It depends on how many you wish to raise and how. Since you're not interested in milking, that leaves dairy replacements, beef for sale to customers through various ways, beef calves to other start ups or to the beef auctions. You will need to raise at least 50 to have any type of income and you will also need another job somewhere to live decent or raise at least 100 cattle if you don't have another job. I raise Angus beef cattle and still in the start up phase with 21 right now. I plan to raise 100 total with myself working another self employed job and my wife working full time as well. I have other friends who raise Angus and make a decent income but also work outside the farm. As of right now, I want to start cutting my own hay eventually, but I can buy it and still make about $200 per calf when they reach 500 lbs at the current price for feeders. If you could cut all your own hay, that would increase about $300 to profit a total of $500 per calf after expenses. Now, the difficult part is coming up with the money to start farming. The average cost is a million dollars invested to raise 100 cattle. You could also just cut hay and sell the feed without raising cows or you could go to auctions and local farmers to buy calves and send them to one of the areas higher paying auction places or advertise the feeder calves for replacements. Some farmers prefer to just sell to an individual like that so they don't take a hit at the auction houses due to the feedlot buyers not showing up for some reason. It's guaranteed money for the farmer. For instance, if the current auction houses are in the $1.70 to $2 price range per lb. for 500 lb. calves, these feeder buyers will typically pay the low end at $1.70 and sell them for $2.20 to feedlots or other area buyers. That will result in less investment to you with immediate returns. Good luck
. Do you have any insight?
