Finally got some area on the property clear and ready to race a couple calfs for personal consumption. 3 to start and add some each year.   I have a butcher . I have a good Vet for advice but that will cost money. Help in that department would be nice.
I also have my fence supplies and augers etc

    I need to line up some hay.  The field isn’t ideal so lots of feed will be needed at least I think so.    


    The big one is what breed will produce a combo of the best meat and first timer friendly.
Hereford and Anges were thrown at me so what about those?
I’ll be spending money sooner than later, and I value the subforms advice.      I’d previously asked about doing some Scottish Highland cattle right now that’s on the back burner.  Down the road I’d like to possibly get a Highland bull for hybrid and  maybe some other Highlands to sell.

I have a total of 42 acres but right now only about 5 of it is cleared.  

I forgot to add that I do have access to a small trailer if I go to auction.  And correct me if I’m wrong, but should I be looking to purchase maybe a feeder and a couple calves

It be nice to have one to butcher with a year and the rest race for a couple.  1 per year is more than I need. I do however have a few friends that will chip in and will sell some to them .

make sure your fence is strong and have a coral area for capturing and loading animals.  Good water supply.  clean the area up spotless so they have nothing to hurt themselves on.

In my AO the black cow's tend to sell a little better because of that "certified Black Angus" crap, but I find the Herefords are generally less weary/more friendly. Both are equally delicious.

This is a tech forum.

Furthermore, it is a generally friendly one, and we (read *I*) like it that way.

We are here to support other members in their growth as homesteaders.

It is unacceptable to come in here and shit on a thread asking a legitimate question.

~Kitties

If you go to buy calves, especially black ones, don't be tricked into buying Corrientes just because they are black. When they are calves they can pass as Angus sometimes so be careful if you are buying from someone you don't know. I would stick with angus or black baldies(angus-x-hereford cross) if other people may be buying from you, they are just more popular and easier to sell. If you are buying a few to make money, then save yourself the trouble and put the money in the bank. If you are raising because you want to know where the meat is coming from then it is worth it to me.

Also a wanna-be limited cattle operation, looking to learn.  Curious what you experienced guys think about Greg Judy or any of the "regenerative ranching" schemes.  https://www.youtube.com/@gregjudyregenerativerancher/playlists

You are not going to support 3 steers or whatever on 5 acres.....they will clip it to the ground and you'll have dirt in short order unless you are going to be supplementing and putting out round bails/protein.
Good luck

Came to say this.

However a have a relative that buys the skinniest, ugliest calves at the sale barn and brings the home to feed out. He turns out some fine beef. He does this on 10 acres. Buys three or four every four months. But he has been raising cattle his whole life. No way I could make it work on five acres myself.

I definitely planed on feed no way around that.  
 
I’ll clear another 5-10 acres this summer but you have to start at some point.     I have the land but the Virginia Pine is not worth anything for me to sell it.   Nice part is you can clear them with lighter equipment.
 

    Well I would not be asking questions on here if I were as high speed as you.   Think about that.
   I didn’t think raising 2 calves on a few acres would be a big deal as long as I suppled plenty of supplement food.
   I have land. I have a creek and water access, I can build fence and have plenty of tools.  
 I lack real world experience so here I am looking for help not smart ass comments.    
 I’d prefer to raise healthy animals and flatten the learning curve as best as I can.   If you want to help with that I’d certainly appreciate it.   If I’m reading your comment wrong then my apologies.  Don’t kick a man trying to learn the world bad enough already.

    Thanks for the heads up.
Not worried about color since I’m looking at this from a family and friends deal.   As you stated it’s to know where it comes from and make sure it’s there.
   Nothing small scale ever saves money.   I’d probably be better off not messing with it, but that’s not who I am.

It also give me more motivation to keep clearing my land.  From a cost point of view, I spent more money on a high end dinner for four people two weeks ago  then I would for  3-4 months has for two heads.
I’m basing that off 20 lbs a day

Just have the vet ai them the first few years. Let 2 get old and throw you a calf a year for 4 or 5 years

Consider a smaller breed like dexter, low line Angus, mini jersey or a cross of those. They eat less are easier on the land and the meat is excellent.
Also they are easier to handle. I have raised full size Angus as well as the dexter/low line Angus and I'll never go back to the big ones.  They can get scary when they are full grown and I injuries happen.  The smaller ones are scared of me.

Next piece of advice is make a good pipe catch pen with a way to funnel them into a chute for loading.  Make loading safe and stress free.  I have been to some peoples setups and I'm like why is this so hard to load...it's because their setups suck...they don't have a catch pen and a chute.  Stupid.

