IowaCornCob
127485
2354
41
Not sure if anyone cares but I’m proud!
Apr 12, 2018 2:11 AM
IowaCornCob
127485
2354
41
Not sure if anyone cares but I’m proud!
sunriseswede
Good luck! It's going to take a lot of work and effort, but you can do it! Welcome to entrepreneurship!
redtails2649
So when’s the BBQ?
DSON2016
That is awesome! Good luck good sir!
sccopax1
Good luck for you ...from german site
IowaCornCob
Thank you!
dotheevolution1364
@OP what part of Iowa are you from?
IowaCornCob
Northeast
Kaiserzose
My family has owned and operated a cattle ranch in southern Iowa since I was just a kid. It's hard work as I'm sure you know!
IowaCornCob
Thanks!
furriephillips
Don’t forget to name each and every one of them.
IowaCornCob
Ok I’ll name this half marlin and that half coral. :) but seriously it’s more common than you’d think for farmers to name their cattle.
digivirus
Congrats, hopefully next month I'm buying my first herd too.
IowaCornCob
Sweet!!
vhexi
This is my fiancé and my dream. Still saving money to put down to homestead. We both grew up with herds and can’t wait to get our own.
IowaCornCob
You’ll get there! :)
vhexi
Thankfully in Florida it’s easier to get started, but we’ll most likely stick with brangus and black angus. What all are you raising?
Maldraek
Good luck!
IowaCornCob
Thanks!
emancipist
you dont have any grass at all?
IowaCornCob
These will be on grass, hay and small amount of grain all summer. We can’t turn them out yet because the grass hasn’t started growing... 1/2
IowaCornCob
...2/2 yet. If we let them on pasture now it would kill a lot of the grass before it could start growing. Still winter in Iowa apparently :(
emancipist
I live in Aus and i'm just used to our cows having nice green pastures all year round, only need to use feed in drought years...
shadowforcey
Are they happy? :)
IowaCornCob
Yep, Happy cows come from Iowa!
SoDakSmoker
Full time rancher here. Good on you. Everything is better with some cows around.
WatcherInTheDark
My family has a farm in Victoria (AUS) and we have cattle. We have been finishing but about to start buying calf’s! Good luck!
IowaCornCob
Thanks!
macmac138489
Registered charolais here..13-DO
DirtyWolfy
mmm.. all you can eat steak..
helicotrema
Would pet all day
Shockandawmanwasthatdissapointing
Neat. I'm writing a paper on the virtue ethics of contemporary husbandry practices. Which includes Cows. Yay cows.
SansAandAnguS
That's a good healthy looking herd. Take care of them.
IowaCornCob
I will! :)
beammeupscotty7
I care! I aspire to raise cattle one day, and it’s nice to know other people out there are on the same page as I am!
gibbinthegremlin
I so want a small ranch myself but would rather raise beefalo better for Australian weather
bowman1222
Congrats! Are you going to finish them out? Or just get em to 750 and sell? Looks like you are south of 80 btw. NW Iowa guy here.
IowaCornCob
NE here!
angelGrinderSciFiLover
how much $$ in feed does it take to get one from 500lb to 750lb?
ifIScreamIntoTheVoid
Congrats. I know nothing about cows, but having your own source of income is what the dreams about.
IowaCornCob
Thanks!!
groovydawgs
Hey @op, I'm an Iowan as well!!
npralle
NC Iowa here. How goes?
IowaCornCob
Neat! What part of the state?
VPpuppetmaster
Hey another Iowan here.
IowaCornCob
Cool, what part of the state?
VPpuppetmaster
Cedar rapids
justthetip1990
I look forward to meeting them in the grocery store
HerNameWasMagil
Did they shit on the leather interior of your car too?
sparklyladybits
IowaCornCob
I don’t have leather interiors lol
sparklyladybits
You've got a herd of leather
HomeSliceCoolBreeze
Gotta crate them in the car.
punkheadmema
I grew up on a feedlot in Colorado. Showed cattle in 4-H. May your herd be healthy and prosperous!!
TheGrinchStoleYourShit
Was never a fan of the hick Colorado town I grew up in, the Stampede every year was still fun though
punkheadmema
Hey I know that town, same town I grew up near! Went to the Stampede every year.
