IndianCreekcowboy":3vhuuyt6 said:I have to agree, lots of good advice here.
I'll add this- You have to be stubborn, creative and have a no quit attitude and want it more than anything else if starting with nothing.
There were times I would have to haul big round bales of hay and had no tractor to unload them so had to push them off trailer, or put a strap or chain around them and tie to a tree and drive away from under them. One Winter the clutch went out on a tractor at a lease, I would have to load and unload hay and tractor in the dark while holding a flashlight between my teeth to feed cows after working all day, it was dangerous and sometimes you would get wet and cold or break something or get stuck, but the cows ate before I came in and ate. I told myself there must be an easier way after a few weeks of this. So we started putting a months worth of hay around 24-36 bales out in an area with like 6 bales per spot, and bought 3 more hay rings, we would put in 4-6 different spots and using electric fence to give the cows enough for 1 week 6 -7 bales and would move the electric fence during daylight on weekend along with hay rings, that way I would only need to haul tractor once every 4-6 weeks rather than twice every week and in the dark one of those days.
For the past several years I have had small herds in 3-4 different places on combination of leased and owned land, yet at the end of the day would still look forward to putting my eye on at least one of those groups before going home.
I share this to encourage you (or anyone wanting to start) and challenge you to ask; "How bad do you really want it"?
When I had just 5-8 cows a bull was a big expense but I still wanted quality because I knew I would be building a herd from his daughters, I took advantage of helping neighbors to put 2-3 heifers in their herd just to get bred and then move back with mine after settled, and not to have to buy new bull every 2 years. I'm sure there are many on here that have had many more challenges than I, but I bet ya quitting wasn't an option for them either!
I know 18 years when you are only 21 seems like a very long time... however 18 years ago I owned a single cow, no bull and no land. My wife and I have accumulated around 300 acres some paid for, and some we own along with the bank, none of this was inherited land though. Today my wife and I have over 100 head (all from that one cow from 18 years ago), on the place we call home. I could not wait for the day to have 10, 15 or 20 cows, and when only keeping 2 or 3 heifers a year seemed like it would never come. Last year we kept 14 heifers, this year plan to keep 18-20. 18 years go by really fast when you are busy. Obviously for us to keep most of the heifers, our cows are not paying their own way and supporting keeping heifers. That's why we both work outside jobs and have been fortunate enough to have money to spend to support our cows in the hope that one day they may can support us.
Very doubtful I retire early, yet look forward to the day of staying home on our own place and watching them and playing "cowboy" all day/every day instead of just a few hours in the evening and on weekends and Holidays.
How bad do you want it?
I fed rolled hay the first year, by dragging it on a truck hood with a 1969 international scout.