Whats your stocking rate?

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midTN_Brangusman

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I have been looking at buying some land (500 to 800 acres) in about 8-10 years and have been debating on the area where I would like to relocate to. In my area I can run a pair every two acres, but the population is growing so much you cant afford to buy the land. I would like to move to a rural area, doesn't have to be near a big city, prefer it wasn't. I have been looking in the Alabama, Mississippi, S Arkansas, SE Oklahoma and NE Texas area. Im not a cold weather person and I raise registered Brangus cattle so it would have to be in an area to market them.

Everyone is free to answer this question, but mainly to the ones that farm or have farmed in these areas. If you keep your soil to soil test levels and have a good stand of improved pasture while implementing a rotational grazing system.

What would be your acres/cow ratio?

Where is the most economical land as far as price per acre to run cattle?

Thanks for taking the time to read my post!
 
I usually figure one pair to 3 acres, but I feed hay for about 4 months. I've heard of others in my area who say if you'll stock at 7 acres per pair you won't need hay most years. I'm not sure, but NE Texas probably gets less rain than I do. I'd be interested to see what responses you get from that area.
 
Rafter S":2f59azhu said:
I usually figure one pair to 3 acres, but I feed hay for about 4 months. I've heard of others in my area who say if you'll stock at 7 acres per pair you won't need hay most years. I'm not sure, but NE Texas probably gets less rain than I do. I'd be interested to see what responses you get from that area.


Rafter I had no idea the stocking rates were that good there. That would certainly be an option, I know my wife would love it! Her dad lives in Conroe and the rest of her family are in College Station. I get to make the trip to Texas about twice a year, would certainly love to live there someday.
 
midTN_Brangusman":2cpyzgng said:
Rafter S":2cpyzgng said:
I usually figure one pair to 3 acres, but I feed hay for about 4 months. I've heard of others in my area who say if you'll stock at 7 acres per pair you won't need hay most years. I'm not sure, but NE Texas probably gets less rain than I do. I'd be interested to see what responses you get from that area.


Rafter I had no idea the stocking rates were that good there. That would certainly be an option, I know my wife would love it! Her dad lives in Conroe and the rest of her family are in College Station. I get to make the trip to Texas about twice a year, would certainly love to live there someday.

I'm pretty sure it's better further east. I seem to remember either Greybeard or CB saying they only need 2 acres per pair. Of course if it keeps raining like it's been doing lately I could probably get by with 1/2 acre per pair, but in 2011 ten acres probably wouldn't have been enough.
 
I am running 14 acres basically to the pair... Not because that's what's required but because I got more pasture than cattle to eat it.
 
midTN_Brangusman":229pj8n3 said:
Her dad lives in Conroe and the rest of her family are in College Station. I get to make the trip to Texas about twice a year, would certainly love to live there someday.

Stop by sometime when you're out this way. When you drive through Navasota going from one to the other you're only about 8 miles from my house.
 
Rafter S":p9c6g2pg said:
midTN_Brangusman":p9c6g2pg said:
Her dad lives in Conroe and the rest of her family are in College Station. I get to make the trip to Texas about twice a year, would certainly love to live there someday.

Stop by sometime when you're out this way. When you drive through Navasota going from one to the other you're only about 8 miles from my house.


I would love to Rafter thanks for the invite!
 
No market for brangus up here, but I have about 50 arable acres and 25 pairs.. a bit more intensive management I'm sure I could make that 30, and pushing the limits I might get 35, but it would be more work and risk than it's worth.. and I'd be feeding hay for longer than I already am (5 months)
 
Be hard to improve on where you are now.
Some parts of Miss are good but I would think Ark would give you the most grazing for the dollar.
 
You didn't mention Georgia but I'm running 1 pair/2 acres right now. With normal rainfall I have plenty of extra. When it's dry like it is here now it's not enough.
 
This year my summer pasture of 840 acres has 80 pairs on it as of yesterday. The year is off to a good start, should be able to handle that many comfortably unti the calves are weaned off in late Oct.

Calves are all heifers which the neighbor weans, backgrounds, keeps replacements and sells the rest after the first of the year before calving time.

Told the guy to use his own judgement beyond that, depending on grass and weather conditions. Cows usually are always home for Christmas.
 
JMJ Farms":3jd9kc4h said:
You didn't mention Georgia but I'm running 1 pair/2 acres right now. With normal rainfall I have plenty of extra. When it's dry like it is here now it's not enough.

Georgia stinks don't move there.
 
Dogs and Cows":1iopz54f said:
M-5":1iopz54f said:
South Alabama north Florida a pair to 2 acres is fairly standard. In a normal year.

