Survivalist Forum banner
227K views 937 replies 96 participants last post by  jvtater 
#1 ·
I searched and didn't find any threads dedicated to cattle, so here it is. This is for anyone wants to ask questions, share knowledge, share links, post photos of your cattle, or share interesting or funny stories.

There may be only few members on SB that are into cattle, dairy or beef, but I think it will be helpful to have one major thread for discussion.
 
#82 ·
Ms. RandiTS Been away for a few days, I hope I'm not too late for this. PLEASE be careful about that road and church issue. Or family dates back to the 1840's on the same property here. Back when property was selling for literally pennies on the acre the family gave up the ownership of some land for a road that we have regretted ever since. What was useless back then is extremely valuable today to make a long story short we allowed a road to be expanded and lost well over 2000 linear feet of frontage on a piece of property and on the same piece we gave up several hundred feet so a new road could be put in for other people to gain another access to their property. Legally we still own the property and have deeds dated from the early 1900's to the present but once given up it is next to impossible to get back without upsetting everyone. My oldest son is an attorney for a govt entity in Fla and he stated he would never accept our case to get back what we legally own.
 
#90 ·
3 Questions...forgive me

How big of a headache would it be to turn 100 acres of planted pines into a suitable cow pasture? (stumps:confused:)

What kind of time frame would I be looking at for getting the soil in proper condition?

How many cows could I maintain if I sectioned it off right?

I have to small ponds (one on both ends) that have water year around so water isn't an issue.

Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
#91 ·
I know very little about how long it takes to cut down 100 acres of pines (maybe contract out to a local lumber company to make money off it?).
Is there any grass there currently? How much annual rainfall do you get? Are the ponds fed from a creek or stream that refills them? Do they freeze in winter?
While I know a fair bit about running cattle on current pasture land I am not great with agricultural land conversion - you might want to talk to the ag department at the local college or BLM maybe. You don't say where you are or what kind of soil you have, or even if grass is easily grown in your area.
I would suspect you are probably looking at around 2-3 years minimum and a lot of money to turn a fully forested area into an area suitable for cattle - but that also depends on a lot of factors that I mentioned above. Trees are a valuable resource in any location (would love to have some on mine, just not the right place for them) so maybe you could clear cut half of it?
Again, know nothing about converting land, but I feel as though it would be better to pull up the root systems of any trees you get rid of if you want a cattle pasture.
 
#92 ·
Mr Swamp frog From what what you said you may have a major chore ahead of you. I've never undertaken a project like yours but I have seen some previous orange groves made into cattle pastures. I'm in the initial planning (?) stages for a distant relative as we speak.

To make this short to start, I would check with your State Cattleman Assn. Where I live in Fla we are lucky enough to have the state Head Quarters and they are a wealth of information. Like Mr. DuneElliot already stated a local college should have resources also. Be VERY careful with logging companies, if you don't get a good honest one they will ruin your property for years. They make their money off the trees not restoring your soil. Get plenty of advice and references before you hire one. Then soil test your property through an ag extension office with a local college.

The best positive aspect is if you grew trees you can grow grasses suitable for cattle. It sure sounds like you have a excellent chance and just having the property is more than most other start up operations have.
 
#93 ·
@ DuneElliot

I know very little about how long it takes to cut down 100 acres of pines (maybe contract out to a local lumber company to make money off it?).
No worries about the timber company:thumb:...I can make sure they actually try not to destroy the place.
Is there any grass there currently?
Just the roads that go around the blocks of timber.
How much annual rainfall do you get?
around 47in
Are the ponds fed from a creek or stream that refills them? Do they freeze in winter?
No and no...one has gotten pretty low during a dry year but still had ample water.
You don't say where you are or what kind of soil you have, or even if grass is easily grown in your area.
South Georgia...its on the acidic side. I did the pH testing a while back and don't remember the numbers. Grass grows relatively well on the roads. I just knock it down a few times a year...(deer and turkey season)
Trees are a valuable resource in any location (would love to have some on mine, just not the right place for them) so maybe you could clear cut half of it?
That's a good idea.

