Cattle questions

[RayIN]

Don't forget the bookwork side of this business, it's considerable today.
I got out when the USDA proposed ear tags on every animal and bookwork tracking lineage by eartag records.

 

[sandman2234]

About the

Don’t forget truck and another trailer. For the small family farm, where do you get a beef slain, skinned, butchered and wrapped? Closest USDA licensed facility to me is ~ 2hour drive.

Another thing to consider is the honesty of the butcher. We ran into a bad one when I was a teenager. We raised Yorkshire pigs, and Daddy sold them butchered, wrapped and delivered to the customer. One customer had an issue with the quality of the meat, so Daddy went and took a look. The meat was excessively fat, and basically not configured like a Yorkshire pig would be. (a lot of lean meat).
Daddy had a discussion with the butcher, which pretty much ended with him admitting he liked the looks of the meat, so swapped out another hog to get the Yorkshire. Don't know what all was said, but Daddy left there with most of the meat from the original pig and the customer was happy because they got 2fer1. We found a different butcher before we sent anymore pigs to get slaughtered.
Point is, make sure you get a good referral on whoever cuts up your beef!
We raised day old Holsteins from a nearby dairy, and tried a couple different bulls, but a Holstein is a pretty big cow! Never lost a calf. When our first calf passed away, I think she had birthed 14 calves. Her name was Betty Lou.
David from jax

 

[paulsharvey]

About the

Another thing to consider is the honesty of the butcher. We ran into a bad one when I was a teenager. We raised Yorkshire pigs, and Daddy sold them butchered, wrapped and delivered to the customer. One customer had an issue with the quality of the meat, so Daddy went and took a look. The meat was excessively fat, and basically not configured like a Yorkshire pig would be. (a lot of lean meat).
Daddy had a discussion with the butcher, which pretty much ended with him admitting he liked the looks of the meat, so swapped out another hog to get the Yorkshire. Don't know what all was said, but Daddy left there with most of the meat from the original pig and the customer was happy because they got 2fer1. We found a different butcher before we sent anymore pigs to get slaughtered.
Point is, make sure you get a good referral on whoever cuts up your beef!
We raised day old Holsteins from a nearby dairy, and tried a couple different bulls, but a Holstein is a pretty big cow! Never lost a calf. When our first calf passed away, I think she had birthed 14 calves. Her name was Betty Lou.
David from jax

There are only about 4 places in a decent driving distance. Nettles, in Lake City seems to be the go too. There's another down near Anthony, north of Ocala, and I think one down near Barberville, west of Daytona. There is also one out in Archer/Newberry, past Gainesville.

 

[Rockbadchild]

My dad would would a transport truck to stop by and get his beef to the slaughter house and sell whole. The regulation made it impossible to do otherwise, the animal had to be alive in a building and not see the outside until it was fully process and packaged. he would claimed one or two ''lost'' a year and he would butcher that himself, he would keep that for himself and sell some to close family members.

 

[Hay Dude]

Well, we want to Ease into it. That's why we are thinking two steers to start with. If we don't want to keep at it, you Can process them at 800 lbs each, and exit, and not really loose your butt

If we find we want to keep at it, which is my hope, I would ideally look into having a breeding bull, and 5 breeding cows; but that would be 5 years down the road.

Yeah, but what you may not realize is all the cost you are putting into fencing, preparing ground, clearing, etc. And what about shelter? Are you putting up a loafing shed for 2 or 5? In other words, if you are planning for 2 and decide it’s not going to work, you lose some money, but if you are planning/building for 5 and only do 2, you are losing a lot more.
Maybe you only fence-in for 2 and then expand your area if you like what you see for 5 later?

For $ number, what do mix breed weened steers go for, about $400 per? Feed them out, and frankly see where we are... That's not a business plan i know.

That’s what I did with low-line angus.

I've known guys who have gotten dairy-beef calfs for as low as $125 about 2 weeks old, feed them out for 15 months, but thats frankly not the easiest animal to start.

Thats a lot more work. I’d pay more for 1/2 year old from a guy you can trust. Remember the vet bills and additional cost from your pocket for buying at 2-weeks. Thats a tough way to start if you have a job off your property.

 

[paulsharvey]

So, on infrastructure, we have feeders, and shelter for 2 right now (came with the place), and waterer. Fencing/gates, 1 acre currently, with plans to add a 1.2 acre field and 1.6 acre field, and down the road, a 2.5 acre section as well (with potential to also do an additional 2.0 and 1.6, but not sure i want to).

I don't currently have a live stock trailer, and if i add one early, it would have to be a steal of a deal, or a total POS (or a steal on a POS most likely).

I dont have any head catches, or squeeze chutes.

 

[Hay Dude]

OK, I was thinking you were clearing/fencing for 5.
I like your plan of installing more fenced-in area as you add more head.

 

[Rockbadchild]

So 10 acres total potential ? 2.2 acres fenced in (pasture) and 7.8 acres potential of field but 4.1 acres currently ? Do I have that right ?

I could be wrong but I am thinking you are at the limit for acres per heard, will need every inch you can get with 6 head unless you buy feed.

 

[RayIN]

So 10 acres total potential ? 2.2 acres fenced in (pasture) and 7.8 acres potential of field but 4.1 acres currently ? Do I have that right ?

I could be wrong but I am thinking you are at the limit for acres per heard, will need every inch you can get with 6 head unless you buy feed.

Yup, and that's with rotating pastures regularly.

 

[paulsharvey]

So 10 acres total potential ? 2.2 acres fenced in (pasture) and 7.8 acres potential of field but 4.1 acres currently ? Do I have that right ?

I could be wrong but I am thinking you are at the limit for acres per heard, will need every inch you can get with 6 head unless you buy feed.

Right now, day one, 1.0 acres, adding 2.8 by summer (that will be pretty low production to start, as i get it established). I'm not really convinced i want 10 of my 12.5 in pasture. I do plan to purchase hay, and supplement with grain, not doing 100% grass feed.

I do want to get atleast the additional place of the 1.2 and 1.6 paddocks, even if not much for grazing first, just so I don't overload my 1.0 of good pasture. I don't really mind beating up the currently wooded pieces.

When I said day 1; i mean today, and I don't have the animals. So it would be pretty realistic to have atleast the 1.2 of wooded section ready (ready as in, fence, gates, water, but not estalished grass, and feed hay on it) (it butt's up to the 1.0, with water, so its literally just a water tank needed).