Lastly..bucket train them so.they come when they hear range cubes rattling in the bucket.....so you can get them in the catch pen.....

Good luck

Ok...one last piece.

Marry a farm girl that knows her shit.  My wife is a miracle worker on animals and I call her my farm star...she can AI goats, give vaccines, castrate pigs....can tell if they are sick by looking at the eye color...seriously saved us a ton of money of the years.  Priceless

   I actually did marry a farm girl
Unfortunately it was an Ohio crop farmers daughter not one from Texas ;)  The closest thing to livestock in that family were barn cats.

     Thank you sir that is great info and I really like what you’re saying about the smaller breed.   Literally I just want the satisfaction of raising my own food.    
    What you’re saying definitely sounds like a better fit.  Hopefully it will not be a difficult task to find them.  

I grew up around cattle but it’s been a long time since I’ve messed with them so don’t remember a lot. Plus practices have probably changed. My first suggestion regarding raising cattle is …. don’t. They are a pain in the ass always seem to find away to get in trouble or hurt themselves (or you ). If you decide you still want to do it then find a neighbor who has raised cattle for many years and see if they’d be willing to advise you.  In exchange you provide free labor to help around their place.  It helps them and you get hands on experience.

I believe you said you have 10 acres.  Check with your local ag extension office (that’s what it’s called in TX) regarding carrying capacity.  Basically how many acres needed to support 1 head of livestock.  Do not overstock! It will damage your pasture and weeds will take over.  Had it happen when we rented out our farm for a neighbor (who should have known better) to run cattle.

Look into infrastructure you’ll need.  Loafing sheds. Water supply. Storage for feed and medical supplies. How are you getting them from your land to the slaughter house? How will you dispose of cattle that die on property? Just things to keep in mind.

Final bit of advice.  Remember the 3 Ds of cattle raising.  Cattle are: 1) dumb, 2) dangerous, 3) delicious. 😁

Lots of good comments so far.  

Just A Few Acres Farm is one of the few YT farmers I follow, no drama, just a practical operation.  He raises Dexters and has 2 of the best videos on how to start and build pasture.  

I’m still a year out on installing fencing, just building the pastures up for now.  My neighbor has Herefords so that’s what I’ll run over here.  

Someone here has a sig line that goes something like, “nobody calls me at 2am saying my soybeans are on the highway.”

Build the fence cow high and bull strong.
They will eat more than they save money wise.
Buy from a local farmer that will deliver the calves.
Find a local farmer to buy corn in bulk.

I have a spring fed creek and a second creek that runs through the middle of my property.  
Hay is a concern but I think I have it taken care of piggy backing off a friend.
  Resources should not be an issue.  Just making sure I have a good plan and follow it

Wasn't meant as an insult.  Livestock occasionally die.  I bury mine with a backhoe.  Water, feed and a fence, might need some sort of fly control.  Get to know some ranchers and pick their brains for local diseases, pests and poisonous plants.  Put them on your insurance policy and give the neighbors your number in case they escape.

We've done this before.  I should save everything I write in notepad so I can just paste it every time this comes up.  I got into this business 8 years ago under a mentor that was leasing my land.  I gave him a 5.5 year lease after we bought and told him my plans.  He changed his practices to meet my future plans (from wheat to Tifton 85) and started running young heifers on my place.  I would watch them and feed them per his specifications using his money.  He started giving me a heifer per year and bull service.  Then I started buying heifers from him.  When the lease was done I had a productive hay field and a bunch of females.  I continue to use his bulls for a couple years after and helped him sell them when they were done at my place.  

Refer to the NRCS for fencing specifications.  I switched from 6 strand high-tensile barbed wire to 949-12-660 high-tensile net wire with one strand of barbed wire on top.  It is more expensive and harder to install, but they don't go through it.
You will need a constant water source.  The creek is going to be really hard to fence if you have floods.  You will need to build swing gates that allow crap through but survive the flood.
You will need shade.  I cut/dozed most of my trees, but I left a line of trees to give them shade in the summer.
You will need good pens.  Mine are made from pipe and cattle panel.  The water trough is both inside and outside of the pens.  You can buy pre-made panels that stand on their own.  They are more expensive, but portable and easy.  The pens will need a chute and head gate.
You will need a trough to throw feed.
You will need a tractor that can lift round bales.
I fertilize and spray 2 4d on my fields.  Fertilizer is a miracle drug.
You will need more than one pasture to rotate them.  You can do this with fence, or you can do it cheaper with electric fence.  I run a minimum of two hot wires on an electric fence because if its too high they will walk under, and too low they will jump over.
You will need to learn what vaccinations and dewormers to get, and you will need to do that.
You will need to supplement mineral.  I use Purina Wind and Rain with fly control.
To feed steers I'm buying corn from local farmers.  I have a 340 bushel grain bin, and 250 bushel grain wagon, and a grain auger.  Large investment for feeding.  Corn is much cheaper this way though.
As has been mentioned above, don't deal with breeding until you're seasoned.  With breeding comes a bull that you have to feed.  My bull digs to dust himself and he broke the door off my tractor.  He is a total ass hole when I throw hay and has nearly broken a third of a bale and dumped it out of the ring scratching or fighting the bale.  Females will go find some when they need it.  You'll have to pull some calves from heifers.  Steers will just eat and chill.
Go with polled (no horns) Herefords.  Docile and good meat.
They will guillotine themselves on things.  They will wrap barbed wire around themselves.  They will break anything that is not secure.  They will find their way through any open gate or hole in the fence.
They are really fucking expensive right now.  It's not a great time to get in.

