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222 Posts
I'm doing some writing for this site. What kinds of things are you interested in reading about?
What do you want to know?
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10 Posts
I would really like to see pictures of livestock and farm building and info on lay out.
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222 Posts
As you wish!
I'll look into writing about gate, fence and barn configurations.
Great idea!
I'll look into writing about gate, fence and barn configurations.
Great idea!
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10 Posts
But make sure to put up pictures
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44 Posts
And working corrals and chutes. Wooden
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297 Posts
well um I have huh interesting question.
I live on a beef farm, and work on a dairy farm currently milking two hundred and sixty cows. the beef farm at the house the owners are not able to care or maintain their herd. the owner had kidney failure and goes to treatment 3 times a week, his wife is bipolar and their son has no interest in cattle ranching. somehow I feel obligated to put my effort to continue this going. so now I am faced in running this operation here. for the last 7 years I have been helping farm hand learning what there is to be done. before I was here I installed hard wood floors for 15 years. so I came into this knowing absolutely nothing about cows. working at the dairy farm has helped me understand and learn many things. so I started to notice that this heard is losing its profitability. I started keeping track of these animals 2 years ago, noticed that calves would reach only 250 pounds a year old. that is not good. how can I change this without the stress to the owner on changes that must be done. I don't know much about cows, but I do know that the money is being lost here.
I have my own little heard that I am building. and I am seeing profit from my own operation. I am pretty sure I am forgetting a lot of things but... I need a little insight
I live on a beef farm, and work on a dairy farm currently milking two hundred and sixty cows. the beef farm at the house the owners are not able to care or maintain their herd. the owner had kidney failure and goes to treatment 3 times a week, his wife is bipolar and their son has no interest in cattle ranching. somehow I feel obligated to put my effort to continue this going. so now I am faced in running this operation here. for the last 7 years I have been helping farm hand learning what there is to be done. before I was here I installed hard wood floors for 15 years. so I came into this knowing absolutely nothing about cows. working at the dairy farm has helped me understand and learn many things. so I started to notice that this heard is losing its profitability. I started keeping track of these animals 2 years ago, noticed that calves would reach only 250 pounds a year old. that is not good. how can I change this without the stress to the owner on changes that must be done. I don't know much about cows, but I do know that the money is being lost here.
I have my own little heard that I am building. and I am seeing profit from my own operation. I am pretty sure I am forgetting a lot of things but... I need a little insight
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102 Posts
Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition. Inexpensive equipment (people get obsessed with having the newest). You need to do some major online reading and really look at your particular environment. Is there another similar operation in you area??? Talk to them, they will know what works best. Magazines like beef mag, progressive cattlemen, and working ranch should be arriving in your mail box, this will help you learn. If your cattle are growing or don't have the condition score you want, call a vet and talk about their nutrition. The small cost of a consultation will pay off big time.
www.calving2014.wordpress.com
www.calving2014.wordpress.com
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297 Posts
I have asked around and the answers I get r so vague it makes me think they have no intention of helping me better my knowledge. But I was wondering if a crash course in cattle nutrition and genetics would help. I am going to check the county commission to see. But I have a load of questions .
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102 Posts
That would be a good idea. Sometimes people don't mean to be vague or in-helpful, they may not understand just what your environment is and objectives are. What works one place may not work for another, so every bit of advice you hear or read has to be carefully looked at as to whether or not it works for your situation. If you would like, I could email you a list of sites you may find helpful??
www.calving2014.wordpress.com
www.calving2014.wordpress.com
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222 Posts
2 Words ---Agricultural Extension Service
Wait that's three words...
Here in the states we have a county agent in almost every county. Their job is to help farmers and they are the most helpful people ever.
Need a soil test?
Need a cattle class?
Need advice on vaccinating?
Call the agent. I've never ever met more helpful people. They are tickled pink to answer your questions and they LOVE their jobs. (at least that's been my experience with EVERY single one I've ever met.)
Wait that's three words...
Here in the states we have a county agent in almost every county. Their job is to help farmers and they are the most helpful people ever.
Need a soil test?
Need a cattle class?
Need advice on vaccinating?
Call the agent. I've never ever met more helpful people. They are tickled pink to answer your questions and they LOVE their jobs. (at least that's been my experience with EVERY single one I've ever met.)
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297 Posts
Ok here is a new one. This year and a half.old dairy heifer wants to nurse of her pair (I usually buy them in pairs) Creamy. So I separated them , haltered this heifer. But now Creamy thinks she is mama. am I going to have to keep them separate for ever?
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I was going to suggest a crown weaning ring (cow size) until your second post about jumping fences. We've had a few cattle over the years that we purchased with a nursing issue. However once they have learned that they can jump or walk threw fences its trouble forever. She will more than likely figure out how to handle the hot wire as well at some point. I've heard many stories of cattle realizing its a couple seconds of shock and they are free. 
No one stays here if they don't respect fences. They teach others and we can have that on our ranch.
No one stays here if they don't respect fences. They teach others and we can have that on our ranch.
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297 Posts
I am starting to lean towards stockyard sale. I hate to ridd of her but problems is not wat I want.I was going to suggest a crown weaning ring (cow size) until your second post about jumping fences. We've had a few cattle over the years that we purchased with a nursing issue. However once they have learned that they can jump or walk threw fences its trouble forever. She will more than likely figure out how to handle the hot wire as well at some point. I've heard many stories of cattle realizing its a couple seconds of shock and they are free.
I'm truly sorry.
We've had to ship or butcher a couple favorite cows over the years over fencing issues. It's tough. But so is constant round ups, destruction and fencing. One we had was our best, highest producing cow ever. She figured out she could walk threw barbed wire at about 8 years old. 9 years figured out she could short out Hotwire. We added non climb field fencing and she figured out she could smash down the field fencing or lift it and pop the clips to walk under. After multiple times busting several fences down to bust into the garden she grew wheels. Worse part was when she'd get out others would follow. A few would realize how she stepped over the field fence and walked out with her. Thankfully they stopped once she was gone. Probably because the fences are upright now
.We had one a couple years ago that would leave her baby behind and go on a walkabout. No matter what we did. She'd leave her baby behind and then eventually run back to the fence balling for her calf. She'd never go back into where her calf was just throw a fit. She grew wheels also. That turned into roaming my in laws yards and gardens.
Now if they get out twice they are gone.
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