how to make a living raising a beef farm

[pjbci]

Two bit, is it safe to assume that you have not made a living off the land? Its a tough world for the modern farmer. I just want the man to understand that profit margins are small. 100 head isnt going to pay the bills. If you have another source of income then go for it. I personally started a constuction business to allow me to continue to farm and still be able to pay bills.

 

[two_bit_score]

Two bit, is it safe to assume that you have not made a living off the land? Its a tough world for the modern farmer. I just want the man to understand that profit margins are small. 100 head isnt going to pay the bills. If you have another source of income then go for it. I personally started a constuction business to allow me to continue to farm and still be able to pay bills.

No, you're right my cattle farming is a sideline tax break but my parents were in AG as a living. Even then cattle was only one part of their operation.

Nothing wrong with shooting straight with him but too many posters were just denigrating his ambitions for no good reason. I know several people who get their primary income from cattle farming so it is done.

 

[creekbend]

Not sure why you would say such a thing, but it's not true. Anyone can have a cow, or 5 , butchered. In most freezer beef sales, the live animal is sold, then butchered and the customer picks up the meat. It's very common.
The "grass fed" stuff is just another sales gimmick preying on unsuspecting folks. All beef cows are grass fed, every single one of them. There are a few, very few, farmers that grass finish animals. But, the vast majority claiming "grass fed" are just pulling animals of pasture (too early) and slaughtering, then charging higher prices for it. It's in no way healthier or better tasting than grain finished. In fact, some of it's downright poor. There is a reason the USDA grading system is based on fat content, it's the taste the most people prefer.
BTW, I did look up Polyface Farms. Just as I suspected, using scare tactics and degrading remarks towards other farmers, some not true, to gain sales. If the product was that good, those methods shouldn't be necessary. Tells me something about their charator as well.

I was referring to an earlier post by crash325 suggesting a local butcher. My notation was in reference to the local butcher in a neighborhood meat market such as Food Lion or any other grocery chain. The majority of these butchers at food chain meat markets receive their meat that has been packaged utilizing the Cryovac system. These butchers rarely see a whole front or a whole hind quarter. I was not talking about a Custom Packing House or slaughter house. These facilities have their operation designed to process the animal from the killing stage to processing and then frozen;etc. This is what I was talking about. Sorry if my post suggested otherwise and led you to misconstrue my meaning.

 

[IronHog]

Well, I've scanned through the thread and saw all the negative comments. It embarrasses me. You came here with a legit issue and got mostly nothing but a lot of jokes and clown responses. Thanks Moss for helping! At least you gave him the consideration his inquiry deserved.

There is a grain of truth in all the jokes but then you already knew that.

In most cases cattle are raised in conjunction with other AG operations. And a good tule of thumb is about 100 mother cows will be needed to be a self sustaining cow calf operation.

Now, you might want yo look into other aspects. I know a guy who does pretty well selling show calves to students in 4H and AG programs.

You can probably do pretty well. Depending on how much you can put into it.

Good luck!

You talk about a 100 momma cow operation like it is just something you crank up one day.

One can make a living with a 4-6 bull operation like this..... but it will take real knowledge of the cattle market, thousands of hours, and much cash to make it happen...... a spouse working off the farm helps a great deal too.


Once established your net worth may look pretty good on paper.....but do the math on those 100 calves every year...... they just ain't gonna put much cash in your pocket.


For 1.5 million dollars you can build a Taco Bell or McDonalds that will actually pay you a living, won't kick you in the pen, and won't drop calves when it is sleeting.......

 

[Combustix]

The "grass fed" stuff is just another sales gimmick preying on unsuspecting folks. All beef cows are grass fed, every single one of them. There are a few, very few, farmers that grass finish animals. But, the vast majority claiming "grass fed" are just pulling animals of pasture (too early) and slaughtering, then charging higher prices for it. It's in no way healthier or better tasting than grain finished. In fact, some of it's downright poor. There is a reason the USDA grading system is based on fat content, it's the taste the most people prefer.
BTW, I did look up Polyface Farms. Just as I suspected, using scare tactics and degrading remarks towards other farmers, some not true, to gain sales. If the product was that good, those methods shouldn't be necessary. Tells me something about their charator as well.

The grass fed beef we get is far superior to any thing you get at the grocery store were it's all feed lot beef with no taste. We are friends with the farmer who rotates their animals through different fields and does no graining. A grained finished cow will have more fat, and therefore cannot be healthier than a cow with less fat, You can also taste the difference. We pay $2.50 a pound cut and wrapped, and visit our cow regularly, to see how it is developing.

