Does anyone know anything about cattle ranching?

[Rebellab]

I understand your bull thing, but I think you are giving up way too much for a bull to breed your cows. I realize having a bull for four cows seems silly, have you considered AI (artificial insemination)? This would get you started and you would be able to keep the calf you are giving up, which could be raised along with the heifer if it is a bull made into a steer. Grass feed, it would be a good revenue source earlier. Also keep in mind that you are looking at three years to raise a calf to market weight on just grass. You will also have to wait a full year to breed your heifers. They can be breed the first year, but as replacement cows, it is not recommended. Way too many complications.

 

The Department of Ag or maybe you have a county extension agent, I am not sure what your state has, could be very helpful and give you some cold hard facts on acres per cow/calf pair.

 

By any chance did you just watch Food Inc.?

[muck]

I understand your bull thing, but I think you are giving up way too much for a bull to breed your cows. I realize having a bull for four cows seems silly, have you considered AI (artificial insemination)? This would get you started and you would be able to keep the calf you are giving up, which could be raised along with the heifer if it is a bull made into a steer. Grass feed, it would be a good revenue source earlier. Also keep in mind that you are looking at three years to raise a calf to market weight on just grass. You will also have to wait a full year to breed your heifers. They can be breed the first year, but as replacement cows, it is not recommended. Way too many complications.

 

The Department of Ag or maybe you have a county extension agent, I am not sure what your state has, could be very helpful and give you some cold hard facts on acres per cow/calf pair.

 

Thanks. I'm sure that there are lots of resources here in town that I've not pursued. Still at the VERY early stages of brainstorm.

 

By any chance did you just watch Food Inc.?

 

Not yet.

[muck]

Watching "Food, Inc." now.

 

Wow.

 

If you've not seen it, rent it and watch it.

[Big John]

Watching "Food, Inc." now.

Over a playoff game?

[muck]

Over a playoff game?

 

Yes; don't watch much football. Especially games that don't mean that much.

 

[Hat Trick]

Just curious how many acres of land and how many cattle one would need to try to make a living of doing nothing but raising cattle.

 

 

Land = A LOT

Cattle = A LOT

 

I help my dad and he raises them. At times we have over 120 head. He breaks even, and he even learned all the veternarian skills. We do all the vaccinations ourselves. We only call out the vet on rare occassions.

[Hat Trick]

You are going to need a good amount of land. A friend of mine has about 600 head of cow/calf pairs and he leases 10,000 acres of land. He also feeds them silage and shelled corn in the winter so he doesn't need winter grass. He is a little larger than you need to be. Where I deer hunt they have about 10,000 acres of owned and lease land for about 300 head of cow/calf pairs but they have more arid soil and the grass is not as lush. They also winter their cattle on grass with hay. Land lease can range from $15 per acre to $25, purchasing land would run you about $600 or higher depending on water, wells, fences, etc an acre for rangeland in western South Dakota.

 

Now for the cattle for example a bred heifer would cost you about $1100. A solid mouth 5-6 year old cow about $1000 a broken mouth cow typically over 8 years old with about 3 to 4 years of viability left. These cows are kept year after year. Most herds will have a 5 to 10% open rate, that is a when a cow fails to breed back the following year. There is no sense in feeding this cow for a year with no return. Sell her and buy a younger more viable cow. You will get about $600 to $800 for slaughter for this old cow. This is what you are eating at McDonalds and Burger King. Typically people will hold back some of their better heifers and breed them so replacing your opens is not as bad, but calving out heifers is a bitch. You also loose a year in this process.

 

Depending on when you calve and where, it can be a difficult process. The older the cow, the better the bull the easier. The worse the weather, the worse as well. The sooner you calve out your cows, the sooner you can sell them, or wait and sell them a little heavier. Typically calves are sold in the 500 to 600 lb range here in central South Dakota. They need to be born in March for them to get that big by fall Oct - Nov when feed lots are buying, or winter wheat farms in Texas and Oklahoma are buying.

 

Selling your calves at 500 to 600 lbs you can expect $1.00 to 1.10 per pound in a good market. So 250 head at 500 pounds at $1.00 you would make $125,000. Now start paying the bills.

 

Good info here.