 My apologies then.
I’m a bit high strung these days.
   I have good neighbors and Clemson University has an outstanding Ag extension locally.
I know my vet outside of work well enough to pick his brain time from time.   If I have to burry one no problem I have a 55hp tractor and can grab a  backhoe from work anytime I need.
     
 The biggest issue I  have is a lack of quality pasture.  Luckily I can work on that.   I’ve already accepted that I’m going to get hammered on feed.   That’s fine for the short term.  
   I’m not looking for a herd to sell just being more independent.

If anything I think this thread has been good .  Picking a smaller easy to raise breed will save me some stress.    
   Like they always say if it were easy everyone would do it.  

  You do realize I’m talking about raising 2-5 cows right ?
Everything you said is true, but my scale and ambition is not a for profit business.   Sad to say but not only do I plan to lose money but I need to for taxes.   I already am listed as a farm LLC for the last two years.  
 I want to do this for me, but make no mistake there are some side benefits.  It’s that or I keep dumping my money for political spending on transgendered studies.

A few of my bullets were just speaking of my own experience, not telling you do do the same.

What's the clearing look like? If you only have 5 usable acres, perhaps throwing a few meat goats out there is in order.  Let them work the ground and process yourself.  If you are just doing a couple, buy a couple young steer and just use pens.

Heavy hay and a bit of protein until 550# or so and then 3% of weight calf grower feed  per day until they hit at least 1k#.

Is Mercury in retrograde or some crap?

What is up with the ugly responses in this forum?

That's not normal for us at all.



~Kitties

You've been given a lot of good advice so I'm going to hone in on this because it's something I can help with. Poor soil can be rejuvenated and cattle are the perfect animal for it! If you want to learn more, just web search "regenerative grazing". My thoughts will be a collection of individual thoughts that you can tie together to match your operation.

Good productive soil is an entire ecosystem, with more life below the surface of the soil than above. Take care of your soil microorganisms and they will take care of you. They need things to eat like dead plant matter, manure, etc, that is not contaminated with things that will kill them (most chemical dewormers, fly control, and commercial fertilizers). If your soil needs amendments lime is ok, and every round bale of hay contains about $50 of N-P-K. Roll hay onto the ground, it will feed to soil, and the soil will slowly break it down into nutrients for the grass. The hay will increase soil carbon and cation exchange capacity, all while feeding the animals. The worst thing you can do is feed them in 1 spot, move the feeding spot around to keep the organic matter distributed around.

In the summer, definitely rotationally graze. In an ideal world you will not have them on the same grass longer than 2 days before moving them and letting that grass recuperate.

As far as cattle choices. You can't really just buy 3 calves now and have 1 mature every year for the next 3 years, that's like having triplets and wanting 1 to graduate HS when he's 5, the next when 18, and the last when 32. You can't just accelerate or retard maturity of beef. You would be better off to get 2 calves every year, 1 for you, 1 to sell. Time to maturity is dependent on diet, grass-fed can be up to 30 months, grainfed, pushed really hard with a high energy diet, can finish a steer in 15 months. As far as breeds, buy what you can get locally. Smaller framed is best, but don't go too small (IMHO Dexters are too small), as they get smaller the cost effectiveness of the butcher costs decreases. Giants yield really large steaks (a 1.5" thick sirloin from a 1600 lb steer will be 2+ lb), smaller animals are more reasonable portion sizes.

I'll try to put a positive spin on what might have been a crap post, or may have been legitimate.

Bad things happen to all animal, including humans.   The farm I was familiar with many years ago had a way to dispose of animals that had an untimely demise, far enough away and covered with enough dirt to avoid stink and dead animal seeking animals.  Nobody had to ask what to do with death.

