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Dec 27, 2009, 10:08am

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The Combine Forum :: Farming Community :: Livestock Production :: money in cows
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AuthorTopic: money in cows (Read 388 times)
greencountry
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money in cows
« Thread Started on Nov 4, 2009, 8:50pm »
I was just wondering what the thoughts were on cow/calf survival.
I only have 25 cows/calves and a bull.
I have normally been fattening calves out in custom feedlot and buying more to fill a pen, but this year I just sold calves.
what I keep coming up with is that you basically give your corn away in order to feed calves weather you fatten or grow feeders.
then with alfalfa you take a chunk of ground out of production for 5+ years to winter cows where gowing corn would have made far more profit.
Then all the extra machinery it takes for haying and feeding
Cost of pastures rent or buy, pastures here are bring $1200.
Would expansion make sense or is it best to let crick ground grow up in trees.
I don't know what to think other than there is no money in cows.
what is your input
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cih2188
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Re: money in cows
« Reply #1 on Nov 4, 2009, 11:32pm »
AMEN, I don't think expansion right now is a smart thing to do, we hav 350 head and I'm hoping to break even, the worst part about them is you have to keep them through all the bad years to have a good one. If it were up to me I'd sell ours but I have a brother who loves them so I guess I have to just hope we break even
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jasrnch
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Location: Western Wyoming
Re: money in cows
« Reply #2 on Nov 5, 2009, 7:57am »
I agree with no money being in cows. At least you live in an area that you have another option. In my area cows can at least eat the hay you can't get sold. We can't grow corn here. So we just have to tough it out. Death loss we usually figure in the 10% range. although I have had 35% one year to Nitrate poisoning. Have been trying to downsize from 175 head to 100 head but now the hay and small grain market is in the dumps. sure wish I had all my cows back.
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