Hi all,
Like Klause I'm a young guy looking at grain prices and
having trouble squaring them. Pre-BSE I had a small herd
of purebred Herefords but between university, good grain
prices and poor cattle prices that venture came to an
abrupt end. Having cattle year round still doesn't fit but
I was thinking about grassers. Trouble is I've forgotten
most of what I knew about the beasts. Anyway here's the
plan comments and critique would be greatly appreciated.
-7 1/4's of poor dark brown soil near Biggar, Sk with
plenty of fresh water.
-Seeding down to winter wheat or rye and safoin (other non
bloat legume???)
-Buy 500 weights, $1.60-1.80 run them for 90 days sell
them as 800 weights for $1.50-1.70. ADG 2.9lbs
-I would use temporary fence moving them daily, this would
give them about 12 ac/day. July 1 to October 1.
My thoughts are if the grain markets turn around I can
spray out the safoin next year give the winter cereal some
fert and take off a crop, if not I will repeat the
grassers. I would like to cover mortgage payments and make
a little money on this but a break-even with a reduced
fert bill next year and the soil benefits is worth alot
too.
Questions...
Will a spring seeded winter cereal legume make enough
quality feed at this stocking rate?
Is safoin the answer or is there something better? Will it
catch with winter cereals or be choked out?
Is there a snowballs chance in hell of getting calves to
respect an electric fence?
-Is 2.9lbs ADG to aggressive? What about the other #'s
-Will I even be able to find 500 grassers come July?
-Is buying heifers and a couple of bulls and selling breds
in the fall a better way to go for some of them?
Tear it appart guys, this little venture would cost me
more than putting in a crop and since the whole reason for
this would be to stop the bleeding I want to make sure I
get it right.
Thanks in advance.
AdamO
Like Klause I'm a young guy looking at grain prices and
having trouble squaring them. Pre-BSE I had a small herd
of purebred Herefords but between university, good grain
prices and poor cattle prices that venture came to an
abrupt end. Having cattle year round still doesn't fit but
I was thinking about grassers. Trouble is I've forgotten
most of what I knew about the beasts. Anyway here's the
plan comments and critique would be greatly appreciated.
-7 1/4's of poor dark brown soil near Biggar, Sk with
plenty of fresh water.
-Seeding down to winter wheat or rye and safoin (other non
bloat legume???)
-Buy 500 weights, $1.60-1.80 run them for 90 days sell
them as 800 weights for $1.50-1.70. ADG 2.9lbs
-I would use temporary fence moving them daily, this would
give them about 12 ac/day. July 1 to October 1.
My thoughts are if the grain markets turn around I can
spray out the safoin next year give the winter cereal some
fert and take off a crop, if not I will repeat the
grassers. I would like to cover mortgage payments and make
a little money on this but a break-even with a reduced
fert bill next year and the soil benefits is worth alot
too.
Questions...
Will a spring seeded winter cereal legume make enough
quality feed at this stocking rate?
Is safoin the answer or is there something better? Will it
catch with winter cereals or be choked out?
Is there a snowballs chance in hell of getting calves to
respect an electric fence?
-Is 2.9lbs ADG to aggressive? What about the other #'s
-Will I even be able to find 500 grassers come July?
-Is buying heifers and a couple of bulls and selling breds
in the fall a better way to go for some of them?
Tear it appart guys, this little venture would cost me
more than putting in a crop and since the whole reason for
this would be to stop the bleeding I want to make sure I
get it right.
Thanks in advance.
AdamO