Do you have a way to get rid of a full grown cow should it expire in a difficult location and get it to a place where it can disposed of quickly and at a price you can absorb and maintain profitable operations?  It's just risk management asking, because disposing of animals quickly is easier when there is a pre-made plan,  hole,  fill dirt and hauling capacity without getting stuck.

Edit: I missed the reply clarifying it was a legitimate question to consider.

Funny to be taking notes on this thread and then finding tonight that I do have cows and I didn't know it!  
Good fences are important, saves me from calling you at 11pm.

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Lot's of good advice.  I feed out about a dozen butcher calves each year.  We have great luck with herefords.  Black angus command a more expensive price at the sale barn, so the herefords are at least cheaper on the front end.  

-Infastructure: you need a good corral with a loading chute.

-Hay: try to find a local that you can buy from.  Get an agreement with him before the hay gets cut.  In my area we had the worst drought in years last year.  Most of my neighbors made about 40% of their normal hay crop.  Last year really sucked for folks that had to buy a lot of hay.

-Neighbors: life sure is a lot easier if you get along with them.  Good fences can really help that.

In your situation, I would look to try to buy 2 x 400 # steers in the spring, feed them out, then come about this time next year, butcher one and sell the other for a butchering calf.

That would be a big trailer, it was 30 or so, the whole gate was busted open.  I have nice grass, theirs is pretty worn.  I wouldn't really care as long as they leave fertilizer behind, (I mean, let's not make it a habit) but I don't have a great fence between that pasture and the house yard, so I was worried they would get up here.  They were right on the edge near me.  But overnight they bedded down in the center of the pasture so it was no problem.  It was only a minor crisis since I don't have good internal fences and I didn't know the neighbors.  Both will be getting fixed.

The plots behind me face onto another county road so I didn't know any of those folks. Had been meaning to find out but not yet.  Found the number of the landowner where they came from, via internet sleuthing. Texted him 11pm, he came back and said he leases his land out to the other neighbor of ours who runs the cows.  He had passed on my message.  The owner called me about 7:30 this morning and had already chased them back home.  Seems like a good guy, I will be talking to him about making investments in the fence.  He had been working on it but obviously doesn't want to put in any money for materials since it's not his fence.

Crappy picture, but that is my daughter, 14yo at the time.  There were 8 hogs and she named them all.  She said, "Everything dies, they will die with a purpose."

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ETA:  That is good advice to get them accustomed to a bucket.  I had 2 heifers get out.  I took a bucket with feed and walked them back.

I have had Dexters for a decade

I would say, have two barns, for multiple reasons.    

Have electricity on the fence lines.  

The oldest male will get ornery and maybe scary ...   Just seems to be how they step up

Delicious meat.    Costs more than buying at store, but a whole different product

Have a great day job, to support the cattle enterprise.

January is hardcore.   I'd say don't get cattle nor goats, but I doubt anyone would listen...I still say it.    But, it is cool to be able to say I am a cowboy

Alpaca give me no grief.   But I don't eat them.

I'll have to Google how to add pics to posts.  

Couple comments.  

1.  Just weaned calves tend to freak out for the first couple days.  They can be escape artists, especially if you don't have other cattle on the property.  Fences (short of deer proof 8 foot fences) don't really keep cattle in.  They encourage cattle to stay in the pasture.  A 550 lb calf or bigger can go over or thru a bunch of traditional ranch fences.  Happy, well fed, cattle weaned at least a couple weeks generally obey fences if you don't chase them.  

2.  Cattle tend to trash small areas.  Get some rain, and they will chop up the ground.  Especially around water stations and feed areas.   At a minimum, beat it down.  Its nice to be able to rotate those areas.    

3.  Well water and decent auto watering troughs make life much easier during dry periods.  Hauling water sucks.  Pulling animals out of ponds or creeks really sucks.  

4.   Red vs. black.  I sold a a dozen feeder steers last Dec.  Black with a white face brought $.15 more per lb than red with white face.  Same frame, same body condition, same sire.  Only difference - one had a black brangus mother, and the other had a red brangus mother.  Bet that if you pulled the hide off them, they would be identical.  

5.   Buy from a local rancher.  They will likely deliver for free to avoid auction costs, and they are hauling to the auction anyway.  

6.  I would avoid specialty breeds. More often than not, they cost more and can be less efficient growers.  Look around.  What are the serious guys raising locally?  Get some of those, and you can always sell them at auction.  

