how mnmtranching does it:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=58598&start=15&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&p=677817&view=show#p677817

He claims $15K profit on 50 pairs is a MODEST profit and has no problem doing better

Personally I think they are all blowing smoke and I have since added them to my ignore list.

But I figure you are obviously a slack @ss like me and need some serious guidance.

If you are like the rest of us "forum experts" that are actually having a tough time making a dollar on cattle - then perhaps you had better contact them or one of the other forum experts that is beating the national US average of "losing money" on cattle. 8)

Or you can come north and buy what I have left on this place - you obviously need more - you cannot make money on what you have now!

Economy of scale you know....

My best

Bez+

 

[mnmtranching]

How to manage 500 acres and 200 mothers and pay all the bills and not have to work out. We want a vacation and health insurance pay also.

The VERY LAST person on these forums that I would ask about making money in the cattle business would be Bez whatever. There are still good managers making money in the cattle business. :tiphat:

Whether you can pay all the bills depends on what kind of dept you built up. You can't expect a cow herd to pay on unrelated expenses and poor choices involving investments etc.
Health insurance, either you or your spouse will need a day job that includes heath insurance benefits.
Vacation, every day when your out their in the country side haying and doing all the cattle related chores.
Sure, I could tell you how to make money in the cow/calf business.
Any questions, just ask.

 

[alftn]

Granny .....2 years of hay, you must have one large barn or one small herd....

 

[alacattleman]

alot of folks on ranchers.net making a living at it .

 

[1982vett]

.....2 years of hay, you must have one large barn....

Not just one but several. Enough for about 600 tons of hay. Don't want to put it all in one place. Scatter it out, if you lose one you don't lose it all.


PS - Fall of 2007 they were full.

 

[grannysoo]

Granny .....2 years of hay, you must have one large barn or one small herd....

None of the above.

I don't even have a hay barn at all. It's all outside, netwrapped, and stored where there is excellent drainage. It's taken several years to find the proper places to store it to minimize rot, but after trial and error, my hay maintains good condition outside. I loose no more than 1 inch on the bottom, and little to none on the top or sides. It's also stored in a lot different places in order to minimize any damage that could be caused by fire.

The oldest hay that I have is 3 years old, has a little damage on the bottom, but is still green and good on the inside. The cows eat it like a child eats a candy bar.

As to herd size, I'm feeding mine and my brothers. Between the both of us, I'm sure we have at least 2 or 3 cows.... :mrgreen:

And to those that are going to make comments about not having a hay barn, don't bother unless you have the time and money to come build one for me. I don't have either....

 

[mnmtranching]

I can stuff about a 100 bales inside, I like the way it comes out as fresh as when I put it in. The rest is outside. Hard bales on sand keeps OK, not kept over for next year though. One advantage to or climate, hay won't spoil in cold temps. that's 9-10 months. :cowboy:

 

[1982vett]

And to those that are going to make comments about not having a hay barn, don't bother unless you have the time and money to come build one for me. I don't have either....

If you would have ever been in the hog, chicken or turkey business you would have some nice barns to store hay in. :lol: Oh, brooder houses make decent grain storage also, especially if you have a skid steer.

 

[jedstivers]

And to those that are going to make comments about not having a hay barn, don't bother unless you have the time and money to come build one for me. I don't have either....

If you would have ever been in the hog, chicken or turkey business you would have some nice barns to store hay in. :lol: Oh, brooder houses make decent grain storage also, especially if you have a skid steer.

That's right, I've got one that was first a chicken house till the layer business went broke then it was changed over to a hog barn for 80 sows, had fully automated water and feed system till a neighborhood was built on the south side of it ( the prevailing winds blow out of the south here so go figure) so then we had a empty barn after the court verdict.

 

[grannysoo]

And to those that are going to make comments about not having a hay barn, don't bother unless you have the time and money to come build one for me. I don't have either....

If you would have ever been in the hog, chicken or turkey business you would have some nice barns to store hay in. :lol: Oh, brooder houses make decent grain storage also, especially if you have a skid steer.

Lots of them empty chicken houses around here. Now that was a "get rich quick" scheme if I ever saw one. I don't think that I have ever seen such an opportunity that was so stacked against the owner/investor. Just think, with 4 of those chicken houses, you could make $100K per year.

But them came the word "if".

If this,
If that,
If you,
If feed conversion,
If they live,
If, if, if.

Sort of like Bill Clinton trying to define the word "is".....

 

[V_Key]

Like these 2 ideas as well. Found out last Fri we're getting some $$$ for cross fencing and pasture planting. VERY exciting news for us.

There are always Questions in the Threads about Building Fences and/or Electric Fences - Grounding

 

[upfrombottom]

Dear Mr./Ms Littlejohn I must apologise for mentioning anything about hay or a barn. Maybe this is a topic you should avoid at your meetings. :lol:

 

[Littlejohn]

Thank you for all the ideas. I'll be on the phone in the morning trying to find a vet to cover vac's and what is needed in a "first aid kit", just have to find one that is close enough to make sense for them to come out. . I'm also going to check into what it takes to sale freezer beef here.
We have the government money pretty well taken care of. Kentucky has a really good cost share program that covers a lot (including hay barn material, forage improvement, and handling facilities), and just got word from the state that we have another round coming soon.

The background topic is a great idea. I'll have the extension agent see if he can track some one down for me.

Thanks for all the great idea, and if any one has any more, please send them my way
Thanks
John