Again, know nothing about converting land, but I feel as though it would be better to pull up the root systems of any trees you get rid of if you want a cattle pasture.
That sounds like the best option...I'll ask my buddy that works at the major timber company if they can actually pull up the roots.


The land was used for hogs and cattle before it was planted. One of the ponds has an old nice size concrete slab hog pen on it.
 
#95 ·
@ DuneElliot

No worries about the timber company:thumb:...I can make sure they actually try not to destroy the place.

Just the roads that go around the blocks of timber.

around 47in

No and no...one has gotten pretty low during a dry year but still had ample water.

South Georgia...its on the acidic side. I did the pH testing a while back and don't remember the numbers. Grass grows relatively well on the roads. I just knock it down a few times a year...(deer and turkey season)

That's a good idea.


That sounds like the best option...I'll ask my buddy that works at the major timber company if they can actually pull up the roots.


The land was used for hogs and cattle before it was planted. One of the ponds has an old nice size concrete slab hog pen on it.
As TX said, it will take you a few years and no small amount of money to truly get the land situated for cattle, but it can be done if you have both of the above. If you decided to go ahead with clearing it, or clearing part of it (which I think is the prime option) do your research on the ideal type of grass for your area and how many cattle you can generally run per acre/ or acres per cow. Here in Wyoming, without irrigated pasture, it is generally 20 acres or more per pair. In some places it is 200 acres/pair. I definitely urge you to talk to the local ag department who can guide you with some valuable knowledge and insight on the area, soils, grasses, cattle breeds that do well etc. You might even want to take a short ag course there.
 
#94 ·
Sounds like it would take a season to clear it, another season to plow, clear, and balance soil Ph and prepare/fertilize/lime whatever you have to do to get ready for grass, then another season to plant and really the next season to graze.

So you're looking at four years to establish woods to pasture.

It would be optimal to find pasture, or sell your woods for some maybe ....?
 
#96 ·
OK, time to jump in. We raise and milk goats. I only milk 5-6 months-Feb to July. I take the summer and fall off to hunt and fish. I milk about 12 does. I use the milk to raise drop calves, kid and lambs which i get at local cattle auctions. I keep some of the doe kids and sell the rest starting at 4 months old and usually sell out before they are a year. Lambs we keep the ewe lambs and sell the males when the weight about 50#. I have 4 calves now and will pick up a couple more at the Tuesday auction. One heifer is 1 yr old, one 9 months and one 6 weeks. I have a 10 month old bull. All are dairy except the bull which is beef. All are dog gentle due to hand raising. I sell my steers as feeder calves when they hit 200#. If the SHTF I would be in a situation where I could raise dairy cross calves. goats are just so much easier to handle with the exception of fencing. Cattle are much easier to keep in the pasture. As real retirement arrives, I may reduce the goat herd and keep a few cows with a bull. I know nothing about Dexter cattle except they are interesting. Good luck with your adventure. If you have too much milk, consider picking up a healthy drop calf at a local auction. Great fun raising them.
 
#98 ·
I have had Dexters for years. They are easy keepers. We currently have a dozen of them aged from newborn to a couple about 20 or so. They are all gentle and never aggressive to any of us. That being said the admonitions about bulls and cows with calves are still valid.

thyme2bprepped, one thing to remember about Dexters and any cattle is that they are herd animals and are happier in a group if possible. Early calving has not stunted any of ours and we have a mix of long leg and short leg ones. Our short leg ones tend to have the build of beef cattle while the long legs look more like dairy cattle.

Dexters are also very hardy. They don't seem to be bothered by cold or heat. They are the smallest standard breed of cattle and that is a major reason we looked at getting them. They are a great size for a small family if you milk for yourself or if you ave your own butchered.

One thing that amused me is that when we got ready to buy the first one we looked all over then found out that a cousin of mine 4 miles away had Dexters. He was quite happy to sell us a bred cow for a reasonable price.
 