7.  Bulk feed is great, assuming you have storage and eq.  A 55 gallon barrel of corn weighs roughly 350 lbs., and ya gotta get it off the trailer or out of the back of a P/U.  Small super sacks are 1k up to 2k.   You need to unload, and then be able to handle it/move it to your storage.  

8.  Once they get to eating 20+ lbs a day, you will likely be feeding twice a day.  If you live there, no big deal.  If you are remote, its a pain in the ass.  

9.  Seek out docile cattle.   If I walked out in the pasture right now, the first one I could pet is my angus bull.  Second one, a 1400 lbs steer.  They are not all like that.  Select for those that are docile.  Not only safer, but helps with stuff like fly spraying.  

10.  They are fun, curious, weird animals.  If they have a small group (3 or more), have water, shade, and food, they will fall into a basic routine, and you may well look forward to seeing them and messing with them.  I know I do.  

11.  Moving and handling big bales is a pain without a decent sized tractor or skid steer.   Sure, you can use a bale buggy, but in my area, hay comes by the big trailer load, and you have to be able to unload it.  The driver does not typically bring the eq. to unload.

I don't have any advice on cattle except:  If you intend to have them butchered for your own meat, make sure to find a good butcher well before you need them.  Like at least one year before you need them!  One of the best meat processors around here (Weavers Meats, Hartsell AL) was well over a year out them taking reservations.  We use them for the pigs we buy, but my cousin raises beef cattle and she has to reserve her beef dates at least a year out.

Good luck!

This is good advice but it seems like things are easing up in my area. 2 years ago you had to book a butcher appointment as soon as the calf hit the ground. Last fall I was able to get appointments 90-120 days out. Now I can get appointments 30-60 days out.

It's eased some in my area too.  Covid made a lot of folks realize the advantages of buying pork, beef and whatever else local.  Fast forward a bit and folks forget.  It will cycle back around for whatever the next emergency issue is, but hard telling when.  In any case, OP, if you get your operation up and going, if possible, it is awful nice to find a butcher you like, and try to lock in dates with him early.

Good to hear!

Yes, definitely, but one of the challenges I had when I was getting started was reading rate of gain and accurately predicting when an animal would be finished. You can easily burn bridges with a butcher by scheduling dates and then canceling bc the animal just isn't ready yet. Maybe call the butcher, explain that you're new and not the best at judging when they will be ready and ask what they prefer (schedule early and cancel, etc).

I did end up cancelling a couple appointments my first year and moving them 3 months to the right, I hated it, but I just couldn't send a steer that I was selling to customers off to slaughter knowing he wasn't finished. I wouldn't be happy with small steaks that weren't marbled well bc the animal was rushed to slaughter. Just my thoughts.

FWIW, I still do live animals, but I have ventured into ale carte prime grade beef and people seem to love it! They can choose exactly what they want and they all seem to be extremely happy paying a premium to get exactly what they want in the quantity they want. I'm on track to gross almost $6k out of my first steer i had graded and packed for resale. I sold all my filet mignon on day 1 for 10% over the grocery price for organic filet mignon, mine isn't organic, just hormone and antibiotic free.

I appreciate your confidence in me!

I second don't breed.  Buy a pair of 500 lbers.  Look for private treaty sales of Angus or Baldies.  You will pay more than at auction, but you get to evaluate the animals in the field.  Run away from anything high headed or flighty.  Feed the pair for six to nine months and haul to the butcher.  You will NEED a truck and small trailer, solid fencing, feed bunk, and a pen (free standing circle will work).  Tractor is nice, but you can get away with slinging small square bales of hay.  Figure it out small scall and grow as you see fit.  

That all said......don't get cows. Get sheep.  Everything is easier with sheep.  Less equipment is needed and they are in your weight class.  No need to grain and you can butcher yourself.  They tend to eat grass and weeds that cows leave behind.

Wouldn’t do Scottish highland as the climate in SC is nothing like what they were bred for/are use to.

Personally I think Holsteins have the best meat, you just don’t get as much. But the bull calves are generally cheap if you can find a local dairy.  A angus/holstein cross is another I’d consider but will cost considerably more.

We had angus many years ago at a previous house and they are good also, but demand a premium. Angus calves around here are $500 as soon as they touch the ground. Where as Holstein bull calves are a tenth of that or less. Finally having land cleared at our place now to set up some pasture and build a pond.  

When it comes to fence, initially I would construct as little permanent fence that I could get away with and use temp electric fencing.  This will allow you to play with your pastures and see what works with rotation etc then later on you can do perm fence if preferred.

Also, it’s best to establish your pasture before you put cattle on it.  For example In newly cleared land, I would soil test, fert lime, seed and wait at least a year before a hoof ever touched it. I would also use some native grasses.