I'm going to get a cow farm. I prayed about it and God confirmed it. I don't care if we make anything. I told God I would feed people, in Jesus Name. Amen.
Cattle on a small scale looks hard to budget. I only want a few steers for my own beef needs and maybe sell to friends(I have 40 acres), and a milk cow. Organic Raw milk is expensive! lol
If you are prepared to milk twice daily and have a small group of families to share the milk, a good milk cow can pay for herself, and the few steers you are also raising.
Someone’s gotta raise cows…. No cows= No steers. Pretty simple concept. I’ll take being a cow calf guy over being a backgrounder/feeder any day of the week. But I’m obviously biased, and love my herd dearly.
@@robertensign8786 thought so! Not being sarcastic, being totally serious. Cow calf is wonderful when you have hundreds or thousands of acres. This video was all about what works on SMALL acreage.
@@BoxingPrinceTV I watched the video. I grasped the concept. You can still raise cow calf on small acreage. I started on small acreage, and worked hard at my craft to attain more land and grow. It didn’t happen overnight. If all the small time cow calf guys got out of the business because of this mindset, the country would be in bad shape as far as beef production goes. To each their own I guess. I’m not someone who is going to sway someone away from doing cow calf, I’m going to encourage them and lift them up. We need more of us, otherwise all the folks that buy a handful of steers to raise for meat won’t be able to afford our calves anymore because of such tight supply. Our national beef herd is at an all time low, our country’s population is at an all time high and growing every day. Simple math tells us that we are headed for trouble. I understand her concept, as she prefers sheep. But truth of the matter is, Americans prefer beef over sheep 7 days a week. It’s not even close. Raise what you like, how you like, but we need more cow calf folks badly otherwise yall will be eating a lot more imported beef from countries that hate us.
@@robertensign8786 A few things, I have a buddy who raises ~60 calves a year so I am sympathetic to the amount of work this entails. He also Farms and grinds hay. Hardest working man I've ever met. If it is less profitable to Cow/calf smaller operations will lower their liability and produce less. It seems to me that the market is being manipulated by the box beef packers. Supply and demand SHOULD trickle down to the producers, but it rarely seems to. Tyson, Cargill, etc will however show increase quarterly profits EVERY time. Yes the beef prices are higher now, but as you said the national herd being an all time low that should trickle down (more) to the hoof weight price to encourage herd expansion. We really need to push for more local and smaller feedlots, and packers. I hate asking for legislation, but I think that might be the best way to decouple corporations from our food supply. As for lamb, I for one love it. But can only ever find Australian raised. I would love to buy from local or at least American producers. I'm sure the price would come down and we would eat it more often. I don't know the reason for sure why it isn't sold more but gate keeping by the packers is my first thought.
One way to lower operating costs would be to sell the calves around eight months after birth (I.e. born in February sold in October/ November). It might not be a fast expansion in herd size but there will be less time to wait for money and grazing will be gentler on the pasture. Don’t get me wrong, you still will be feeding a lot of cattle but you would get a small break in the feeding cycle to allow for the grass to grow back.
I hung on as long as I could (30 + years) The only solution became selling them all and leaving the business, now they want to pay? It would take me 10 years of them over paying me to replace what I lost. Starve, nobody cared until it was too late.
You did great on this video seriously. I started with cheap dairy calves and am direct marketing beef raising them all the way through. Only been 6 years since my first calf was born on farm, but you nailed it only reason I can do it on a small scale is because I have almost unlimited pasture which I wind up brush-hogging a lot. Round bales are only 30$ a bale where I live as well. Though my days on hay are only 75-85 on average for the whole herd again because I have access to 190 acers of pasture for 20 head of cattle. I would love to try stockers but 90% of what I graze doesn't have a perimeter fence I just do poly wire with solar charge fencer and move everything all over.
I love your videos. It is so nice listening to an intelligent person discussing things in an intelligent manner. You are detail oriented, stay on track, very informative and to the point. The knowledge you share is a blessing for all. ❤
Agree! I just sold all my cows- unprofitable on small scale less than 30 head, $4k hay bill for the winter. Most folks cant pay $5/# hanging weight for beef- plus processing- 1$/# profit for 2 yrs worth of work- No! Not worth it- Sheep - St Croix/ Landrace hair sheep do well on just grass, sell at auction, direct to consumer or breeding stock.