#99 ·
Just a thought, probably not the case. But you want to make sure that the female is not from a set of twins where a female and male are born together. More often than not the female will have something wrong with thier reproductive organs and be sterile. Ussually there aren't thos kind of twins sold but when I read your letter it just popped into my brain because that almost happened to me when I was first looking for some dairy hiefers
 
#104 ·
SG's are an excellent breed and due to Brahman blood influence which was included way back when the breed was being engineered is a good breed for Fla. Hardy and bug resistant, fair mothers but can be a little on the wild side if not handled often and carefully. I've had great luck with a limousin bull for breeding stock but not ideal for first year heifers as their size can cause birthing and breeding issues.

No single breed is THE best, all have negatives and positives that you must deal with.
 
#108 ·
As a kid growing up in Texas I was around and handled alot of Santa Gertrudis cattle. The King ranch would actually send alot of cattle up to our part of the state when conditions in south Texas would get bad.

Sant Gertrudis were a very good breed for what they were developed for which was heat and bug resistence. I knew alot of old cattlemen down home that swore by them. By the time I came along though, there were several other breeds and crosses that had been intriduced or developed that surpassed the Gerts in what they were meant for. As most of those old timers died off, so did alot of the Santa Gertudis herd. The younger generation going into the business went with the newer crosses that had the same traits for heat and bug resistence, but also had a tamer and easier disposition and better beef quality and carcass weight.

In my opinion, the Santa Gertudis filed a niche way back when and did really wel in the environment they were developed for. The problem was though, once they achieved what they thought was the perfect beef cow for those conditions, they just seemed to quit trying toimprove. The other breeds kept coming up with new ways to get ahead and increase productivity efficiency where the Santa Gertrudis just went stagnant. They are a decent breed of cattle, but with the science and technology being utilized in the beef industry today, there is a reason why fewer cattlemen are still raising them.

Dont get me wrong, they are ok, but in my opinion they got left behind. Alot of those old cattlemen were traditionalist and they would do thinngs just like Daddy did and his daddy before him. With changes in the industry that mindset is being done away with as economics just wont allow for inefficency. Every blade of grass has to produce the maximum rate of gain possible. Amd like was said before, Gerts can sometimes be a little rank and it is way easier to raise and handle a tame cow than a rank one. The tame cattle dont eat anymore than a high headed fencebuster. They are also cheaper on ER bills. If you want one because of your family heritage, get a couple. I wouldnt want a whole herd, but it may be nice to have one or two because Granddad did.

Good luck
Tex
 
#110 ·
Southernmom, there are alot of different breeds out there and none of them are wrong. Some may be alot better than others, just depends on what your goals are as well as what type of environment you will have them in. We raise straight rad and black angus as they do really well up here in Wyoming. When I was in Texas and Oklahoma I ran mostly brahma cross. They do well in heat and are also fly resistent, but they dont really do well up here where the temps can drop way below zero and stay there.

How big of a place do you have to run cattle? How many do you think you can handle? Do you want to be more hands on, or just do the bare necessities? Do you have any equipment or hay ground? Do you have working facilities or corrals? What kind of fences do you have? These are all things to consider and there are alot more that I have'nt mentioned. Running cattle isnt that hard with a little common sense.

You cant go wrong with angus as they have done alot promoting their breed and the dividends will shoow up on your calf check. If you just have a small place and want to be more hands on, I would consider a dairy cow such as a jersey and raise bum calves. With proper feed you can raise 6-8 calves per cow per lactating cycle. They are easy to handle, but require more feed and time on your part. You can also have your own milk for the house too. Some people with smaller places like dexters. I have no experience with them and dont believe they would do well here where it can be several miles between water sources.

I would say go talk to some of the ranchers in your area. They have already figured out what works and doesnt work where you are. Some things are consistant allover, but local knowledge cant be beat. I can give you general knowledge, but having a mentor and friend close by is priceless. I will do my best to answer any questions though so dont hesitate to ask.

Tex
 
#111 ·
Southernmom, there are alot of different breeds out there and none of them are wrong. Some may be alot better than others, just depends on what your goals are as well as what type of environment you will have them in. We raise straight rad and black angus as they do really well up here in Wyoming. When I was in Texas and Oklahoma I ran mostly brahma cross. They do well in heat and are also fly resistent, but they dont really do well up here where the temps can drop way below zero and stay there.

