Cattle Farmers....

[wagyu52]

Cattle are a loooong term investment with a lot of overhead. Especially if you want to be self reliant. Good fencing and water are a must. Something with a loader would be right up there, you will have to have hay and round bales have become the standard and most affordable, hard to move without a loader.

 

[Mij]

I think every farm kid learns that lesson. Buster was his name, he went to a bigger farm till we learned latter he was for dinner, literary.
Older I get the harder it is, we are weeks away from fats going to butcher, this group has been a complete joy to feed I’m going to miss them.
I’ve got a cow, she’s the mom in my avitar she’s 23 and no sign of a calf for 2 years… I’m having a hard time, she has been an awesome cow. Told my son-in-law he might have to haul her. I‘ve thought that she could/should live her life out on the farm but reality is she wouldn’t pass well. She should go out on top.

Been there, going through it right now. Really up in the air about it. I know what’s right, but can’t bring myself around to it. Keep’n me up nights. 20 yrs. 15 good calves never had a problem with any of’em. Never had to pull one even.

 

[Mij]

Cattle are a loooong term investment with a lot of overhead. Especially if you want to be self reliant. Good fencing and water are a must. Something with a loader would be right up there, you will have to have hay and round bales have become the standard and most affordable, hard to move without a loader.

Yep, I can tell you how to get a million dollars raising cattle. First thing you do is——start with three million dollars.

 

[Nevermore]

I recall our primary milk/birthing cow when she finally began to have trouble milking/calving. We kept her far longer than we should - she got rather lean and unhealthy looking despite our best efforts to give her a "retirement". Dad eventually made the call to have her sent to the butcher while she was still relatively healthy and had some meat on her bones. I recall he said basically that it was either that or keep her until she snapped a weak bone or got some kind of illness and then he'd be out there putting a bullet in her head. We still hated to see her go, but it was definitely the best thing.

 

[patience0830]

Yep, I can tell you how to get a million dollars raising cattle. First thing you do is——start with three million dollars.

Grandpa always said if we won the lottery, we'd quit our jobs and just farm until it was all gone.

 

[wagyu52]

Family portrait from my avitar. My favorite girl 3 dot, her daughter 16 and her heifer 14

 

[cg21]

I’m no expert but I have dabbled my advice would be if this is your first animal raising experience start with something less stressful dangerous expensive etc etc

 

[Mij]

Grandpa always said if we won the lottery, we'd quit our jobs and just farm until it was all gone.

Sounds like a wise fellow !

 

[patience0830]

Sounds like a wise fellow !

Experienced. And he hadn't forgotten any of it.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

I think every farm kid learns that lesson. Buster was his name, he went to a bigger farm till we learned latter he was for dinner, literary.
Older I get the harder it is, we are weeks away from fats going to butcher, this group has been a complete joy to feed I’m going to miss them.
I’ve got a cow, she’s the mom in my avitar she’s 23 and no sign of a calf for 2 years… I’m having a hard time, she has been an awesome cow. Told my son-in-law he might have to haul her. I‘ve thought that she could/should live her life out on the farm but reality is she wouldn’t pass well. She should go out on top.

Wife has a friend who grew up on a farm, once a year or so one of their cows would "escape" while she was at grandma's for the weekend. Her dad would complain about how he needed to fix the fence. She was in H.S. before she figured it out...

 

[Tactically Fat]

Post your questions here! I'd also like to learn.

My folks have a small herd (12-15 head) of Belted Galloway. They're quite small and mild-mannered. Even the bulls are - as far as bulls are concerned.

Note: If you start cattle farming, you'll not have any time in the shop. It'll all be taken up by feeding and making sure the water is going. And mending fences. And more mending fences.

 

[Squirt239]

I think every farm kid learns that lesson. Buster was his name, he went to a bigger farm till we learned latter he was for dinner, literary.
Older I get the harder it is, we are weeks away from fats going to butcher, this group has been a complete joy to feed I’m going to miss them.
I’ve got a cow, she’s the mom in my avitar she’s 23 and no sign of a calf for 2 years… I’m having a hard time, she has been an awesome cow. Told my son-in-law he might have to haul her. I‘ve thought that she could/should live her life out on the farm but reality is she wouldn’t pass well. She should go out on top.

....Of the potatoes and gravy

 

[Backpacker]

View attachment 216434

Family portrait from my avitar. My favorite girl 3 dot, her daughter 16 and her heifer 14

I look at these fine creatures and see holster leather and great steaks.

 

[wagyu52]

Post your questions here! I'd also like to learn.

My folks have a small herd (12-15 head) of Belted Galloway. They're quite small and mild-mannered. Even the bulls are - as far as bulls are concerned.

Note: If you start cattle farming, you'll not have any time in the shop. It'll all be taken up by feeding and making sure the water is going. And mending fences. And more mending fences.

I thought about Belted Galloway, looked at a herd near Jamestown, would have been late 2000‘s but was too old to change. They have some going for them especially in a forage only (I refuse to call them grass fed) program and they look cool.
Wouldn’t have worked without totally changing stock. I’m really attached to some of them, lol.
I really like the black baldy, bounce between Hereford, Angus and Simmental.

Defiantly have to become among other things a fence repair master. I highly recommend getting them broke to electric fence. Some of my cows will not even step over wire dead laying on the ground. I’ve been rotational grazing grass and crop ground almost year round with the help of corn stalks and cereal rye.

 

[Mij]

Post your questions here! I'd also like to learn.

My folks have a small herd (12-15 head) of Belted Galloway. They're quite small and mild-mannered. Even the bulls are - as far as bulls are concerned.

Note: If you start cattle farming, you'll not have any time in the shop. It'll all be taken up by feeding and making sure the water is going. And mending fences. And more mending fences.

Don’t forget mending fences!!! Oh ya, ever seen a T post after a 1500 lb. bull thinks it’s a good scratching post?

 

[Frosty]

Don’t forget mending fences!!! Oh ya, ever seen a T post after a 1500 lb. bull thinks it’s a good scratching post?

Destroying Hay Bale - Funny Videos

Bulls destroying the hay bales with their horns Subscribe to new videos dailywww.youtube.com/c/BestOffFunnyVideos#bull #hay #funny #shorts

youtube.com

 

[wagyu52]

They are 1500 lb toddlers

 

[Frosty]

They are 1500 lb toddlers

That’s cool until they want to rough house

 

[Mij]

That’s cool until they want to rough house

You can bet on that, I don’t care what breed they are or if you raised them from a bottle, never and I mean never turn your back on a bull. I’ve still got the hospital receipts to show.

If not for my German Shepard things could have turned out much worse, my hand was reaching for my gun as I was shaking the cobwebs from my head.

To the op, never pet a bull on the head, it’s not perceived the way you think it is by him. Read then read some more.

 

[Mij]

There is an insurance company statistic that shows the numbers for Indiana ranchers that are killed each year by bulls. Like I said, read then read some more. Stories guide to raising cattle is where I’d start. JMO.