Great video!! Thanks for sharing this with folks that are just getting into cattle....so many folks painting a picture of profits...when it's simply not true in some cases
Thank you very much for clearing that up! I feel like I need to hear that long ago.. I have a video on my channel that explains why! Seriously though, I really appreciate your content!!!🎉
Down here In Georgia Florida area they just let them do there thing open pasture and breed on pasture keep a couple bulls and the grass grows year round not much feed if at all just for treat really they like the grass no input hardly just back the trailer up load them in the trailer for market.
We got two Highland, one bull one cow, more as pets than anything. But you’re right that the cost does creep up on you. We have the rotationally grazing but have to supplement about a bale of costal every three days. I think honestly commercial cattle farming is trying to force it to be impossible for anyone else to afford to do so, controlling the meat supply. That way they can put whatever they want into the meat and we will be forced to either what they provide or import and face even higher cost.
Commercial cattle farms aren’t trying to make it impossible to be a start up. We are still governed by the FDA, USDA, and best veterinary practices, two of which are legally binding. I would be curious as what what you think is put into cattle.
great vid..as a Canadian farm raised kid with a buddy who seen a couple kids get 3 grand a animal for there " 4H' animal and thinks cattle is ALL profit and wont listen when i try to explain this is NOT the case im gona send him your video :) very good legit info in here , well done
Prices are so high in the supermarket that very few people are buying beef. It's gonna trickle down to the cattle farmer soon. The cattle industry will collapse soon. Beef is like eating lobster, it's only done once a year on special occasions.
Agreed, I know she likes sheep, im a cattle farmer, and it was the verse of scripture that made me subscribe to her. This being about cattle interested me.
We got two Highland, one bull one cow, more as pets than anything. But you’re right that the cost does creep up on you. We have the rotationally grazing but have to supplement about a bale of costal every three days. I think honestly commercial cattle farming is trying to force it to be impossible for anyone else to afford to do so, controlling the meat supply. That way they can put whatever they want into the meat and we will be forced to either what they provide or import and face even higher cost.
Rotating 3 or 4 big field some times 2 it works good get in the golf cart open gate they run for that grass really easy. The snowy egrets keep the bugs down and cover all the cattle with shade common oaks Spanish moss
I likely will never own a cow (I don't even have any pets). But this is so interesting and your story so personal. It's also fascinating to learn about something that's basically transparent to me. Thank you for your efforts.
@nevinkuser9892 interesting. I've only had lamb chops or lamb steaks. I never had a Lamburger. I think it would definitely be good. I never get tired of hamburgers I literally eat them everyday sometimes I get tired of it type of hamburger and then that only lasts for a day and then I go back to eating them. So I would imagine that I would also not get tired of Lamburgers lol. Steak is fairly expensive in almost never get it
Look into Brian McClain Benton Kentucky. The Armed security firm I own we seized his farm. I’m suspicious of most farmers and cattle raisers now from that job.
With all due respect, I hope you are only right about your situation. I'm running 80 pair on 700 acres in a sell direct finished beefshare 1/4 -1/2 - Whole operation. I do whole heartedly agree that the beef industry is broken.
I have to say that as a small part time cattle rancher in South Texas your information is pretty spot on from what I have experienced. I would fall into the number 1 and 2 category of your video.
Cattle cycle is obviously real.......but also are mega cycles and societal cycles. North American herd is collapsing and shows no sign of stopping. Down to levels not seen since the 1950s. That trend may delay any real "correction" in this cycle for quite some time.
I have a question for you: can or should cattle eat hemp plants? I want to grow the hemp for carbon credits, improve my soil and have the cattle manure readily available. Some hemp can be very densely planted and grow 15’ high.
We currently have 2 beautiful sweet jerseys how give us 5 gallons a day. And a few angus cows for beef. We have the BEST customers who pay our outrageous milk prices and we haven’t had a single month where there was profit. In fact my wife pulls many extra shifts to pay for it. A small dairy is very unsustainable due to feed costs unless you go to once a day milking and share with a few families and not be a business
Hello, I just saw your video, and I like it. I am from Australia and we are having baby lamb season now today I lost third baby 2 weeks old the other 2 baby died last week 2 and 3 weeks old they didn't show any signs just in the morning getting very weak with hard breathing and dying they broke my heart I couldn't see them dying and hear their mum crying Any ideas why they dying please help and thanks for your time
I'm sitting on 600 acres last year we fed about 50 round bales we have 27 head Baldi blacks and two bulls they Cavs and you know we almost got 50 head 600 acres rotational grazing is almost not enough if we get pretty good water usually
🐂(VIDEOS) Raising Beef Small Scale: ruclips.net/p/PLPY1FCOuUEUIFUkRvMVBvtS77Ke_Swu8g
🥩(Guide) GRASS FED BEEF 101: bit.ly/bflmbGUIDE
should this get pinned so it doesn't get lost in the comments?