M5...does that include hay in the winter or can you do a pair to 2 acres with no hay?

Thanks!

Tim

Hay has to be fed here. The only cool season grass we have is what we plant Rye, oats, wheat . we plant in sept and usually get a frost in oct that ends warm season grass. I feed hay till I can start grazing and the grazing is in addition to hay. In march the cool season grasses start really producing and hay is tapered off . this yr I fed hay thru april but I had a vast majority of the rye and oats were under water. Ive never got ahead on grass this yr and have been culling a few out to relieve some pressure. If we could get some rain more that once every 3 weeks I can get caught back up.
 
M-5":34gsiegi said:
Dogs and Cows":34gsiegi said:
M-5":34gsiegi said:
South Alabama north Florida a pair to 2 acres is fairly standard. In a normal year.

M5...does that include hay in the winter or can you do a pair to 2 acres with no hay?

Thanks!

Tim

Hay has to be fed here. The only cool season grass we have is what we plant Rye, oats, wheat . we plant in sept and usually get a frost in oct that ends warm season grass. I feed hay till I can start grazing and the grazing is in addition to hay. In march the cool season grasses start really producing and hay is tapered off . this yr I fed hay thru april but I had a vast majority of the rye and oats were under water. Ive never got ahead on grass this yr and have been culling a few out to relieve some pressure. If we could get some rain more that once every 3 weeks I can get caught back up.
It does not work for us every year, but in good summers we can let some bermudagrass and other summer pastures stay tall and then graze frost-killed standing grass until mid December. If it is not there (drought) then we have put cows in a sacrifice area that needs fertility and fed unrolled hay after frost for 30 days or so to give winter grazing time to possibly get rain and grow. It is lot easier feeding hay in late November and early December to cows after weaning and to calve in February. Hay quality does not need to need as high. But it all comes down to stocking rate. We run from 2.5 to 3.5 acres per pair depending on season, rain amount, sale decisions, ...
 
Central Texas native grass, a pair every 6 to 8 acres. With some improved grass, 5 acres per pair. This is what I look at on the average year and feed about two big rolls per animal unit. The amount of volunteer Rye Grass will determine the hay amount but that is my average on four different tracts. One place with 90% bermuda and lots of Rye grass will run a pair on 5 acres and one roll per cow if managed correctly. Another place that is native grass takes 8 acres and 2 1/2 to 3 rolls and the cows still lose weight. I also put out a few protein tubs, usually in January.

The Rye grass determines everything for me. On my best place. I calve in Dec/Jan to get the calves at the age to take advantage of the abundant Rye grass, They will wean out over 600 lbs easily with no creep. The worst place I calve in April/May because of the lack of early spring grazing. These calves at the same weaning age will only average 475.
It takes a lot of time and money to get the Rye Grass on a place but once you get a good stand, it can be managed to be a very valuable crop.
 
shaz":2izsvpnp said:
Be hard to improve on where you are now.
Some parts of Miss are good but I would think Ark would give you the most grazing for the dollar.
Maybe you should look at NE Arkansas. Good grazing Land on Crowleys Ridge can be had for $1,000 an acre.
 
Here is my suggestion, Missouri is generally 2nd or 3rd in the nation in beef cattle, but the state is also in the top 4 for corn production. However, the corn country is north of highway 54 that divides the state E to W. The southern 3rd of the state has the majority of the cattle, it is one of the most dense cattle areas in the country.

My farm is in Mountain View, 30 miles north of the Arkansas border in the Ozark foothills.
Reasons this is great cattle country:
-Property is affordable 800-1500 per acre
- cattle density, gives great acces to markets and excellent genetics
- Agriculture zone 7, long growing season
- 40+ inches of rain per year
- part of the area destined to get increased rain from global warming vs. more drought....if you believe in it
- in the Bermuda belt, with acces to affordable chicken litter out of Arkansas.
- much of the property is beautiful, with live water
- my farm stocking rate is 1 pair per 1.68 acres, producing enough hay for winter as well, even at that rate we routinely have to brush hog extra forage to keep it vegetative.
- many dairymen relocating here out of the Ohio valley and Illinois for reasons mentioned above.

Just my thoughts, hope it helps
 
In my part of the Ozarks, southern MO/northern AR, we get more than 45" of rain annually. The land is basically rolling hills/pasture land, and on a normal year we figure 1 cow-calf pair/3 acres. However, our land cost/acre is attractive around here, which is an important consideration (land cost vs carrying capacity). Check out http://www.onlineoml.com for land and prices in the Ozarks.

This is what we baled yesterday. We got 66 4x5 round bales off of 10 acres.
 

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