Starting a small club calf operation

[jagerbeef]

We started a few years ago and we started with easy fleshing cows that could grow big calves and then started to ai them. Last year we put in three embryos and two stuck this year we put in three and we find out if any stuck on Monday already had two get bred by bull so that leaves just one that could have an embryo calf.  Over the last couple years we started to go out of state and buy some higher $ breds, most guys are very honest and open about there cattle. However just because you spend a lot of money on one doesn't make her an automatic money maker.  Chad Holtkamp had it in his sale catalog that it costs the same to feed a great cow as it does a poor cow.  Embryos are not a sure thing one year you will have a bunch of et calves and the next you won't but what will you get out of those recip cows if they don't catch to the egg?  Buy cattle that you are proud to have around and not ones you are embarrassed to have people see when they come to buy calves.

Just my 2 cents

 

[Limiman12]

Jagar makes a good point, but I never said buy piece of crap cows though, and AI is far from a guarantee also.  Can have great conception or poor, and there is no guarantee the mating will work.    I look at it as 65% at a proven mating vs 75% at an unproven mating.    Either way you are gonna get calves out of the clean up bull....  Et one cycle ai the next turn out bull with solid cows that you don't have to pay an arm and a leg for.

 

[knabe]

I'm 15 years old and iv been showing steers and heifers for 2 years, but if only owned my current steer. I want to start a small herd of about 4-6 cows and breed my own calf's, and slowly grow it to a large club calf operation. What are some tips anyone would give me. I would also like to hear story's on how you guys got started, the troubles you had and such.

Go work for someone. It will be the quickest way to learn.

Go work for someone who shows cattle and someone who raises commercial cattle.

 

[zac_norwood]

There's a guy down the road that breeds club calf's that I'm buying my next steer from, he has been teaching me alot, I also have a friend that works for genex that is going to teach me how to AI. I can't find a tech for embyros close by so iv ruled that out, I'm still not sure whether I want to buy good cows from a established club calf farm or go the F1 route

 

[Warrior10]

There's a guy down the road that breeds club calf's that I'm buying my next steer from, he has been teaching me alot, I also have a friend that works for genex that is going to teach me how to AI. I can't find a tech for embyros close by so iv ruled that out, I'm still not sure whether I want to buy good cows from a established club calf farm or go the F1 route

Sounds like you have a good mindset and are headed in the right direction!