Bred cow prices

[WiltonRanch]

Yeah the old days of penning up the critters for
most of the winter is on the way out with disco,
discers, and box drills. Cows cant afford too much
green paint or diesel. We are figuring this out finally.

Later calving, more bale grazing, less reliance on
equipment and less labour. My work force is either
on the wrong side of 70 or under 5. Soon will be a 1
man show and 300 cows. Gotta love a good horse
and dog.

[ASRG]

Just wondering if there has ever been a study done on actual costs (not feed...one way or other they have to have a certain level of feed)? Mechanical costs per cow per day?

[grassfarmer]

That's a good point ASRG. An Alberta AG "average
yardage" cost is often quoted in articles promoting
alternate systems of feeding but I don't know how
recent or what the research was to establish that.
Average is one thing - the range of variation interests
me more - but at the end of the day you have to
know your own cost, thats the only one that matters.

[WiltonRanch]

A person definately must crunch their own
numbers. That being said, folks who purport that
bale grazing late calving etc will save the farm, and
earl calving and tractor feeding will brake you is not
always the case. I get pissed at people with that
condescending attitude. My situation i need to
reduce the need for extra labour.

[smcgrath76]

I think each person needs to look at and
assess their own operational base and
skill set. I think a newer tractor
needs to be spread over a lot of cows or
additional enterprises
(cows/grain/oilfield ploughing/etc.)
There are lots of guys with higher costs
that make it, they also have a higher
risk per calf than a fellow with lower
costs.
To each his own, but I know that grazing
longer saves us a lot of $ and doesn't
make that calf worth any less.

[Horse]

Get a grazing lease and then set back and look after that cow because she will sure be looking after you, money in your pocket. Let the good times roll!!!!!