@@hplebar Thanks for that heads up!!
I'm going to get a cow farm. I prayed about it and God confirmed it. I don't care if we make anything. I told God I would feed people, in Jesus Name. Amen.
This RUclips channel is educational, entertaining, and factual, offering overall excellent content.
Cattle on a small scale looks hard to budget. I only want a few steers for my own beef needs and maybe sell to friends(I have 40 acres), and a milk cow. Organic Raw milk is expensive! lol
If you are prepared to milk twice daily and have a small group of families to share the milk, a good milk cow can pay for herself, and the few steers you are also raising.
@@notapplicable430or get a milking goat or sheep
Everything on small scale is hard unfortunately. Kudos to those that can do it.
Someone’s gotta raise cows…. No cows= No steers. Pretty simple concept. I’ll take being a cow calf guy over being a backgrounder/feeder any day of the week. But I’m obviously biased, and love my herd dearly.
Probably have about 1000 acres too lol
@@BoxingPrinceTV you yet, but I’m getting close. Definitely more than halfway there. You got any more sarcastic comments to lob my way?
@@robertensign8786 thought so! Not being sarcastic, being totally serious. Cow calf is wonderful when you have hundreds or thousands of acres. This video was all about what works on SMALL acreage.
@@BoxingPrinceTV I watched the video. I grasped the concept. You can still raise cow calf on small acreage. I started on small acreage, and worked hard at my craft to attain more land and grow. It didn’t happen overnight. If all the small time cow calf guys got out of the business because of this mindset, the country would be in bad shape as far as beef production goes. To each their own I guess. I’m not someone who is going to sway someone away from doing cow calf, I’m going to encourage them and lift them up. We need more of us, otherwise all the folks that buy a handful of steers to raise for meat won’t be able to afford our calves anymore because of such tight supply. Our national beef herd is at an all time low, our country’s population is at an all time high and growing every day. Simple math tells us that we are headed for trouble. I understand her concept, as she prefers sheep. But truth of the matter is, Americans prefer beef over sheep 7 days a week. It’s not even close. Raise what you like, how you like, but we need more cow calf folks badly otherwise yall will be eating a lot more imported beef from countries that hate us.
@@robertensign8786 A few things, I have a buddy who raises ~60 calves a year so I am sympathetic to the amount of work this entails. He also Farms and grinds hay. Hardest working man I've ever met.
If it is less profitable to Cow/calf smaller operations will lower their liability and produce less. It seems to me that the market is being manipulated by the box beef packers. Supply and demand SHOULD trickle down to the producers, but it rarely seems to. Tyson, Cargill, etc will however show increase quarterly profits EVERY time. Yes the beef prices are higher now, but as you said the national herd being an all time low that should trickle down (more) to the hoof weight price to encourage herd expansion. We really need to push for more local and smaller feedlots, and packers. I hate asking for legislation, but I think that might be the best way to decouple corporations from our food supply.
As for lamb, I for one love it. But can only ever find Australian raised. I would love to buy from local or at least American producers. I'm sure the price would come down and we would eat it more often. I don't know the reason for sure why it isn't sold more but gate keeping by the packers is my first thought.
Great video keep it up
One way to lower operating costs would be to sell the calves around eight months after birth (I.e. born in February sold in October/ November). It might not be a fast expansion in herd size but there will be less time to wait for money and grazing will be gentler on the pasture. Don’t get me wrong, you still will be feeding a lot of cattle but you would get a small break in the feeding cycle to allow for the grass to grow back.
I hung on as long as I could (30 + years) The only solution became selling them all and leaving the business, now they want to pay?
It would take me 10 years of them over paying me to replace what I lost. Starve, nobody cared until it was too late.
