Need advice on starting up cattle and hay business/extra job

TomSeller · Nov 8, 2015

Fences, water 24x7x12, attention full-time, feeding every day unless grazing, no vacations without livestock oversight, awake for up to 24 hrs a day while calving, administer vet treatments for sick livestock at any moment. ..... on and and on. WELCOME TO THE CATTLE INDUSTRY !! It's not as bad as it sounds, but pretty close

There are 2 hour days once in a while and there are 24 hour days when the girls need your help.

AGRIMAN · Nov 8, 2015

Everyone has their opinion on fencing so it's up to you to decide what's best for you. As for me, I hate eletric fence. It always seems to go down at the worse possible time. Lighting always hits the box and a cow can tell the minute it stops working (way before you do). A cow under pressure will run through an electric fence.

I have also tried the high tensile and it looks good, but I have found it has the some basic problems. I still have one 6 stand section up and I finally had to add barbed wire between the stands to make it a good fence.

We are currently working on replacing around 20,000 ft of fence and it all will be 49'' high tensile woven wire with one stand of barbed wire on top. So far I really like it, it's does cost a little more, but when you put a cow in, she will be there when you some back. I'm also not a fan of metal T post, all my line post are are 4.5 to 5.5 wooden.

windy acers · Nov 9, 2015

Your headed in the rite direction.All the hay and cattle guys I have delt with in the last 30 years were like you starting out part time.By the time they retired they all were driving air conditioned cab john deers and college guys doing the grunt work and plenty of money in the bank. keep your eye on the prize enjoy working hard you WILL get there.

Lastkidpicked · Nov 12, 2015

BBD, I'm going the opposite direction of the folks who are helping you by doing good, solid math and planning. I'm going to say

GO FOR IT!

For one very good reason, and you answered it yourself:

Labor help will be me, me and me with my two boys 9 and 14.

So let's say you go for it and it doesn't work out for you. Even in that case you have built good memories working side by side with your boys.

How many of us are on this very site because of the good memories we have growing up and working with our dads and friends? Is giving your sons those memories also worth the financial risk?

How many of us remember our youth, when we were working in the rain, in the mud, or chasing down cows in the middle of the night? Aren't those some of the first memories that jump to mind when thinking of our dads and uncles?

How many people live in the suburbs, wishing their sons would spend time with them instead of on their phones?

You have a great opportunity here, my friend. I hope you pursue it and you and your family build so many great memories that you don't even track how much money you made or lost.

DAVEYJR · Nov 14, 2015

All said here is important. While back i was looking at chicken tractors on youtube and come across some guy from, seems like, NC. Some sort of eco-nomic farming. Pasture, cattle, hogs, & chickens, with a rotation system for all. Seemed awsome & very informative, rather simple & made perfectly good sense.

CDennyRun · Nov 17, 2015

So have you made any progress/purchases yet?

bbd 25 · Nov 17, 2015

Not yet Denny. I'm anxious to start buying but right now I'm working out the details. Like exactly where and how much fence to put up. Im starting with just cows until i get good and settled in. The old pasture will need a lot of work before I put cattle in it. It don't have a fence, weeds are head high. Needs cut and sprayed. Has a big nice rolling creek going through the middle but it has high steep banks. Need to make a way in and out or figure a way to get water up hill a little. Only fencing one side of the creek. About 5+- ac. From what I hear the best deals come in December- Feb. That's what I'm shooting for to buy most of my stuff. Until then I got plenty to get worked out. I'm applying for a first time farmers loan. Its 2.5% at 5-7yrs with 30k maximum. I plan to take 18k at 5yr. I understand it's hard to nearly impossible to get that loan. And it's a LOAD of paper work. May end up having to go with a bank loan I don't know. I got great credit so getting a loan shouldn't be too big of a problem.

CDennyRun · Nov 18, 2015

bbd 25 said:
Not yet Denny. I'm anxious to start buying but right now I'm working out the details. Like exactly where and how much fence to put up. Im starting with just cows until i get good and settled in. The old pasture will need a lot of work before I put cattle in it. It don't have a fence, weeds are head high. Needs cut and sprayed. Has a big nice rolling creek going through the middle but it has high steep banks. Need to make a way in and out or figure a way to get water up hill a little. Only fencing one side of the creek. About 5+- ac. From what I hear the best deals come in December- Feb. That's what I'm shooting for to buy most of my stuff. Until then I got plenty to get worked out. I'm applying for a first time farmers loan. Its 2.5% at 5-7yrs with 30k maximum. I plan to take 18k at 5yr. I understand it's hard to nearly impossible to get that loan. And it's a LOAD of paper work. May end up having to go with a bank loan I don't know. I got great credit so getting a loan shouldn't be too big of a problem.

That's good you're taking your time, and trying to do it smart. 2.5% is a pretty dang good rate for something like that. If you have good credit, any reputable bank could get you down to 3-4.something %. Is a tractor included in that 18k?

bbd 25 · Nov 18, 2015

CDennyRun said:
That's good you're taking your time, and trying to do it smart. 2.5% is a pretty dang good rate for something like that. If you have good credit, any reputable bank could get you down to 3-4.something %. Is a tractor included in that 18k?

Yes sir

foreman Etexas · Nov 23, 2015

I started out with a few head and purchased a couple heifers here and there and kept a few here and there. I never took loan out for cows,just bought as I could and took the money from what calves I sold to buy bred or ready to bred also. Call it the poor way to build the herd and it took 7yrs to get where I am now. I have my family land I run with my dad on and I picked up 25acre lease I call my heifer pasture,where I run 7 to 9 head,grow them to breeding age,then bring to the house. Then I have another 100 leased I run small herd of 27. Once you get going it will build pretty quick,don't rush it or think need best right off the bat,I started with old Belarus tractor no brakes or a/c in cab tractor and old 10ft Howse shredder. As money started to build the equipment started to get newer and then just past 3 yrs I took on my own hay and bought all new equipment,now it's not the biggest or best but it's new. From what I would have had to pay someone it's paid for itself but I am doing up to 600rolls and selling what I don't need. Oh yeah and calfs prices this past year was nice but was short lived. It is a lot of work and some days I hate the hay field,things don't go right but others I enjoy,can't say enjoyed any day with square bales. I'm only 36 and daylight to dark out all night checking first heifers calving,still going to day job at 5:30am,working on this and that,spraying weeds,shredding,working cattle,working my full time job,juggling baseball/football/basketball or whatever with my 6yr old,making the wife happy,I'm tired. It can't be about getting rich will never happen,not 200head strong,its done for the love and passion of farming and ranching. I wouldn't ever tell nobody to not do any of it ,would just suggest to keep it manageable to where still enjoy and have time for other things in life.