Sunday Solopreneur
Read on my website – Read time: 5-6 minutes
Cattle Farming 101:
What I Didn’t Cover in the Video
If you caught my latest video, “Cattle Farming 101: Start Here,” you’ve already got the basics of getting started with cattle. If not, be sure to check it out!
Today, I want to add a few things I didn’t cover in the video—details to consider if you’re serious about adding cattle to your part-time farming mix. Let’s dive in.
Cost of Starting Out
First up, costs. If you’re planning on buying cattle, budget between $1,500 and $2,000 per head. This varies depending on whether you’re starting with a calf, steer, or a full-size cow.
Then there’s fencing and water setup. Good news: there are grants to help with those expenses, so it’s worth looking into. But let’s break down the rest:
- Purchase: Around $2,000 per head
- Processing: Another $800
- Feed (hay): Figure about $700 for two seasons if you’re not growing your own
That’s a decent upfront investment ($3500), but here’s the silver lining: even with high cattle prices, you can still make around $4,000 to $5,000 per head if you sell all the cuts.
Just remember, selling all those cuts takes some work, but the payoff can be worth it.
Don’t Forget Your Time
Running cattle isn’t just a dollar investment—it’s a time investment too. How much? Well, that depends on your setup.
If you’re doing farmers’ markets, be prepared to put in a lot of hours.
Honestly, that’s why I keep reminding you guys to build an email list. A good list lets you sell directly from your farm, saving you from the time sink of a farmers’ market.
Cattle Personalities: The Good, the Bad, and the Unexpected
Most cattle are pretty chill, but every once in a while, you’ll get a “wild card.” Bulls and new mothers can be aggressive, and occasionally, there’s just one with a crazy streak—could be a steer, heifer, doesn’t matter. Those guys don’t stay here long.
If you’re working with a lot of cattle, it’s also good to remember: they can get stressed. Loading and moving cattle takes patience. Push too hard, and you’ll learn the hard way—ask me how I know.
One time, I rushed it. We we’re loading a steer to go to the processor. I got impatient and started being loud, trying to turn the animal towards the trailer. He saw a gate instead. He put his nose just under it, and proceeded to rip the gate off the hinges. Back out to the pasture he went.
Was it his fault. Nope. I got impatient (and very inexperienced). I wanted him on that trailer and he had other ideas. Lesson learned: Slow down. Sometimes the cattle just need to think getting on the trailer is their own idea, and they will with patience.
For handling tips, Temple Grandin’s books are worth a look. They’re geared toward bigger operations, but a lot of the advice translates to small farms like ours.
Beef: The Tried and True Bestseller
People love their beef—more than chicken or pork in my experience. If you’re considering adding cattle, know this: beef practically sells itself.
We do beef shares—eighths, quarters, halves, and whole animals—and it’s a great way to move big amounts at once, giving you a nice boost in cash flow.
Plus, you can charge a premium for grass-fed beef, especially when customers know exactly where it comes from. Being transparent builds trust, and your customers will appreciate it.
You can build that trust with emails, social media posts, farm tours. You’ll have customers not only buy from you because you’re doing it right, but they’ll buy from you because it’s you. That’s what building trust can do for your farm.
Thinking of Diversifying? Give Cattle a Shot
Cattle have become my favorite part of the farm. They’re simple to manage: give them grass, water, and rotate them around, and they’re happy. In winter, you can manage it all with a tractor.
If raising chickens or pigs is wearing you out, consider cattle. In my opinion, they’re surprisingly low-maintenance compared to pigs and chickens. Personally, I think I’ll still be running cattle when I’m too old to lift a chicken tractor or lug pig feed bags.
Look out for Part Two of the video coming next week! Thanks for reading and Happy Farming!
|
