Advice on expanding herd

[IlliniBeef]

Hey all, long time lurker first time posting!!  A little history on our current operation first.  We have around 20 cows, mix of shorthorn and angus. Mostly females that were old show heifers.  We just sell the calves as show stock or feed out the rest for freezer beef.  Like everyone else here cattle is my passion!  Would love to expand and let it consume my life a little more.  Thinking of expanding up to around 80-90 Angus cows and selling the calves a little after weaning as feeders or replacements.  Not sure if willing to take the risk of feeding out with feed costs at the moment.  We have the land to expand just to figure out if it will pencil out in the end.  One possible problem is that I live in the NE corner of Illinois.  Is there really a market up here for feeder calves/replacements other than sale barns?  Or how do I find the market?  Am I aiming too low on my number for cows?  Am I just crazy?

Thanks for any help or advice!!!

 

[sue]

You're not crazy. 

 

[cpubarn]

You're not crazy. 

I think the correct phrase  would be... You are not any more crazy than the rest of us...

I think if you have feed supply, it could be an awesome time to expand.  Lots of bred heifers/cows for sale around here at the moment.  What the weather/feed supply will be this summer is what is hold some of us back. 

Mark

 

[RyanChandler]

If you have the land, it will absolutely pencil out.  W/o a land expense, the returns on  a cow calf operation are about as lucrative as any investment I can think of.

 

[JTM]

Sounds like a great idea to me. I would just advise that you make sure you have plenty of hay ground and pasture ground and plan on trying to get a grazing system that can get you as close to year around grazing as possible. That is a key to lower expenses I believe... Best of luck to you!

Oh yeah, crossing Shorthorns and Angus is the way to go!