Lil Amish chix I think ???😊
You did great on this video seriously. I started with cheap dairy calves and am direct marketing beef raising them all the way through. Only been 6 years since my first calf was born on farm, but you nailed it only reason I can do it on a small scale is because I have almost unlimited pasture which I wind up brush-hogging a lot. Round bales are only 30$ a bale where I live as well. Though my days on hay are only 75-85 on average for the whole herd again because I have access to 190 acers of pasture for 20 head of cattle. I would love to try stockers but 90% of what I graze doesn't have a perimeter fence I just do poly wire with solar charge fencer and move everything all over.
It sounds to me like the commodity game is rigged or biased towards the big producers. The small producers need a different game plan.
Not rigged just economy of scale that spreads fixed costs out.
Appreciate your videos...... Thank you!
I love your videos. It is so nice listening to an intelligent person discussing things in an intelligent manner. You are detail oriented, stay on track, very informative and to the point. The knowledge you share is a blessing for all. ❤
I feel like I would start a chain of Lambburger restaurants
However I'm really not that serious about it just an idea I had to feel like if I started raising sheep
500lbs steer going for $3.00+/lb last 6 months in Va
I think they were going for that in Fairview OK the last time I looked.
I spend very little raising my cattle
@@danphillips4590 same here. Loose mineral, shots, some cheaper hay for only about 2 months of the year and a whole lot of time and energy
Me too
Agree! I just sold all my cows- unprofitable on small scale less than 30 head, $4k hay bill for the winter. Most folks cant pay $5/# hanging weight for beef- plus processing- 1$/# profit for 2 yrs worth of work- No! Not worth it- Sheep - St Croix/ Landrace hair sheep do well on just grass, sell at auction, direct to consumer or breeding stock.
Great video!! Thanks for sharing this with folks that are just getting into cattle....so many folks painting a picture of profits...when it's simply not true in some cases
Thank you very much for clearing that up! I feel like I need to hear that long ago.. I have a video on my channel that explains why!
Seriously though, I really appreciate your content!!!🎉
Down here In Georgia Florida area they just let them do there thing open pasture and breed on pasture keep a couple bulls and the grass grows year round not much feed if at all just for treat really they like the grass no input hardly just back the trailer up load them in the trailer for market.
another insightful presentation of the reality of raising livestock!!!
We got two Highland, one bull one cow, more as pets than anything. But you’re right that the cost does creep up on you. We have the rotationally grazing but have to supplement about a bale of costal every three days. I think honestly commercial cattle farming is trying to force it to be impossible for anyone else to afford to do so, controlling the meat supply. That way they can put whatever they want into the meat and we will be forced to either what they provide or import and face even higher cost.
How many acres? Heard of Allan Savory and regenerative grazing? Has your pasture quality improved?
Commercial cattle farms aren’t trying to make it impossible to be a start up. We are still governed by the FDA, USDA, and best veterinary practices, two of which are legally binding. I would be curious as what what you think is put into cattle.
Full size or minis? Lookin at getting some mini highlands for 5 acres
So the cattle sit on feed Lots for 18 months before slaughter? Never seen this. Takes about 2 years to raise grow one out.
It’s typically 6 mos in a feedlot. Commodity/feedlot cattle is typically slaughtered at around 18 mos.
great vid..as a Canadian farm raised kid with a buddy who seen a couple kids get 3 grand a animal for there " 4H' animal and thinks cattle is ALL profit and wont listen when i try to explain this is NOT the case im gona send him your video :) very good legit info in here , well done
Good day from Ontario. Yes very high prices. I am afraid something big is coming Thanks
Prices are so high in the supermarket that very few people are buying beef. It's gonna trickle down to the cattle farmer soon. The cattle industry will collapse soon. Beef is like eating lobster, it's only done once a year on special occasions.
I wonder if there is a market for goats in the states? I known people who like goats meat and they are easy to raise and multiply like rabbits ❤😊
Great video, and thank you. I definitely enjoy and appreciate your teaching / training videos.
Small producers on small acreages must do direct marketing.
I love the fact that you conclude your interesting videos with an encouraging Bible verse.
Agreed, I know she likes sheep, im a cattle farmer, and it was the verse of scripture that made me subscribe to her. This being about cattle interested me.
