would like to raise 2 steer for beef..

[brettdachickenfarmer]

Hi, my name is Brett I am interested in raising a couple of steers for meat. I was told you can raise 2 for about the same price as 1? want to rent a space for them do you think this is feasable? what kind of steer is best for beef? should I buy from an auction or private seller? thanx for any input..

 

[talldog]

I'm not sure on the 2 for 1 deal---- Do your Homework on the Breed, then decide. Good Luck !!

 

[IluvABbeef]

First of all your location would help a lot.

Secondly, I'm not sure on the 2 for 1 deal either, as I would think your costs would double with two steers, but not in terms of labour, if that was you were thinking of.

Crossbred steers are your best bet for good beef. Yellow-white face are ones that I'm particularly partial to, because they tend to finish up really nice. Angus-based cattle would probably, not surprisingly be popular in your area so it probably would be wise to pursue in purchasing some steers with that in them.

Renting's alright if you are going to be the one taking care of them and the fences. I really can't tell you how the renting deal should be carried out, that would be between you and the other guy you're renting pasture off of.

Auction is alright if you know what you are looking for. Private treaty might be the best if you are new to selecting the best steers to have for your freezer that will give you minimum health problems.

 

[cmf1]

2 would keep each other company and keep them from wanting to wander through perimeters as much. Still will need solid fencing. 2 mouths, 2 bags of feed, 2 x the money.
Depending on where you are located for much of this.
What's available to you at sale barns is mostly culls and refuse. You'd be much better off to figure out what breeds or xbreeds that are acceptable to you and see who is raising them near you.
I have a found visiting farms and buying stock to be a much more enjoyable experience than hours at a salebarn suffering the parade of junk between the acceptable lots.
Buying from the farm you are only exposed to the health issues of that one farm.
Buying from the salebarn your stock is exposed to the health issues of ?.
Regardless of where you buy get to know your Vet.
Costwise, some farms in your area may be selling the type of beef thet you are wanting to raise precut and packaged or ready for packaging. That way you know exactly what your costs are, without all the variables.
You just won't get to enjoy the smells, yells, and swells of raising your own.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I also, would recommend buying from a farm - not the auction. Cattle do a little better with a companion. Have you researched how much a calf might cost?
If you purchase a weaned calf that weighs 500#, it might cost $1/lb or $500. That 500# calf will need to gain about 500-700# (depending on it's frame or growth potential). It used to cost about $350 to finish a weaned calf. Probably higher now, and that's with someone that knows how to feed properly. So, at best, you are looking at $850 investment + the cost of kill, cut, wrap & freeze.
Someone that knows how to feed a steer, can usually average about a 3#/day gain. So, if he needs to gain 600#, you're looking at 200 days of feeding. But, you may only get 1#/day gain, that's 600 days.
Are you planning on raising them on grain and hay or GRASS? or a combination of grass & grain? On grass, you might be closer to the 1# gain, on grain, closer to the 3# gain (if you fed properly.)
Soooo - buying finished beef from a local farmer might be a whole lot cheaper.

 

[brettdachickenfarmer]

Thanx for all the input, I am in Northern Utah, was planning on hay and grain feeding, found a couple of places that will let me raise them as long as I am there to take care of them they are only a few blocks from here so that wont be a problem, sounds like going to a farm is the best bet to avoid diseases, havent found a vet yet still working on that, was reccomeded to buy angus but am open still to all suggestions....thanx again

 

[OLF]

I'd recommend black baldies (Hereford x Angus). They shouldn't be hard to find.

 

[irked]

i'd recommend something that can be bought at a discount to blacks. something with frozen ears or a rattail will serve your purposes just as well and will save you some money going in. somebody is going to discount those cattle $20-30/cwt. it might as well be you instead of some order buyer.

 

[Portalesman]

I'd recommend black baldies (Hereford x Angus). They shouldn't be hard to find.

Agreed.

There is zero chance in a frigid hell that somebody can raise two beeves for the price of one. If a steer is fed out for 90 days, that will average 1.5 50 lb bags of feed per day (at least). A 50 lb sack of feed costs around 8-9 dollars per day if you double that.............well, it doesn't cost near "the same". It "costs" DOUBLE.

 

[hillsdown]

I think the 2 for one deal is raise 2 and sell one to break even or off set all the costs..I can't see that happening if you have to still buy grain. I just ordered my barley the other day for the steer I am finishing for us this year and "holy shmoly"...

 

[brettdachickenfarmer]

ya, selling one to offset the costs was the plan.. breaking even would be great but ive heard you would have a hard time doin that these days. what kind of time frame do you think from purchase to finished? a friend of mine said about 9 months but that seems short what do you think?
Thanx for all the info..

