Lee VanRoss and Caustic Burno got me thinking I might be doing something wrong in my cattle producing endeavor located just below Dallas, Texas. I'm first generation cattle producer and I'm only 2-1/2 years being a cattle producer. I don't want to go out of business...unless the corn hay fertilizer is not enough for the land to come back.
My cattle are not starving, they're very healthy. I don't claim to know much about cattle, I've studied a lot. Here's where I'm at with one of my farms.
7 cows+ 1 bull, with (3) 300 to 450lb calves to be sold soon (I'll calling that ~10 full grown Cattle)… yearly breeding on 42 acres, Only fertilizer being used is the (additive corn hay and cattle cubes, old expired free potatoes and fruits-treats) resulting in cow manure and left over trampled corn hay spread thinly to disintegrate afterwards. I have a nice big red barn, attached corral for the cattle. Water is free, I pump it from a well with a 2.3kw generator, probably 2 gallons of fuel/year used. Have a small pond they cool off in. Lots of cool summer trees with leaves to eat. You know the "Promised Land".
March 1st to October 31st…cattle solely field graze and use loose minerals and mineral blocks, due to the abundance of giant ragweed and Lambsquarter (contains salt)…they don't use much mineral. Less than one Feed bag of Dewormer used in spring and fall.
Breakdown of my yearly feed costs:
Winter Cattle cubes are used starting in mid-November, December, January, and February we'll call it 12 weeks every other day ½ bag 25 lbs. so 12weeks X 7days= Less than 84 days of harsher winter in Texas…then divide by 2 cause I feed every other day =42 actual feed days of 25 lbs (1/2 bag)= so I use 21 bags of 20% protein 50lb bags over the course of winter.
Price of cattle cubes went from $9.95 to $11.29 in the two years so $11.29 x 21= $237.09 (no tax, exempt)
Winter Corn Hay Costs, every other day Monday, Wednesday, Friday….at least 3 bails a week....i bring them a (4'x5.5') corn bail on my way in my truck-bed and unload with truck and cut-take away the netting (weekends if it's not too cold I let them graze)…so 12 weeks of winter X 3.3 bails per week (0.3 for a few of those cold weekends)= 40 bails/year @$30. /bail…thus Winter Corn hay costs are $1200.
So, $237. Cubes + $1,200. Hay= 1,437./year then add in + $400. for yearly minerals, Dewormer, Permethrin and vacs= $1,837./year Total out of pocket feed costs for 10 grown cattle, so we'll adjust up to $2,000. /10= $200./ cow/year/365= 0.55/cent per day per cattle.
Your feedback and comments on my "open book" newbie cattle experience are welcome. I'm like William Hung....remember what he said..."I've never taken any professional singing classes, but I love singing and want to try"....that's me with cattle.
My cattle are not starving, they're very healthy. I don't claim to know much about cattle, I've studied a lot. Here's where I'm at with one of my farms.
7 cows+ 1 bull, with (3) 300 to 450lb calves to be sold soon (I'll calling that ~10 full grown Cattle)… yearly breeding on 42 acres, Only fertilizer being used is the (additive corn hay and cattle cubes, old expired free potatoes and fruits-treats) resulting in cow manure and left over trampled corn hay spread thinly to disintegrate afterwards. I have a nice big red barn, attached corral for the cattle. Water is free, I pump it from a well with a 2.3kw generator, probably 2 gallons of fuel/year used. Have a small pond they cool off in. Lots of cool summer trees with leaves to eat. You know the "Promised Land".
March 1st to October 31st…cattle solely field graze and use loose minerals and mineral blocks, due to the abundance of giant ragweed and Lambsquarter (contains salt)…they don't use much mineral. Less than one Feed bag of Dewormer used in spring and fall.
Breakdown of my yearly feed costs:
Winter Cattle cubes are used starting in mid-November, December, January, and February we'll call it 12 weeks every other day ½ bag 25 lbs. so 12weeks X 7days= Less than 84 days of harsher winter in Texas…then divide by 2 cause I feed every other day =42 actual feed days of 25 lbs (1/2 bag)= so I use 21 bags of 20% protein 50lb bags over the course of winter.
Price of cattle cubes went from $9.95 to $11.29 in the two years so $11.29 x 21= $237.09 (no tax, exempt)
Winter Corn Hay Costs, every other day Monday, Wednesday, Friday….at least 3 bails a week....i bring them a (4'x5.5') corn bail on my way in my truck-bed and unload with truck and cut-take away the netting (weekends if it's not too cold I let them graze)…so 12 weeks of winter X 3.3 bails per week (0.3 for a few of those cold weekends)= 40 bails/year @$30. /bail…thus Winter Corn hay costs are $1200.
So, $237. Cubes + $1,200. Hay= 1,437./year then add in + $400. for yearly minerals, Dewormer, Permethrin and vacs= $1,837./year Total out of pocket feed costs for 10 grown cattle, so we'll adjust up to $2,000. /10= $200./ cow/year/365= 0.55/cent per day per cattle.
Your feedback and comments on my "open book" newbie cattle experience are welcome. I'm like William Hung....remember what he said..."I've never taken any professional singing classes, but I love singing and want to try"....that's me with cattle.
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