You ever think about cutting back?

[Bright Raven]

not really wanting to 'cut back' but not sure if i want to expand. bought this new 150 ac. place.. have the family already trying to buy me back out offering me a bunch more money $$. I could sell it back to them without doing a thing and make money. I'm already pretty busy and this place has 2 houses on it plus maintenance.. and i have to get it to run cattle.. *(crops now) so it's going to 1. take a lot of startup money and 2. i'll have to wait a few months to get the houses in shape to make the payment.

PRO: farm is 8-10 minutes away.. so that helps that its pretty close.

CON: I do everything by myself so its probably going to be a lot of work to roll 800 or so rolls and transport them around. I did it before but i'm more busy now.


decisions! !!

If you can turn a nice profit. Sell it back.

 

[dun]

Nowadays, I think more about getting out altogether than I do about downsizing.
I want to fish more and I want to travel more..without worrying about what's happening with the cattle and fences while we're away.
I'd miss it for sure, but not a lot of years left anyway, before it isn't an option but a necessity.

For me one of the great parts about the cows is they keep me from having to travel I can always use them as an excuse to get out of a trip or going to dinner and stuff like that.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Husband and I have been battling the flu all week. :yuck: I've thought about this very thing, every day! I had started thinking about it prior to the flu, but now I'm giving it serious consideration.

At this point, I think it would make life a bit less complicated.

Same here Mrs caught the crud that going around here at Christmas.
It's not the flu it's upper respiratory with ear aches and sore throats.
That last about a week then you try to
hack up a lung for about two more.
Hateful woman gave it to me.
Church has been empty for six weeks so many with the flu or this crud.

 

[dun]

Husband and I have been battling the flu all week. :yuck: I've thought about this very thing, every day! I had started thinking about it prior to the flu, but now I'm giving it serious consideration.

At this point, I think it would make life a bit less complicated.

Same here Mrs caught the crud that going around here at Christmas.
It's not the flu it's upper respiratory with ear aches and sore throats.
That last about a week then you try to
hack up a lung for about two more.
Hateful woman gave it to me.
Church has been empty for six weeks so many with the flu or this crud.

She just wanted the share!

 

[bbirder]

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.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I retired in April. Sold the place in September which caused me to sell all the cows. I feel like I am going to die of boredom. It hasn't been fatal yet but I really need to find that new place so I can start buying cows. I go to the sale every Thursday just to get out of the house. Every week I sit there and say to myself, oh that one would work, I could make money on that one......
The next time I am 100% out of cows will be shortly after they shovel dirt on me.

When I sold my place is was more of a case of "strike while the iron is hot" That gravel company wanted my land. Really really bad.

We looked for another place. Everything we found, worth the money, was 2 hours away.

I'm thinking of buying a couple hundred acres, when I do retire. But that would mean a move. I've got way too many roots.

Sure is different with only a few cows.

 

[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.

 

[Dave]

Our present plan once we get a new place bought is to buy cattle in February/March and empty the pasture late summer/early fall. Might raise the bred heifers again or older bred cows or stockers. Which ever looks to turn a profit. But that plan will allow us to go see some sites (the wife has never been anywhere) after kids are back in school so there isn't the crowd of vacationers, yet before winter hits. I will only have to feed for a month or two. I am not going to make hay so I won't have to buy as much this way.

 

[bbirder]

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.

That's part of my problem CB. Don't have to worry about ag exemption. We keep that anyway. We have about 65 acres in hay. As my fencing got old I cut back on the cows and I have rancher that makes the hay to keep the property up and I get what I want. He gets to keep the rest. It has worked well for several years and he furnishes everything. I don't know how you get up in those deer stands with your arthritis.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

.... The Good Lords will...I hope to continue Growing and improving... Hope to have this mess straightened out by the time my son gets it...

Saw a fellows herd come through the sale barn today. He had passed away the kids couldn't haul them fast enough.

That happens more often than not.. And I thought he'd do the same the way I pressured him as a kid... Now he's getting more involved when he's not working his regular job,and seemed to love it.. Even the things I hate like hay'ing,,he's actually better at it than I was. Cause he does like it... He's just got to get more cattle knowledge in him..I done spent the five minutes I have with him...

 

[TexasBred]

When I retired I cut everything way back. For quite a while now I've kept only enough cattle to maintain my ag exemption on the property, they keep it grazed down and they really don't cost all that much to have on the place. Guess if I was 100% honest I'd admit I don't care if they calve or not but I do at least keep a bull with them. Just enjoy having them here, pen for worming, vaccinations and spray for flies. Just don't want any of it to ever add up to "HARD WORK". I didn't retire so I could work like a dog around the house all day. The way it is now it's enjoyable, gives me exercise and we shuffle a few dollars in and out.

 

[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.

That's part of my problem CB. Don't have to worry about ag exemption. We keep that anyway. We have about 65 acres in hay. As my fencing got old I cut back on the cows and I have rancher that makes the hay to keep the property up and I get what I want. He gets to keep the rest. It has worked well for several years and he furnishes everything. I don't know how you get up in those deer stands with your arthritis.

Most of my stands are on the ground.
Has to be a good day to get in a ladder stand.

 

[dun]

When I sold my place is was more of a case of "strike while the iron is hot" That gravel company wanted my land. Really really bad.

We looked for another place. Everything we found, worth the money, was 2 hours away.

I'm thinking of buying a couple hundred acres, when I do retire. But that would mean a move. I've got way too many roots.

Sure is different with only a few cows.

We sold this farm to the neighbors with the understanding we could live here for a while till we found another place. This place is only 240 acres but it's way to much. Found 70 acres that ajoins one corner of this place. Didn;t want to leave the immediate area so we paid a little too much then had all of the ramshackle buildings pushed in and burned. Will probably start building a new house in a couple of weeks. The 70 is big enough to have a few cows and also some timber for good hunting but small enough that if I or the wife can;t handle it we can get people to give us an occasional hand.

 

[wbvs58]

I'm just moderating my herd size a bit so that the place can more comfortably hold them when the season goes belly up without juggling them around on a daily basis chasing feed just so I can get away for 3-4 days at a time. When I start feeding bulls for our sale this year they will go onto the self feeder rather than bucket feed, a bit easier on my old limbs and back as well.

Biggest trouble I have now is picking which cows to go even to make way for heifers to hold numbers the same without reducing. Some of my best cows are going this year but I have to keep progressing.

Ken

 

[TexasBred]

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.

That's part of my problem CB. Don't have to worry about ag exemption. We keep that anyway. We have about 65 acres in hay. As my fencing got old I cut back on the cows and I have rancher that makes the hay to keep the property up and I get what I want. He gets to keep the rest. It has worked well for several years and he furnishes everything. I don't know how you get up in those deer stands with your arthritis.

Most of my stands are on the ground.
Has to be a good day to get in a ladder stand.

Geriatric stands. (Sittin' on a stump with a tarp thrown over you). :lol2: :lol: :hide:

 

[Bigfoot]

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.

 

[Bright Raven]

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.

 

[Caustic Burno]

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.

You can't get quality Hay for under 50 here.

 

[Bigfoot]

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.

 

[Bright Raven]

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.

You can't get quality Hay for under 50 here.

I bought 34 rolls. Twine tied. 5 X 5. Fair quality for $35 a roll in October. Grass hay. Fescue, orchard.