Homestead mailing list

[Robert Walton <waltonrp AT gmail.com>]

Tell me a bit about your cows.
>
>

Glad you asked, I was thinking to post about my cattle raising venture.
It's been one of the more successful ones here.

I've been raising Holstein steers for beef for the last 4 years. It started
just for the freezer, but I raise one or two for sale by the side.

Holstein steer calves are relatively cheap at local dairies and what is
available. A beef breed calf sells by the pound and are expensive and
rarely for sale around here until they are 500 pounds. I buy day old bottle
calves twice a year.

I usually buy two at at time, two in summer and two in late winter. That
way I end up with beef to go to the processor in November and June (that's
the natural end of the grass flush in this area).

I've also got a Guernsey heifer that I picked up last year as a bottle calf
and am raising for milk and to be a nurse calf. She could potentially raise
calves for me if it works out.



> How many? What are the inputs ( hay, vets, money ) and what are the
> outputs ( other than fertilizer ; ) ).
>
>>>
Calf = $50
50 # bag replacer = $65
Meds = $20 or less (I worm at least once, sometimes get the scours in a
calf).
Of course, fencing (mostly electric), seed, lime and fertilizer.

I get manure, animals keeping down the pasture and I sell beef by the side
for $3.00 a pound. It's a deal for pretty close to organic, grass fed beef.
This year I sold for $3.25 a pound.

My 15 month old steers weighed almost 1000 live weight and that was about
500 hanging weight. Do the math at $3.25 a pound and one steer paid for my
inputs and property taxes.

Are you growing to market on grass and then selling? Stop me if I get too
> personal. How much space are you using?
>
> >>

I've grained them a little to finish until this last fall. I've got the
pastures a lot better, more clover and felt it was better to finish on
grass. I was pretty pleased with the results and most customers like grass
fed better.

I've got about 8 acres in pasture. I had 4 yearling cattle and 8 goats on
that pasture and still had to bush hog a little when they could not keep
up. I've had 6 cattle at once tops. It's a regular cycle and they go to
slaughter at 18 months, tops.

This year I had 2 customers cancel on me at the last minute and kept one
steer back from the processor and will hay him over winter and then butcher
when he is just shy of 24 months in June.

That's an experiment to see what difference there is in the quality and
quantity of the beef vs the cost of haying him over this winter. Last year
I just had 4 calves to over winter, and it was a lot cheaper in hay.

I like having the cattle. They respect electric fence and are pleasant to
keep. I've not had much trouble finding a few regular customers. There is
no other animal enterprise where I can turn $120 or so for a calf into
$1500 in a year and a half. I don't count my labor, but I also have a
freezer with beef all the time.

I'm raising pigs, chickens and goats. Other than my laying hens, the steers
have been the best venture yet.

Rob - Va