How big of a place do you have to run cattle? How many do you think you can handle? Do you want to be more hands on, or just do the bare necessities? Do you have any equipment or hay ground? Do you have working facilities or corrals? What kind of fences do you have? These are all things to consider and there are alot more that I have'nt mentioned. Running cattle isnt that hard with a little common sense.

You cant go wrong with angus as they have done alot promoting their breed and the dividends will shoow up on your calf check. If you just have a small place and want to be more hands on, I would consider a dairy cow such as a jersey and raise bum calves. With proper feed you can raise 6-8 calves per cow per lactating cycle. They are easy to handle, but require more feed and time on your part. You can also have your own milk for the house too. Some people with smaller places like dexters. I have no experience with them and dont believe they would do well here where it can be several miles between water sources.

I would tey to talk to some of the ranchers in your area. They have already figured out what works and doesnt work where you are. Some things are consistant allover, but local knowledge cant be beat. I can give you general knowledge, but having a mentor and friend close by is priceless. I will do my best to answer any questions though so dont hesitate to ask.

Tex

After she does, she won't want any cattle. :D::rofl:



I'll forward this thought if I were going to buy cows, which I am soon. I'm in Texas, and that's a lot like Florida. South and Central TX get's compared to Florida all the time in climate, bugs, etc ....

When you consider your input costs, your time, labor, blood sweat and tears, on and on ...I want the most return for that. Black cattle do that. So that's what I'll be buying. That's what the local sale barn buyers like, and it's what they pay a premium for.

And are you sure you want to recommend a Jersey? We've never owned one, but I've always heard they can be mean little devils. .... :confused:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Southernmom
#112 ·
I have had jerseys off and on my whole life. I would NEVER EVER recommend a jersey bull as they are about the rankest breed of bulls as a general rule. That being said, i have never had any problems with a nurse cow. Keep in mind though, in order to be a good nurse cow she must be gentle. This is something that must be taught and instilled from birth. Finding a good gentle nurse cow is not hard, it just takes some patience and due diligence.

I had five head here for a while and was making a good little chunk of money buying bum calves and grafting them onto the cows. I could raise 3-4 head at one time per cow. When the calves reached 4-5 months old i would wean them off and get 3-4 more and when the cow had been in milk for 10 months I would pull the second batch of calves off. On 5 head of cows, that was alot of calves I was able to raise. Then the beef market went thru the roof and I didnt feel comfortable paying what a bum calf was bringing at the sale barn.

I am now on the hunt for another nurse cow or two though. Because our country here is so big and harsh I think I want to go back with a shorthorn probably. The jerseys work great, but they require a little more care in this part of the country. I may end up with another one, I dont know. A person can pick up a good nurse cow up here for less than $2000 all day long. As long as you feed them good they will do a good job. They worked great for us when we had some sort of problem while calving out our beef cows. We even had neighbors bringing us calves if they had a cow die or not take a calf for some reason.

Getting into the cattle business is not a bad move. The drought in this part of the country is still hanging on and it has alot of people worried. There will be more cattle sold off in the near future which will decrease the nations herd size and this in turn will raise prices at the grocery store tremendously. Before long just having hamburger will be a treat for alot of Americans. If there is any way that a person/family can raise even just enough for their own family, do it. If you only have a small place, get a nurse cow so you can raise your beef and have dairy products. With the way agriculture is going in this country and worldwide a person is better off to raise their own food whenever possible.

Tex
 
#113 ·
Reading these posts rings so many bells for me. My grandfather had a few Jersey cows (and yes they were mean-the only cows that ever tried to chase me) we had a Brahma bull one time, a Santa Gertrudis bull another, etc. I begged my grandmother to buy a few Angus right after Pop died but she wouldn't have it...now she's regretting it. We have the acreage and the land is 'set up' for cattle-I just have to repair a few fences(which I know how to do-I helped my grandfather set and repair many a mile) and section off a bit of acreage to grow hay again (cut on halves) and we are good to go. Just got to invest here and there over the next few years in some heifers and I feel like we can have a successful small Ranch.
Loving this thread.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top