 

[K2011]

some people around here keep a goat with their show calves/freezer calves....I've never raised goats before and I'm not sure if they would be buddys but it would give them both company and MAYBE(???) the goat would be cheaper than another steer....????

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

As I mentioned in previous post. Time will depend on how "hard" you feed them - and what size they are when you buy them.
Many, many different answers.
You could buy a bottle calf - don't recommend - take 14 months to 2 years - if it lives.
a weaned calf weighing 350# - don't recommend
a weaned calf weighing 550# straight off the cow - could be good calf but health risk
a weaned calf weighing 550+# - preconditioned (weaned, shots & eating grain) - definately recommend***
a yearling weighing 550# - don't recommend - poor grower
a yearling weighing 800+# - been on grain, had shots - ready to go on finish ration - recommend
A good well muscled preconditioned weaned calf will take 6-9 months depending on feed program.
A good well muscled yearling may take 2-4 months.

 

[aussie_cowgirl]

some people around here keep a goat with their show calves/freezer calves....I've never raised goats before and I'm not sure if they would be buddys but it would give them both company and MAYBE(???) the goat would be cheaper than another steer....????

2 of my poddies were in a paddock with a goat. I think she was the one desperate for a friend though. Just seemed to follow them around lol. :lol:

 

[CattleHand]

I'd recommend buying your beef from wal mart. Save you money and time. This would be a high input hobby to have 2 steers to put in your freezer.

 

[irked]

I'd recommend buying your beef from wal mart.

you actually recommend increasing tonnage of beef sold through a least-cost retailer like walmart? certainly a winning situation for u.s. cattle producers in the long term. not.

 

[djinwa]

I'd never recommend a single young steer. Some are naturally more docile than others, but if anxious, they'll be more stressed without a partner. More stress, less disease resistance, and less weight gain. Which is why more emphasis being placed on docility genetics. And as mentioned, single animals need better fences to keep them from seeking a herd somewhere.

I'd recommend buying your beef from wal mart. Save you money and time. This would be a high input hobby to have 2 steers to put in your freezer.

I can think of alot of higher input hobbies - how much beef do you get back from golfing? Even fishing returns for some people a whopping 2 pounds of food per week, not covering the cost of the boat and gas.

Bottom line is that if you are truly interested, what the heck. There's risk in anything - go and do it!

Or you can sit in your safe home and read all about it.

Here's my hobby steer and his mom on the lawn a while back:

 

[aussie_cowgirl]

I can think of alot of higher input hobbies

Very true. My partner paid the same amount of money for a gun that I would on a stud breeder heifer.

 

[brettdachickenfarmer]

Well Thanx to all of you for the great information. Buying beef at wal-mart is why I would like to raise a couple of steers, the quality of good beef there sucks. I have a large family and the the satisfaction of having beef that was raised by us is a huge factor in our decisions, I raise Chickens too we get good eggs and chicken meat from our so called "hobby". It might be expensive & time consuming but the end result is well worth the price and effort. You can use the entire animal. The quality & Quanity of beef that is raised by yourself or family is hard to surpass, not to mention the satisfaction of being self sufficient and living providently . Yes it will probably be a risk as in everything else in life (especially buying meat at wal-mart, LOL ) but in the end, in my opinion, it would be worth it. I am still working out the details of a spot to keep them, there seems to be some debate on the size or area needed to raise them. Any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated. We will grain & hay feed them, but there is a little bit of "pasture" where we are currently looking but nothing sufficient to keep them alive. It is cold here in the winter so some type of lean to shelter or even an inside pen is something we are considering any suggestions on that is welcome also.. Thanx again to all for the good info, I am looking forward to this "hobby"..LOL Brett

 

[SRBeef]

If you want to raise some home grown beef, go for it. Just make sure they have enough food and water and are kept healthy by a vet visit every 6 months or so. You will also need some facility to handle therm, even a simple home made corral, whether you have 2 or 20 animals. That's just the nature of dealing with 1000lb powerful animals.

Two suggestions:

1) make sure you don't get a couple steers with attitude problems. You want gentle animals, relatively for what you are planning. This is a good reason to buy from a reputrable farm source, not the sale barn. Herefords tend to have better attitudes than some other breeds but don't buy skittish high strung animals of any breed.

2) forget about shelter even in a cold climate. All they need is a fence or windbreak or trees to get out of the wind in the winter. They will need a simple corral more than they need a winter shelter. Buildings breed disease and more work than necessary. A good locally adapted breed and animals should be fine with just some wind breaks and shade in the summer.

Good luck,

Jim