Advice needed from the GS cattle ranchers

[Rcole1310]

I've always wanted to raise a few cattle on a small farm when I got close to retirement. Not for profit, but maybe a break-even hobby to keep me moving. Well, fate has moved that timeline up a bit for me.
1)My wife just got control of 300 acres of heirs property on the Natchez trace.
2) we are in SERIOUS need of better tax write offs.
3) One of my customers wants to trade my Canadian fly fishing trip for a certified registered black angus bull. And will cut me a serious deal if I want cows.
I have the ag extension guy coming next week to advise me, but he knows the place and says that the pasture needs to be recleared but its good cattle land. Has a 4 acre spring fed lake so water should be ok.
Question: I know nothing about this and want to start really slow and small. What basic equipment would I need for a small scale operation? ie tractor, pens, barn etc. Also, i work in the area about once a month. Any advice appreciated fellas, thanks!

[Russ81]

If its hobby ranching starting out stay small, find what minimum herd size is for farm exempt. Also brand your cattle, rustling is not something in the history books, heck top three rustling counties in Texas are Brazoria, Harris and Galveston county.

Also think hard on your breed if you want registered cattle, angus are good in cooler climates but I'd look at Brahman or a Brahman F1 cross too start since they're easier maintained in humid tropical country

[clinthwt]

We had 60 head of registered red brangus on In laws land. Good tractor, bailer, hay storage, feed storage, and a barn was what we had to keep it going. Trailer to make vet trips and sale barn trips and go to work. Looking to try to get something back this way as I too need some tax relief but don't want that many head here. A good circle pen with squeeze chute will make life easy also.

[Slewfoot]

I've always wanted to raise a few cattle on a small farm when I got close to retirement. Not for profit, but maybe a break-even hobby to keep me moving. Well, fate has moved that timeline up a bit for me.
1)My wife just got control of 300 acres of heirs property on the Natchez trace.
2) we are in SERIOUS need of better tax write offs.
3) One of my customers wants to trade my Canadian fly fishing trip for a certified registered black angus bull. And will cut me a serious deal if I want cows.
I have the ag extension guy coming next week to advise me, but he knows the place and says that the pasture needs to be recleared but its good cattle land. Has a 4 acre spring fed lake so water should be ok.
Question: I know nothing about this and want to start really slow and small. What basic equipment would I need for a small scale operation? ie tractor, pens, barn etc. Also, i work in the area about once a month. Any advice appreciated fellas, thanks!

I am in that boat. Every Saturday is a work day on the ranch. Always lots of work to do, but it keeps us young. Our real problem is between the wife and I on who's turn is it to drive the tractor. Get educated on what are the needs of the livestock. There is a lot more to it than putting them in the pasture and letting them raise themselves. Nutrition is always something you have to think about. Try brangus and crosses to start with.

[Evolver]

There is a lot more to it than putting them in the pasture and letting them raise themselves.

That can just about be accomplished with longhorns. You said you're not real concerned about profit. Get yourself a few mature longhorn cows and a low birth weight longhorn bull. Make sure you've got plenty of water and keep your stock rate low. They'll pretty much do the rest for you.

Seven years ago we became "non-resident" to our family farm. In the past we messed around with a lot of angus and hereford pairs and yearlings. Since we went to longhorns I've not pulled a calf, given a shot, wormed, hormoned, none of that stuff. We lost a calf this year. That was the first one in seven years running an average of about 15 pair.

The calves don't bring the same money as their more European looking cousins, but we have a lot less input and the tax writeoff is the same either way.

[Rcole1310]

Thanks for the info guys. I was just reading that angus are better for milder climates. I was only considering them because he said you can take them to a "special" auction get more for them. I don't really care which breed, just want as low maintenance as possible.

