You ever think about cutting back?

[skyhightree1]

I made a decision to cut way back this year and use that money towards better investments.

 

[hurleyjd]

Every day

 

[ALACOWMAN]

The sun shined today. Still muddy as all get out. The cows ventured away from the hay rings, and did a little pickin. Ate noticeably less hay. I think knowing I'm going to run out of hay, coupled with the fact that I gave $45 dollars a roll for some hay, that probably would test about equal to saw dust, put me in a tail spin. Daddy coached/watched my son trim a horses hooves today. Somehow, that made me feel good to. It'll green up soon. I should hair over when it does. I believe, I'll just not keep any heifers for a couple of years. That should reduce numbers a little.

Heavy clouds all day here. Rain, off and on. Suppose to rain all day tomorrow. I almost miss the cold. The bottom dropped out - mud!!

$45???? Are you serious? 35 is high HERE.

Yes, some dairy quality rounds were $70. I only bought 12. It was what I could haul home. Some genious rolled net wrap all the way to the core of one. If it ever dries up, or freezes again, I'll unroll it, and salvage something from it.

we got guys with mountains of hay...20 a roll and can't move it... Clean fescue,clover. Sprayed and fertilized...

 

[shaz]

Retirement is 14 years away if I don't get forced out the door earlier. I have property right next to my dad's and I use some of his land. He doesn't have cows.

I'm going to inherit his place and a maintenance nightmare. He has 440 acres and maybe 80 is productive. Basically, if I don't keep the herd size up then I'll have trouble paying property tax on my land and his.

Wife wants to quit work next year which may help if my folks fall ill or need attention. This places another burden on me and the cows though.

I couldn't downsize if I wanted to.

 

[poorfarmer]

I think about downsizing everytime I get sick. Long days are much harder when you're under the weather. So if getting old makes you feel like getting sick when you are young, I think I will be gradually downsizing at some point.

 

[Rafter S]

I haven't read through all the posts, so I don't know if this has been mentioned already. Maybe it wouldn't work in Kentucky, but lower stocking rates here will result in less hay needed per cow since they'll still be able to forage on dry grass in winter. In fact, the usual stocking rate here is about 3 acres per pair with feeding hay, but some folks stock more like 7 acres per pair and don't feed any hay.

 

[Bigfoot]

Heavy clouds all day here. Rain, off and on. Suppose to rain all day tomorrow. I almost miss the cold. The bottom dropped out - mud!!

$45???? Are you serious? 35 is high HERE.

Yes, some dairy quality rounds were $70. I only bought 12. It was what I could haul home. Some genious rolled net wrap all the way to the core of one. If it ever dries up, or freezes again, I'll unroll it, and salvage something from it.

we got guys with mountains of hay...20 a roll and can't move it... Clean fescue,clover. Sprayed and fertilized...

Should be the story here to. Not sure why it's not. We had possibly the best grass growing year in my adult life. I have just steadily lost some places around me, that I was able to cut. I like to go in to winter with 600 rolls. I'd have some left out her at that. I only went in with 375. Getting worried I'm not going to find any.

 

[jltrent]

Around here it has been cold in December and January and taking more hay than usual. Maybe the worst of winter is behind us.

 

[Bigfoot]

I suck at cutting back, I bought 7 bred cows yesterday.

 

[BK9954]

I suck at cutting back, I bought 7 bred cows yesterday.

Some call it a life style, some call it work, some call it a habit and some call it an addiction. I don't see me not doing this anymore, cutting back only when I have to. Finances or physical hardship are the reasons I will downsize.

 

[Lucky]

I decided several years ago I wasn't going to have any lease land unless it was within a few miles of the house and on my normal route. That was my way of cutting back. I have bought more land that connects to me and stock it accordingly though. Having cows at the house is fairly easy, it was all the running that was getting to me.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

I suck at cutting back, I bought 7 bred cows yesterday.

Atta boy..... :cowboy:

 

[hurleyjd]

Every morning and evening. To much work for this old man. 50 lb bags of feed weigh more than they did when younger. Hate trying to keep the equipment going, Hate this mud.

 

[midTN_Brangusman]

I'm down to 7 head and those are going this spring. Age and health issues won't allow these hard winters with little or no help. If health allows it I might try a few calves over the summer to keep the grass down. I want to get away from feeding in the winter, checking on newborns and feeding a bull.

I have rollled it around in my little brain to sell out and did in 2010, the Mrs. kept her half. So this is the plan I am letting her mull over.
Sell out and every April buy a half dozen or so SS heavies and sell the pairs in the fall.
Keeps my Ag exemptions, no Hay to worry with, arthritis is ten times worse in the winter.

CB, I leased a farm and need something to put on it this spring. I have been thinking about buying some of those SS heavies and doing like you said selling in the fall. What kind of return can you expect out of them?

 

[Rafter S]

I was thinking about it a couple weeks ago. I have a rent pasture on a 4-lane divided highway, and I have a heifer calf that likes to jump cattle guards. I was out of town when I got the first phone call from the sheriff's department, so my son went and tied a rope across it. After I got home I got another call, so I went and tied a second rope above the first one. Another call from them (they didn't sound quite so patient by this time), so I went back. I was too far away to see quite how she did it, but when she went back in I saw both ropes shaking. I finally tied a cattle panel across it, which has so far stopped her. Of course now every time I go there to feed hay I have to park in the median, take my life into my own hands crossing the highway to untie and move the panel, and then repeat the process when I'm done.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I'm down to 7 head and those are going this spring. Age and health issues won't allow these hard winters with little or no help. If health allows it I might try a few calves over the summer to keep the grass down. I want to get away from feeding in the winter, checking on newborns and feeding a bull.

I have rollled it around in my little brain to sell out and did in 2010, the Mrs. kept her half. So this is the plan I am letting her mull over.
Sell out and every April buy a half dozen or so SS heavies and sell the pairs in the fall.
Keeps my Ag exemptions, no Hay to worry with, arthritis is ten times worse in the winter.

CB, I leased a farm and need something to put on it this spring. I have been thinking about buying some of those SS heavies and doing like you said selling in the fall. What kind of return can you expect out of them?

My rule never pay 200 over kill price the return is the calf.
I have come out all right through the years with that strategy.