YesButAlsoYes
My sister sold a cow at the county auction through 4-h. Cow stepped on her foot and broke it during showing. Bidders went nuts in sympathy
Harambaegel
Aw
RudolftheRedNosedDuck
Damn good saleswoman right there. Playing the crowd. But seriously, hope her foot ended up okay.
Gafflesmaxx
Educate me a moment OP - is the thought to rear them for slaughter all at once? Or are you going to get a steer and breed them? Or both?
IowaCornCob
This group will be raised for slaughter. They are heifer so they could be kept for breeding but that would be a much longer term... 1/2
IowaCornCob
2/2 investment. More feed, vet, care expenses. Some day I’d love to have a breeding herd but not enough cash flow to make it work right now.
Gafflesmaxx
I'm legitimately curious what the best strategy here is
IowaCornCob
If you find out let me know lol, the best strategy is tough to find because the goal is to have your animal at the right weight when... 1/2
IowaCornCob
2/2... the market is highest. This is the case weather your raising calves to sell to finishing producers or if your selling fully grown...
IowaCornCob
...For slaughter. So idk if there really is a silver bullet strategy.
truthsmiles
I raise cattle (very small-time) and I care! That's a beautiful herd you've got there! What did you pay per pound (per head?) for them?
Hotword
.
IowaCornCob
They’re ~500lbs, running about 1.50
xj4low
Those cows insured if you haven't already. Coworker use to ranch. Said it wasn't uncommon to loose some in lightning storms.
truthsmiles
Nice! Not bad at all :-) Best of luck to you!
ZoooBug
So each one was about ~$750
AccioKittyKitty
Holy math degree! You got it!
mmmmmmmmmmmwhatyousay
$1.50?
saintedward
$3.50
Eclaircissement
I pay $1.88/lb when it's on sale at the supermarket
scarywarlock
That's why you buy small and fatten them up
etilauqa
you're obviously not buying steak
Eclaircissement
For $1.88 you don't ask
IowaCornCob
Per pound
huy5
Yes I'm a retard who is slow. Just want to clarify so that's roughly $750 per calf?
IowaCornCob
Roughly yes
Tornadotaco
Wow. So you buy them for 1.50lb, take care of them, someone kills then, someone butchers them, someone grinds up part of them, someone...
Tornadotaco
Wraps those bits of their body in plastic, some drives their mangled remains to a grocery store, someone puts that package on a shelf...
HD2composer
I did not know they were that cheap
IowaCornCob
These are quite a ways from becoming hamburger though, fully grown are more expensive. Also the feed cost is considerable since most are 1/2
IowaCornCob
2/2... fed for 24-30 months before they are finished. That said buying beef straight from a farmer is usually cheaper than grocery store :)
HD2composer
I want to learn this life. Advice for a city guy looking to learn? PM me if you want.
wint
When they’re adults they can get up to 1500-1800 lbs. we buy one every year split with my parents, cheaper than the grocery store by far.
BiliboyJenkins
Figure about half of live weight is actually meat after processing. Have a neighbor that'd buy 3 calves, raise, sell 2, process 1 to keep.
BlackPengu
Well, obviously. Literally all the store price is is labour, packaging, killing and cutting up + profit. If u do it urself = cheap
spashark
And if grass fed better than store bought
JayEnfield
Pro tip: If you keep feeding them, they turn into more cows... FOR FREE
l009
Like chickens, it's crazy right. Just feed them and they produce eggs. Who would of known. Amazing shit right there.
IowaCornCob
Definitely not for free lol
AccioKittyKitty
I meant the guy that said feed them for free! Getting my masters degree in animal Science, I know all too well how expensive cattle can be
AccioKittyKitty
Where do you get free feed? My wallet would love to know!
JayEnfield
It grows out of the ground for free! Fucking amazing!
IowaCornCob
Not in October-March lol
FromMatterSpace
Free range grazing, baby!
AccioKittyKitty
Yeah during most seasons... but where I’m from we don’t have bright green pastures year round. They still have to eat in the winter.
Voric13
Aren’t all the cows female?
MarthaRayeRaye
Enter the bull, the original service animal.
ipoopedmybum
Guessing you haven't seen how they impregnate cows eh? It involves a loooong glove.
CardioVascular
Or a tall bull....