cattle start-up questions..

plumboy · Sep 16, 2006

I never raised cattle before so gots some questions.I'm fencing off about 25 acres and splitting it in half,each with a pond.I have about 16 acres of horse quality hay feilds(alfalfa/orchard and redclover/timothy) for now and guess on average I should get about 2800 60lb squares and that should be about 168 1000lb rounds.I have an accumulator so theres not much labor in the squares + I can sell them if need be.
so,what kind of cattle is the easiest to deal with.This question is like what brand of tractor prolly but I have access to charolais and angus.How does one angus bull and 5 charolais heifers sound starting off.I will get them young and raise them,selling the offspring.Or should I stick with one solid breed?Also have access to limoosin.

for what my acerage and hay quantity is for now how many should I look to get?

feeding squares.What is the best way to do this.The rounds are so easy but you loose so much.My hay will be barn kept and I'm thing of using troughs to feed.Suggestions on feeding.

Also sparaying the ground to today with roundup for the second time and will disc it.It got limed a month ago so other than that I just need to figure out what to plant.How about a mix of timothy,bluegrass,white clover and alfalfa.Orchard seems to clump too bad.

I will be grateful for any advise.

rdbigfarmboy · Sep 16, 2006

Around here the stocking rate is one breeding animal to 2-4 acres of good grass. Use the grass that your neighbors use.
As far as the breed.
What do you want to produce cales for the sale or purebreeds?
I grow calves for the sale and have all sort mixed up cows. My bulls are Salers and Angus.
I only do roll hay and you dont lose much if you cover it. I put mine in a barn.
Good Luck

texasjohn · Sep 17, 2006

Call your county agent and find out what the carrying capacity is in your country. It varies from 2 to 2oo acres per animal unit depending on your soil, grass, and rainfall.

Since you are just beginning, select individual animals for disposition. 3 in 1s
(cow, calf at side, and bred back) will save you time, grief with calving heifers with no experience, and they are known to be fertile. Also, you have time to select the bull you want to buy.

Go to any cow/calf clinics in your neighborhood and make dear friends with more experienced ranchers in your area.

Build working pens that you hope to use for routine branding, vaccinating, palpating, etc. but will thank heaven for if you have problems with an animal. Buy a squeeze chute. Volunteer to help others and learn which one you like best. Squeexe chutes are a sort of religious preference...we have a Silver King we like but others prefer Priefert, Powder River, etc. in our area.

Minerals are the cheapest feed item you will ever buy and are very important.

Remember bribery works. Always feed any sack feed in the working pens...
then when you need to pen an animal the whole bunch will be delighted to go where you need them to be.

Remember also that they are bigger and stronger than you are. It is your job to be smarter.

Egon · Sep 17, 2006

Code:

It is your job to be smarter

Or work with someone who is slower than you are!

Talking to the county agent and the local farmers will help a lot.

Pick a cattle breed that are hardy and birth easily. With only 4/5 animals one vet bill could put you in the hole for the year.

Business plan could be very helpfull

mjarrels · Sep 17, 2006

Skip the bull and go AI.

mark

plumboy · Sep 17, 2006

Now thats a good ideal.One less mouth to feed and can jump a fence and get the stuff...joking...but thats seems like a good ideal.Wonder why more farmers dont do this?

mjarrels · Sep 17, 2006

Most dairy farmers in the valley use AI. Bulls are a pain in the axx to keep and are of no use for a dairy farmer. Most vets will also garantee results. Again sex is a desirable result for dairy farmers and bull calves are a dime a dozen.

mark

texasjohn · Sep 17, 2006

Plumboy, it's reality time. You need to decide why you want to run a few head of cattle, which you know little about. If it is to have a new experience, work hard, get frustrated, lose money and get some stories to tell. Then you are thinking rightly. If it is to make any money at all, ever... or stay completely safe and pain free... 'tain't going to happen. Too few head, too much expense, too many problems.

It's simple, the cattle WILL cost you money, heartache, frustration, injury. If you need more info, PM me and I'll be very explicit. I grew up on a operational ranch that is still in the family after 150+ years and raise about 30 animal units on my own place now. It's not like the movies.

barticus73 · Sep 18, 2006

Don't let people dicourage you about raisng small numbers of animals. Most of this comes from people with large numbers and can't see why someone would want to deal with smaller numbers. I raise Boer goats and have a small herd by comparison and am happy to at least break even selling the kids each year. I'm not in it for a career as I have a full time job, rather I look at it more as a hobby which I can make a few bucks at from time to time. Its fun, I enjoy it, and it is rewarding. It teaches my kids many things including reponsibility. It also makes for some great stories and kidding time can't be beat. Have fun with it. You won't know everything there is to know up front but this is fine as long as you are open to learn as you go.

Bird · Sep 18, 2006

Jerry, I used to have a few goats and rabbits. I had hoped to make a little money, but can't really say I expected to, and sure enough, it cost me money, but like you said, I enjoyed it. When I was a kid we always had a milk cow, raised one calf to butcher each year, but didn't have a bunch of beef cattle to care for. However, I did have just enough experience with the cattle to know I didn't want any. I told my wife I didn't want to own any animal with which I couldn't win a bare handed fight alone.

But I did work for a rancher neighbor and friend who ran 80 to 125 head of pretty wild range cattle. Going out in the middle of a cold winter night to help a cow in trouble having a calf is not a lot of fun. Branding and vaccinating cattle with an old worn squeeze gate and a pen of temporary panels is hard work. (One of my brothers helped us one day and said the only way he'd ever work cattle again would be with a .30-.30.

) Getting a bull that wants to fight into a trailer can be interesting, to say the least.

As has been said, cattle can be dangerous.