[bowtechman]

Ok so here's my view on it amigo......
I see alot of cattle throughout the year, I work cattle, haul cattle, and pasture rope alot of cattle every year and my brother nannyslammer as well. Black cattle or angus influenced cattle are always gonna be a top market seller just because city people see a sign "certified angus beef sold here" and of course chabang someone makes a buck!!
With all that being said we have some angus cross cattle if our own am have slowly switched to making our own true F1 tiger stripe cattle using Braford heifers on Brahman bulls to get us close to our 3/8-5/8 crosses and our 3/4'r bloods that come from this out of our Braford bull we use also. I guess it's really up to you if you want to keep it just a hobby or actually see a return in investment. Either which way these two types of cattle are suitable for Texas as far as adaptation to the weather changes.
If you need any help or have any further questions feel free to pm me or whatever you want I will help you with what I know being around the cattle industry's at my life.
Hope this helps a lil

[Dave]

Stock at the bottom end of whatever the extension specialist says and stay way from hay as much as possible. Read up on standing hay crop.

[JeffJ]

Buy some lightweight black hide or char cross calves. 250-350lbs and you can run them for 9-12 months and sell them at 1000lbs.

If I could find 25 char char/angus crosses I would pay good money for them today. Love me a smoke colored cow.

[Rcole1310]

@bowtechman: brother it sounds like you're speaking another language! Lol! I have no idea what exactly you're saying, but I'm about to study up as much as I can. Will PM you as soon as I can have a conversation without me being completely clueless.

@jeffj: that sounds like the way to go. Keeping it simple. The ranch that I hunted in Mexico did just that. He stocked a bunch of what looked like yearlings, fattened them up for 9 months then sold em all. I bet he was doubling his money. I never saw a single bull on that place.

[Ouch]

1)My wife just got control of 300 acres of heirs property on the Natchez trace.

Be very, very certain that she has control... in every aspect. Power-of-attorney, or something similar.

I don't mean to be a naysayer, but I see this kind of issue every day. As for the cattle... fainting goats, of course!

[tweeder]

Stock at the bottom end of whatever the extension specialist says and stay way from hay as much as possible. Read up on standing hay crop.

Sound advice. The number one thing on your list should be a solid set of pens and a squeez chute or at least a head gate. And a trailer. You dont NEED a tractor and baler and all sorts of other equipment. I quit messing with hay a couple years ago and it has been the best decision we have made on our operation. I keep a few bales on hand incase of bad winter weather or if I need to keep a few head in the pens for a couple days. Other than that I supply free choice, loose, range mineral year round, and range cubes in the winter when the protein levels drop in the forage. You can make decent profit if you keep your inputs low.

[dclifton]

Good pens to get them up in and feed them and work them will be your best time spent. It will make life easier. Tractor and cattle trailer would be important to, or a hay buggy. Like said above stay away from hay production unless you have someone come in and do it for u.
The rest you can kinda add as you go. Good fence is a must. And can be the most time consuming

[BBReezen]

Don't leave your trailer parked on the property where it'll be easy access. Best cattle to steal are the ones that someone left you a trailer to haul them out with. As everyone has already stated, go with some Brahman influenced cattle. Better heat tolerant and insect resistant if being in that area. They wont be as marketable as the CAB cattle, but black cows don't do well on the coast. You might look into beefmasters, my mom said that trend seems to be sorta coming back around.

[AndyRealtree]

That can just about be accomplished with longhorns. You said you're not real concerned about profit. Get yourself a few mature longhorn cows and a low birth weight longhorn bull. Make sure you've got plenty of water and keep your stock rate low. They'll pretty much do the rest for you.

Seven years ago we became "non-resident" to our family farm. In the past we messed around with a lot of angus and hereford pairs and yearlings. Since we went to longhorns I've not pulled a calf, given a shot, wormed, hormoned, none of that stuff. We lost a calf this year. That was the first one in seven years running an average of about 15 pair.

The calves don't bring the same money as their more European looking cousins, but we have a lot less input and the tax writeoff is the same either way.

For just a hobby I agree here. Longhorns are crazy hardy and don't have any issues with the climate here. They calve easily and aside from makin sure they've got water you can dang near turn em out and forget about em until you gotta load them. Very easy to maintain and cool piece of history and yard art.