Though I am sure there are those out there that claim all grass fed and just give them old hay, in which case I would buy your argument. In the mean time I will take the grass finished cow over a grained cow.

These folks do very well with selling animals they have pigs, chickens, and rabbits, and do well with all of it.

 

[creekbend]

The USDA stamp comes into play long before the meat crosses a state line. Pretty much anything that gets sold after slaughter is supposed to have a USDA inspection.

Yes, I am very well aware of this fact. In my post I indicated that there was a Federal inspector on duty. After the animal is killed, gutted, and the hide is removed, the carcass is sawed into halves and cleaned using a water hose.. The liver is then placed on a tray on the upper part of the gut buggy. The inspector then proceeds to check the guts, lungs and liver. He then turns his attention to the carcass, checking to see if all the blood and fecal matter has been removed and the carcass is clean. If everything meets his approval, he places a USDA stamp on both front quarters and both hind quarters and the carcass is pushed into the cooler. The inspector logs everything in his paperwork in regards to that carcass. After the guts are deposited in the Gut Auger and the hide is salted, the process starts all over again. I suppose you might describe the process as being similar to an assembly line. In reference to the notation referring to Federal regulations, I was referring to the processed meat crossing State lines. Yes, the carcass must be USDA approved and the USDA stamp must be clearly visible.

 

[beppington]

We have a local farmer that I think gets free use of ~800 acres, & he seems to have ~200 cows on it. ~700 acres is conservation land, & I think the owner of it lets him use it for free. And the other ~100 is rural land for sale where the owner lets him put his cows on it to get the tax deduction until it sells (owner turned it into a fancy pants, gated neighborhood just in time for the market down-turn, & now he's stuck with most of these large lots with big tax bills, & doesn't seem willing to sell at reduced prices; maybe can't)

With free use of land would a cattle operation be much more likely to be profitable? Or are the other factors worse?

 

[two_bit_score]

You talk about a 100 momma cow operation like it is just something you crank up one day.

One can make a living with a 4-6 bull operation like this..... but it will take real knowledge of the cattle market, thousands of hours, and much cash to make it happen...... a spouse working off the farm helps a great deal too.


Once established your net worth may look pretty good on paper.....but do the math on those 100 calves every year...... they just ain't gonna put much cash in your pocket.


For 1.5 million dollars you can build a Taco Bell or McDonalds that will actually pay you a living, won't kick you in the pen, and won't drop calves when it is sleeting.......

You bring up good points. I went back a re-read the entire thread and there were more helpful posts there not. My comments were just a knee jerk reaction to some most likely attempted humorous attempts that just struck me wrong at the time.

Believe me I know how hard it is to make a living for a family on nothing but cattle. So can do it but it's tough and takes a lot. I just hate to see some one discouraged right off the bat but you don't do him any favors if you don't talk straight.

 

[IronHog]

We have a local farmer that I think gets free use of ~800 acres, & he seems to have ~200 cows on it. ~700 acres is conservation land, & I think the owner of it lets him use it for free. And the other ~100 is rural land for sale where the owner lets him put his cows on it to get the tax deduction until it sells (owner turned it into a fancy pants, gated neighborhood just in time for the market down-turn, & now he's stuck with most of these large lots with big tax bills, & doesn't seem willing to sell at reduced prices; maybe can't)

With free use of land would a cattle operation be much more likely to be profitable? Or are the other factors worse?

Biggest problem with "every man" cattle farming is your are competing with HUGE ranchers that have massive economies of scale....... and often very cheap grazing rights on public land out west.

Throw in some imported grass fed beef from south america and the control the big "protein" producers have at the feed lot level and it is a tough way to make money.

It isn't like heavily subsidized row cropping and their powerful lobby.....

 

[RickB]

Yes, I am very well aware of this fact. In my post I indicated that there was a Federal inspector on duty. After the animal is killed, gutted, and the hide is removed, the carcass is sawed into halves and cleaned using a water hose.. The liver is then placed on a tray on the upper part of the gut buggy. The inspector then proceeds to check the guts, lungs and liver. He then turns his attention to the carcass, checking to see if all the blood and fecal matter has been removed and the carcass is clean. If everything meets his approval, he places a USDA stamp on both front quarters and both hind quarters and the carcass is pushed into the cooler. The inspector logs everything in his paperwork in regards to that carcass. After the guts are deposited in the Gut Auger and the hide is salted, the process starts all over again. I suppose you might describe the process as being similar to an assembly line. In reference to the notation referring to Federal regulations, I was referring to the processed meat crossing State lines. Yes, the carcass must be USDA approved and the USDA stamp must be clearly visible.

If you are so aware of the facts, why post something as misleading as suggesting that intra-state sales avoid Federal oversight?