Show cattle operation ideas would like input on this idea

[Ryan0587]

I want to start a show cattle operation and this idea will take about 15 to 20 years to get going all the way cause i am currently in the Army deployed but looking for ideas on what to do when i get out. so here is what i have thought up would like your input on what i have thought up.

1st in about 5 years from now start buying cows and starting a base line for this operation. do AI with them or maybe ET.

then in about 10 years increase the cow heard each year to a good number about 50 cows for now.

my questions are what are some good gentics to start with as far as mother cows.

where do you think the industry will be in about 10 years from now gentics wise.

whats a good state to start in. I'm hoping to get stationed in colorado and that's where i plan on starting this operation.

then when things get going good start the 1st annual Purple Heart sale being a Purple Heart recipient i would like to do something for Soldiers who get Purple Hearts and donate some money to the foundation. what would be a good number of steers and heifers to have for a sale?

I would also like input on what would be a good design for a show barn?

I would really like some input to make this dream come true so please if you have any good ideas or if i left something out please tell me.

Thanks Ryan

 

[Ryan0587]

I know this is far away but its never to early to start planning

 

[Gargan]

good luck and thanks for your service to our country. i would keep an eye on what cattle are doing over the next couple of yrs, as it changes pretty often. watch some sale results, show results, etc. there is actually tons of good info on this forum as to what are hot cattle at this point in time. Good functional, sound cattle are always in need. im by no means an expert but there are some really astute breeders on this forum that will add some info. <beer>

 

[The Show]

I like your idea! Do you want to raise purebred breeding cattle or market cattle? If your wanting to go market you'll want to have a lot of clubby crossbred stuff in your heard. If your wanting to go purebred, it depends on the breed. They all have their good bloodlines.

 

[mark tenenbaum]

its tough to cover all the bses at once-the good thing is there are so many breeding choices-and more and more clean bulls that oughta be dirty. O0

 

[Ryan0587]

I want to do a clubby operation but Ive always had a passion for Red Angus so they will be a side project for me to do. thanks for the info i will keep looking into sales and shows to see where the trends are now. Ive been out of things so long who's hot right now. are old bulls still being used today or is it going to newer bulls right now to breed to. and if there are any more ideas or people who i can get into contact with it would help so much. again thanks for the input and i hope to hear some more

Thanks Ryan

 

[justme]

Thank you for what you are doing.  Plus, I applaude you for making a plan.  What we did, was after we made our goals, I found a producer that had the "ideal" herd to me.  I started our herd by building females from this herd.  They have been great in mentoring us and helping us plan our goals for further out.  Finding a "mentor" that is doing things the way you want things to go is a nice way to start.

 

[knabe]

an important weight to keep in mind is 50,000 lbs.  that's the weight of a pot load.

that's 62 800lb calves
83 600 lb calves

anything less than a potload will cost you.

you could make it up by your own truck and trailer, but then be careful of state by state regulations for weight.

to get a calf from 600 to 800 and/or accumulate some takes some flexibility.

always remember how to maximize the lower end of your cattle, it's probably where most of your economic flexibility is.

the home runs won't consistently carry the day.

 

[ruhtram]

Ryan,
Like others have said its good you have goals/dreams b.c without them you would get no where! Make sure you write them down and look over them often so there fresh in your head.

 

[Ryan0587]

Thanks everyone for the input and i really like the mentor idea i just need to find one. and i do have these ideas written down i just wish time would go by faster so i can get started on this. so it looks like i need to start looking into a cow base that i like and will fit my needs and start from there. this all has been a big help. i know I'm missing ideas to my plan so please let me know if something big or small is missing i want this to be a success cause I'm working too hard right now for it not to be wen i get out of the Army

 

[simmyman67]

Yeah I know I have some good people in the cattle business who really help me. Just make sure you find some people you trust.

 

[Ryan0587]

im sure there are still some good people out there you can trust or at least i hope

 

[twistedhshowstock]

I think its good that you have goals and good that you are starting to plan early rather than just jumping into it on a whim.  I appreciate what you do for our country and if you do it right and raise the right kind of cattle I would definately do whatever I could to support your sale. 
As far as trends go I think its nearly impossible to predict them.  When I first started showing 20 or so yrs ago, we were showing huge framed cattle, no one then would have predicted we would be showing the small framed things we are today.  However I will say that the next logical area I see the trend going is back to a more complete calf and away from some of the freaks we have seen.  But since trends are hard to predict I always recomend just building your herd on good, complete cattle.  Moderate/Average framed, adequate muscling, sound, with some depth to them.  If you have good, complete cattle as the base of your herd, then it is easier to produce calves that follow the trends, because your bull choice will have greater effect. 
As far as old bulls being used. I guess it depends on what old bulls you are talking about.  The newer bulls came from those old genetics. Some of the good old bulls it is nearly impossible to find semen on anymore.  But I still see some good calves popping up out of the old bulls.  I like the idea of running some of the older genetics over the newer genetics, I think it gives us some genetic diversity and keeps the quality of our cattle good.

