This is the end of my 4th year in cattle, Schedule F 2023 completed, I believe i did well, considering the drought year...first 3 years in cattle I was heavy-on infrastructure for two farms and did not turn a profit. I don't have much steel or equipment so my costs are lower. Levers- ramps...roll hay bales down the feeder chute...you know the story, I am the tractor and the bulldozer.
Anyway....completing Form F, you see things that are good and other things where there's room for improvement. I believe I did really well on feed for 2023. I'm going to open it up for suggestions. Let me know what you think. Remember I live right on the Dallas county line...we don't have the easy locational access to grain feed plants/sales that fortunate folks in the country have.
I had wanted to purchase 50 bales of cut-corn stalk hay for $2,000. ($40./bale) in October but it just didn't happen they wanted $50./bale and I waited them out and they lowered their price to $40. I'm happy i waited...because i found out...how well my cattle ate the lambs-quarter down in the fall and being it was a mild winter thus far they mostly grazed. I didn't need 50 bales.
Here's the 2023 Animal versus feed breakdown:
I have 7 angus cows and 3 almost grown angus heifers (call it 10 cows) and one angus bull ...11 permanent cattle, with calves that come and go to sale. My cattle are all healthy with good weight, good fat...only two cows run thin...genetic during calving, but they calf better than the fatter cows.
Feed for 2023: 22 bales of corn hay at $40. or $880., 50 bags of deer corn 40lbs -$8.99,=$360., 150 bags of 50lbs 20% Cattle cubes $11.79=$1,768.50
Total feed costs....right at $3,000./year in 2023. excludes dewormer and tubs. I also have access to free expired potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, cabbage, cut-up squash & watermelons throughout the year
So running the calculations just on the 11 kept cattle (excluding calves up to weening)= $3,000./365/11= I have 75 cents/day per cow & bull, note some of this (% feed) is being eaten buy unweaned calves to be sold
Is 75 cents/cow reasonable? What would you do differently? I cube year round every two to three-sometimes 4 days...and cube and corn heavily in winter. This winter has been a dream...40 acre pasture still green today. In a week or two when we hit 18 degree F, it'll go brown and dormant.
My only speculation would be to cut cattle cubes to 80 per year and feed more $40. corn stalk bales....but the protein in cattle cubes can't be matched....and i can buy almost 4 bags of it versus one round bale. I know I'll be hearing "buy regular HAY, it's better than filler" but that's $100./ to $140. /bale here. Tell me the reasons how expensive hay pans out financially better for me? I'm no expert, 1st generation with no former cattle experience but i haven't tried it...it scares me. All cattle producers around me are using corn stalk too. Cows get fat on corn stalk! Had overly fat cows in 2020/21.
First 3 years i didn't care about financials. Now I'm tuning up my cattle production.....focusing on the financials. As Caustic Burno says…does it pencil out? What I'm doing? Had lots of fun learning and fencing fun these past 4 years. Each year I make cattle care easier on myself....but now, I'm focusing on the financials. End goal is for the cows to pay for their upkeep and for our yearly property taxes- that'd be on our house too.
Anyway....completing Form F, you see things that are good and other things where there's room for improvement. I believe I did really well on feed for 2023. I'm going to open it up for suggestions. Let me know what you think. Remember I live right on the Dallas county line...we don't have the easy locational access to grain feed plants/sales that fortunate folks in the country have.
I had wanted to purchase 50 bales of cut-corn stalk hay for $2,000. ($40./bale) in October but it just didn't happen they wanted $50./bale and I waited them out and they lowered their price to $40. I'm happy i waited...because i found out...how well my cattle ate the lambs-quarter down in the fall and being it was a mild winter thus far they mostly grazed. I didn't need 50 bales.
Here's the 2023 Animal versus feed breakdown:
I have 7 angus cows and 3 almost grown angus heifers (call it 10 cows) and one angus bull ...11 permanent cattle, with calves that come and go to sale. My cattle are all healthy with good weight, good fat...only two cows run thin...genetic during calving, but they calf better than the fatter cows.
Feed for 2023: 22 bales of corn hay at $40. or $880., 50 bags of deer corn 40lbs -$8.99,=$360., 150 bags of 50lbs 20% Cattle cubes $11.79=$1,768.50
Total feed costs....right at $3,000./year in 2023. excludes dewormer and tubs. I also have access to free expired potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, cabbage, cut-up squash & watermelons throughout the year
So running the calculations just on the 11 kept cattle (excluding calves up to weening)= $3,000./365/11= I have 75 cents/day per cow & bull, note some of this (% feed) is being eaten buy unweaned calves to be sold
Is 75 cents/cow reasonable? What would you do differently? I cube year round every two to three-sometimes 4 days...and cube and corn heavily in winter. This winter has been a dream...40 acre pasture still green today. In a week or two when we hit 18 degree F, it'll go brown and dormant.
My only speculation would be to cut cattle cubes to 80 per year and feed more $40. corn stalk bales....but the protein in cattle cubes can't be matched....and i can buy almost 4 bags of it versus one round bale. I know I'll be hearing "buy regular HAY, it's better than filler" but that's $100./ to $140. /bale here. Tell me the reasons how expensive hay pans out financially better for me? I'm no expert, 1st generation with no former cattle experience but i haven't tried it...it scares me. All cattle producers around me are using corn stalk too. Cows get fat on corn stalk! Had overly fat cows in 2020/21.
First 3 years i didn't care about financials. Now I'm tuning up my cattle production.....focusing on the financials. As Caustic Burno says…does it pencil out? What I'm doing? Had lots of fun learning and fencing fun these past 4 years. Each year I make cattle care easier on myself....but now, I'm focusing on the financials. End goal is for the cows to pay for their upkeep and for our yearly property taxes- that'd be on our house too.