Well I try not to look at it that way but maybe I should! I don't know...the darned grass is there...and I have to do something with it. Not to keen on renting it out either.
The only land that isn't paid for is the 320 acres the boy bought last year and that was truly a sweetheart deal. We actually have too much grass for the cows we have, but I figure better too much than not enough! They can always clean it up in the spring!
When we made the decision to keep the scrubs and buy a few more, we realized we would have too much grass for just the cows, even though the boy bought 40 more young cows. We also suspected the border might not open until the fall of 05 and we figured we didn't want to come to a poor spring market with 900 lb. calves. But we've always fed some calves for the grass market...usually our own grass unless the spring prices are really good.
A tough fed calf should be able to put on at least 200 lbs. by September? That isn't even a very impressive gain! Last year we sold them right around that 1050 lb. range. I suspect these calves might get there as they are gaining like crazy!
By the way, the sprayed out buck brush seems to be working. After killing it off we mowed it down with a brush cutter and the grass is coming on strong.
The only land that isn't paid for is the 320 acres the boy bought last year and that was truly a sweetheart deal. We actually have too much grass for the cows we have, but I figure better too much than not enough! They can always clean it up in the spring!
When we made the decision to keep the scrubs and buy a few more, we realized we would have too much grass for just the cows, even though the boy bought 40 more young cows. We also suspected the border might not open until the fall of 05 and we figured we didn't want to come to a poor spring market with 900 lb. calves. But we've always fed some calves for the grass market...usually our own grass unless the spring prices are really good.
A tough fed calf should be able to put on at least 200 lbs. by September? That isn't even a very impressive gain! Last year we sold them right around that 1050 lb. range. I suspect these calves might get there as they are gaining like crazy!
By the way, the sprayed out buck brush seems to be working. After killing it off we mowed it down with a brush cutter and the grass is coming on strong.
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