Would you recommend cattle?

[herofan]

Lot of money changing hand's doesn't mean he is holding on to any..

That may very well be true. I'm just always curious as to why people devote so much time, effort, and money into something if they don't make anything. I can sit on the couch and do that. I don't have to have some huge operation with a lot of equipment to not make anything. What is the motivation?

 

[Brute 23]

Maybe the people are just being modest. If the guy told every one in town he banked some serious cash this year people would crying that he was bragging and got handed every thing in life.

 

[Caustic Burno]

But to go out with your hands in your pockets and expect to start in the cattle business and get your first paycheck next month, it's not gonna happen. Heck, some ranchers spend their whole lives ranching and never have a year when they turn a profit at the bottom line.

How does that work? I have heard other people speak of not actually making a profit. How does one continue year after year in that situation?

I would bet the majority of people running cattle fall into this category.

 

[herofan]

Some people do it the old way; they don't spend $700 per cow per year. They just basically give'em their shots, turn'em loose, round'em up a few months later, and haul them to the sale barn.

I know of several people who have supplemental income raising cows.........., but keep everything simple. It's common to have a "side pasture" for growing some hay on, to put up for the winter months.

That's the way we do it. I'm not sure what the "new" way is that costs so much more, but I'll stay with the simple way. I have 17 heifers. My brother and I keep our receipts and calculate our expenses every couple of months. At the end of April, we had spent $566.03 this year. I am hesitant to put that, because I know everyone will jump in and tell me what we're failing to count, but, It doesn't matter if we just go by the store and buy one insulator and a notebook; if it's for the farm, we put it down. We just had our hay rolled and haven't gotten the bill yet, so that will add a little hunk to the expenses, but overall, our little supplemental operation isn't too expensive.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Some people do it the old way; they don't spend $700 per cow per year. They just basically give'em their shots, turn'em loose, round'em up a few months later, and haul them to the sale barn.

I know of several people who have supplemental income raising cows.........., but keep everything simple. It's common to have a "side pasture" for growing some hay on, to put up for the winter months.

That's the way we do it. I'm not sure what the "new" way is that costs so much more, but I'll stay with the simple way. I have 17 heifers. My brother and I keep our receipts and calculate our expenses every couple of months. At the end of April, we had spent $566.03 this year. I am hesitant to put that, because I know everyone will jump in and tell me what we're failing to count, but, It doesn't matter if we just go by the store and buy one insulator and a notebook; if it's for the farm, we put it down. We just had our hay rolled and haven't gotten the bill yet, so that will add a little hunk to the expenses, but overall, our little supplemental operation isn't too expensive.

That's kinda how I look at some things, I would have land that I maintained the same way rather I owned any cattle or not. And if I am driving by the feed store and pick something up on my way home I don't figure fuel time and tire ware on that trip.

 

[herofan]

Some people do it the old way; they don't spend $700 per cow per year. They just basically give'em their shots, turn'em loose, round'em up a few months later, and haul them to the sale barn.

I know of several people who have supplemental income raising cows.........., but keep everything simple. It's common to have a "side pasture" for growing some hay on, to put up for the winter months.

That's the way we do it. I'm not sure what the "new" way is that costs so much more, but I'll stay with the simple way. I have 17 heifers. My brother and I keep our receipts and calculate our expenses every couple of months. At the end of April, we had spent $566.03 this year. I am hesitant to put that, because I know everyone will jump in and tell me what we're failing to count, but, It doesn't matter if we just go by the store and buy one insulator and a notebook; if it's for the farm, we put it down. We just had our hay rolled and haven't gotten the bill yet, so that will add a little hunk to the expenses, but overall, our little supplemental operation isn't too expensive.

We just got our hay bill for the upcoming winter, and it was $1,000 for 80, 5-foot rolls. Our expenses for May and June was $335.98. That brings our total expenses for this year so far to $1,902.01. I am pleased.