 

[Ryan0587]

You are so right Twisted about getting good complete cattle. as far as old bulls i was looking into Who Made Who just as an idea of older bulls to use today and in a few years will his semen still be around hard to say. i would and will strive to have a heard that is TH and PHA free but it looks like its getting harder to due all these new bulls out there are positive on one or both of them. so a question in the up coming years will it be harder to find a Clean Bull to breed to. will breeders start to weed out these bulls and try to get more clean bulls out there? and what are your thoughts on running colored momma cows to have color but when black is needed just use black bulls to fill in if  needed.

Thanks Ryan

 

[twistedhshowstock]

I dont think we will ever get rid of all carrier bulls, but with the number of people who are adamantly against using a carrier regardless of situation I think we will see more good clean bulls on the market.  I am a WMW fan and I think he will always have a place, his semen is gonna get harder to find though. I really like WMW and Ali for making replacement females.
I personally like a good colored calf, but I am also in TX where they do better.  I have no problem putting good colored cows in the herd, if you feel like you absolutely need a black calf out of one of them then you can just run a homozygous black bull over them.

 

[JTM]

Your post got me excited because it shows your passion for the cattle industry and how much we enjoy it. Thank you so much for your service of our country. I was thinking a good foundation that I would start with would be some Angus/Shorthorn cross females. Then when I read that you like Red Angus I thought it was a no brainer. I wouldn't start with the clubby kind necessarily but keep them attractive with maternal traits and the ability to spit out calves. I would also suggest that you complete your thoughts by creating a business plan. That way you can think out all of the capital equipment you will need, buildings, and what kind of cattle at what stage. This is what I did about three years ago and we are starting to kick into full throttle here in a year or two. I also like the previous suggestion of getting mentors. I have had some really good mentors around me lately that I can ask anything. Don't ever be too proud to ask stupid questions because once you learn it then you can apply it. Good luck and God bless you for what you have done protecting our freedom.

 

[Ryan0587]

Well I'm glad breeders are taking a stand against the TH and PHA bulls. And I would like the thank everyone for thanks me for serving our country it means a lot to me. i really like the Angus shorthorn cross Ive always liked what they created. (JTM) i know of some of the equipment i need but is there a websit i can go to to get a complete list and another webstie where i can look show barns and get an idea of what barn i want to build and what i need in this barn. one thing i have learned is there is no such thing as a stupid question cause not asking a question could get someone killed. that's what we live by. (Twisted) i really like WMW heifers and cows i just hope when i start this that his genetics will still be around and if I'm lucky semen to breed to. all of these responses has me very excited to start this and i will i could start now but i cant i just hope time goes by fast. I'm always looking forward to more responses to my idea it means a lot to me.

Thanks Ryan

 

[JTM]

I don't know about any websites that tell you what all you would need. The business plan sample should help you think of the general areas to cover. You will want to focus on items that will help you be as efficient and hands off as much as possible. Let the cattle work for you. Hay equipment and tractors are one of the big expenses. For barns, I would talk to a good local lumber yard. The one I had build my barns actually engineer the barn, make drawings, and hire a crew to come out and put it up. Your going to want a feed room and a washing area or wash room with drain. Electric, water, automatic waterers, chute system, I can go on and on. Part of the fun is trying to think of all the things and finding the best deals and people to help you out.

 

[Ryan0587]

Thanks JTM i have all ready started drawing up barns with the ideas you said. but here are some more questions that i have. what would be a good state to settle down in and start this. and how does someone new to the business market his cattle so others will want to come and look and buy. i know if you have good cattle they will sell themselves but how do you get people to know you have good cattle and setting prices. how do you set a price on a steers head that accurate and fair where they buyer is not paying too much for the animal and your not loosing money. i hope the whole pricing the animal gets easier with time but starting out I'm running blind here.

Thanks Ryan

 

[JTM]

Haha! I'm still trying to figure that one out! This year I'm pricing everything below what I think they could bring so that I can get some good calves out there and get our name out. It will also hopefully help us to get them sold quicker. Sometimes I wonder if people don't call because I'm not asking enough for the calves and they think they must be no good. As far as a state goes, if your thinking club calves, you will probably want to be thinking Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa. These are probably the top club calf states for cattle. You will also get a lot of grazing days in these states. Colorado could be difficult if you have to deal with the amount of snow in the winter, etc. There may still be some cheap land in Illinois, not sure.