We got two Highland, one bull one cow, more as pets than anything. But you’re right that the cost does creep up on you. We have the rotationally grazing but have to supplement about a bale of costal every three days. I think honestly commercial cattle farming is trying to force it to be impossible for anyone else to afford to do so, controlling the meat supply. That way they can put whatever they want into the meat and we will be forced to either what they provide or import and face even higher cost.
Calf prices are highest Ive seen this year
Rotating 3 or 4 big field some times 2 it works good get in the golf cart open gate they run for that grass really easy. The snowy egrets keep the bugs down and cover all the cattle with shade common oaks Spanish moss
I likely will never own a cow (I don't even have any pets). But this is so interesting and your story so personal. It's also fascinating to learn about something that's basically transparent to me. Thank you for your efforts.
I think lamb is better anyway
Lamb certainly is good but I can get tired of it sometimes whereas a grass fed ribeye never seems to get boring.
@nevinkuser9892 interesting. I've only had lamb chops or lamb steaks. I never had a Lamburger. I think it would definitely be good. I never get tired of hamburgers I literally eat them everyday sometimes I get tired of it type of hamburger and then that only lasts for a day and then I go back to eating them. So I would imagine that I would also not get tired of Lamburgers lol. Steak is fairly expensive in almost never get it
I love the insights your channel provides into ranching! I enjoy watching your content and I look forward to more!
Look into Brian McClain Benton Kentucky. The Armed security firm I own we seized his farm. I’m suspicious of most farmers and cattle raisers now from that job.
I just looked this up and what a Ponzi scheme. Makes me wonder how many head of cattle he actually owned. Do you have any other details?
BEST introductory explanation of the American cattle industry!
What is the current price per pound liveweigth of a grassfed steer? Where do i find that information?
Where do you usually buy your calves?
A local cow-calf rancher!
They keep their mouths shut and their ears face en up windward? No? Ok good knowledge in a timely fashion? Good boots seal skin?
What?
Where to find unused potential grazing land to be regenerated, cheap?
With all due respect, I hope you are only right about your situation.
I'm running 80 pair on 700 acres in a sell direct finished beefshare 1/4 -1/2 - Whole operation.
I do whole heartedly agree that the beef industry is broken.
You've got the perfect land ratio for cattle! I'm mostly targeting those on 50 acres or less with my info.
I have to say that as a small part time cattle rancher in South Texas your information is pretty spot on from what I have experienced. I would fall into the number 1 and 2 category of your video.
Cattle cycle is obviously real.......but also are mega cycles and societal cycles. North American herd is collapsing and shows no sign of stopping. Down to levels not seen since the 1950s. That trend may delay any real "correction" in this cycle for quite some time.
This would mean a seller's market for beef!
I have a question for you: can or should cattle eat hemp plants? I want to grow the hemp for carbon credits, improve my soil and have the cattle manure readily available. Some hemp can be very densely planted and grow 15’ high.
My search engine (Brave) answers my questions, as asked, in a lot of detail. It said yes, with some qualifications, in a long answer.
Great video. Thanks
We currently have 2 beautiful sweet jerseys how give us 5 gallons a day. And a few angus cows for beef. We have the BEST customers who pay our outrageous milk prices and we haven’t had a single month where there was profit. In fact my wife pulls many extra shifts to pay for it. A small dairy is very unsustainable due to feed costs unless you go to once a day milking and share with a few families and not be a business
Hello, I just saw your video, and I like it. I am from Australia and we are having baby lamb season now today I lost third baby 2 weeks old the other 2 baby died last week 2 and 3 weeks old they didn't show any signs just in the morning getting very weak with hard breathing and dying they broke my heart I couldn't see them dying and hear their mum crying
Any ideas why they dying please help and thanks for your time
❤🙏
I'm sitting on 600 acres last year we fed about 50 round bales we have 27 head Baldi blacks and two bulls they Cavs and you know we almost got 50 head 600 acres rotational grazing is almost not enough if we get pretty good water usually
$120.00 per bale, 3 years ago. Paying $260 per bale today 🤷🏼♀️
We haven't seen those prices in years in lower south Texas.
Excellent video. To the point, math included, context considered.
Great content, had the same exact experience. Sold mine 2 years ago
How do you buy your stockers? Can you do a video on that?
I had a bishop who does it. When I first moved to Logan Utah my Bishop was a cattle rancher. However he's got 5,000 cows
I'm guessing all the land was probably in the family for Generations
👍👍👍
What state are you in?
@@dusty7264 Texas!