CountryByNet.com Forums :: New Member with Cattle question..

Beef cattle do not need to be fed twice a day or even every day if they are grazing. They would prefer several times a day if you let them vote on it. Many members of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association do not give supplemental feed during the months of good pasture. In winter, once a day is generous and gives good results (I prefer later in the day because it tends to cause cows to give berth during preferred hours of the day instead of oh dark thirty in the AM.) Cattle are opportunistic feeders and will overeat till they do themselves injury if allowed, especially with supplemental feed. They don't overeat on grass or hay.

Pregnant or lactating females (or both) have the highest requirements but can meet them with good pasture and supplemental minerals and salt as required (depending on analysis of the forage.)

Buying weeners and raising them till time to go to the feed lot is called a "stocker operation"

Keeping cows and breeding them to get calves is called a "cow-calf operation"

Both have pluses and minuses. Cow calf lets you cull and select your breeders for maternal instinct, milk production, health, personality-disposition and such. Fencing requirements are more relaxed. Stockers give a high turnover, you have to deal with what you get, and fences need to be much more robust.

Different strokes for different folks but I much prefer cow-calf. My climatic variations are such that I tend to be a little shy about overstocking. Last year we had a record drought and this year record rainfall. I could have run 4 times the numbers this year but what would they eat next year???

I now have 11 first time heifers of which at least 10 are pregnant. This will be an interesting time and if I am lucky I won't have to pull too many calves or lose any of the mothers. The experienced ladies of the field ordinarily do their thing and if intervention is required there is fair risk of losing either or both the cow and or the calf. Need assistance twice on my place and you win a one way ticket to the sale barn.

I like calves. They are cute and fun to watch. I like keeping the same brood cows and learning their personalities as opposed to a steady change of herd.

Unless you are blessed with amazingly fertile soil, reliable rain, and terrific grass you will need several acres per cow calf pair or head of beef. Around her in south central Oklahoma a decent figure is about 6-12 acres per head with 10 being a good safe figure for decent conditions. If you work to improve your grazing and have good conditions maybe 7-8 acres per head. I am currently at a hair over 7 acres per head and am understocked BUT another drought and I will be right on or overstocked.

In winter I feed my own hay free choice (always available) and minerals free choice (salt is in the mineral mix too) I have 10 ponds and am digging #11 right now. So water is available to all pastures. I supplement the hay and forage with a pelletized mix of corn gluten and soy hulls. This has good protein content and plenty of energy. The calcium and phosphorous ratio needs adjusting but isn't bad. Range or breeder cubes are OK too but were more expensive than bulk gluten-soy. Some like cake or liquid protein but I don't prefer it. Why? Just 'cause.

I just got back the results of having my hay tested. I will add supplemental feed to bring up the protein in the diet to where it needs to be and will then calculate the energy needs versus supply. Typically with mediocre hay (not a good hay year in quality although quantity was good) by the time you give enough protein you have exceeded the energy requirement and will maintain body condition at a good level which is conducive to successful rebreeding while nursing a calf.

I don't know your personality so can't begin to say which operation you would prefer or be best suited to. I think every time you go to the sale ring to buy is an opportunity to buy trouble in the form of disease or whatever. I prefer to buy from trusted sources (not the sale ring) or retain heifers from my own production. If there are no "STRANGE" animals introduced I reduce my risks by quite a margin. I want to be a source of cattle (calves) and not buy them. By being a cattle producer I control herd health easier. It is what works for me. Your mileage may vary.

Your local county extension agent is a wealth of information. He can bury you in printed matter that is chuck full of vital info you NEED to know before you get too far along.

I think I have probably already told you more than I really know but feel free to PM me if you want to cuss and discuss my opinions or whatever.

Welcome aboard,

Pat

"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"

Post Extras: