Wise words

[milkmaid]

It's applicable to both beef and dairy, but it was a dairy farmer that told me this the other day...

"Lot of farmers want to make money on their herd. Make money on each cow, and the herd will take care of itself."

 

[Herefordcross]

That's hard to do whether you have one cow or a thousand. You will never, ever make money off of every cow!

 

[BRG]

Excellent way to think!!!

Every year is different and it is pretty tough to make $ on every cow, BUT, that is where culling your herd comes in. If you get rid of the poor producers, you will soon make money on more of your cows and maybe on all of them someday.

 

[Alice]

It's applicable to both beef and dairy, but it was a dairy farmer that told me this the other day...

"Lot of farmers want to make money on their herd. Make money on each cow, and the herd will take care of itself."

How can you deny this? Ya' can't...this is what my daddy practiced with his dairy herd...and it worked.

Alice

 

[chiefgriz]

Good way to look at it. Same thing as project managing. Take care of the individual task as required, and the project as a whole will be a success. Always try to come in at or under budget each area of the project. Sometimes you cant avoid going over. Planning is the key to any successful endeavor.

 

[tapeworm]

"Lot of farmers want to make money on their herd. Make money on each cow, and the herd will take care of itself."

Young lady that is so true and is good advuice...as long as we dont forget 1 thing..the real cattle business after we leave the cowcalf side is a business of aveages..averages based on 1000s of head here and 10,000s there...we cant focus on indivbiduals to the point that we dont cash in when the averages are right. Example

I ahve a pen of heifers that I would liek to get choice premiums for so i look at each of the poor doing individuals to determine slaughter date knowing the top end will already be there. My focus on those individuals at the bottom end makes the whole pen take yg discounts because the top end was on feed to long..and I LOSE money


Focus on the individuals as seedstock breeders and as cowcalf producers..but let the averages be your guide after that. Dont know if the college boys would say thats right or wrong but thats my philosphy

 

[3MR]

I ahve a pen of heifers that I would liek to get choice premiums for so i look at each of the poor doing individuals to determine slaughter date knowing the top end will already be there. My focus on those individuals at the bottom end makes the whole pen take yg discounts because the top end was on feed to long..and I LOSE money

Im missing something here, please re-explain what you are saying

 

[tapeworm]

Lol Im not very good with words...mamas been gone so i havent had anybody to talk to...lol All Im trying to say is that you cant always focus on the indivicuals so much that you lose site of the big pictuer...dont lose the whole farm trying to hoe a few weeds..never mind...i give up. lol

 

[3MR]

Lol Im not very good with words...mamas been gone so i havent had anybody to talk to...lol All Im trying to say is that you cant always focus on the indivicuals so much that you lose site of the big pictuer...dont lose the whole farm trying to hoe a few weeds..never mind...i give up. lol

I think that goes along the same line as the wise words completely. Dont sacrafice the profit of the herd for one animal. Treat them each as individuals that stand or fail on their own and act accordingly.

 

[Susie David]

MM....when I first went into business awhile ago I had an old timer pass along similar advise, he told me:
"Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves"
Seems to apply to the cattle business...devote your attention to the individual cow, cull when necerssary, follow sound management practices, pray for rain, take care of your neighbor and develop a good reputation and massage your customer base.
Just my two bits worth....Dave Mc

 

[milkmaid]

MM....when I first went into business awhile ago I had an old timer pass along similar advise, he told me:
"Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves"
Seems to apply to the cattle business...devote your attention to the individual cow, cull when necerssary, follow sound management practices, pray for rain, take care of your neighbor and develop a good reputation and massage your customer base.
Just my two bits worth....Dave Mc

I like that one too, Dave.

I understand what you're saying, tape - I think it's been explained that way to me before. If you have to slaughter an entire pen of calves on feed at once, at you reach the point where 95% are finished and 5% are under finished, it makes more $en$e to slaughter then, than to wait until the 5% are finished -- because the 95% would be overfinished and that would have cost you more than taking less money for the 5% before.

Sure you can't always make money on every single cow - but if you set your goal to make money off every one, you're a lot less likely to keep cows that are costing you unneccessarily. I'm getting better at it.