Extending the Grazing Season and MIG Rotational Grazing Plans

[Farmer Kitty]

Imissmygirls, thank you. It's nice to know that I've walk the line correctly!

 

[WildRoseBeef]

On the contrary, I expected this forum to cater to back yard cows rather than commercial herds.
AS a person who grew up on a commercial family run dairy farm and then had a true backyard cow ( ok front yard cos my house is in the back of the property), it is really two different ways of management.
You can take the principles of the commercial herd and convert to backyard cow, but I can't really think of any way it goes in reverse.

It's fortunate to have moderators who have commercial herds because the more animals you have, the more likely they have run into unusual situations or the more likely they can describe the normal.
IMHO the folks in charge do a very good and fair job of straddling the middle.

Well, for those points I can't really say I don't agree with you. However, with your definition of commercial going to small-scale but not vice versa seems to be a bit misleading to me...unless you can explain it further for me.

 

[Nifty]

For the record: This forum is for anyone interested in raising cows... 1 or 1,000. Of course those with a huge herd of cattle will probably tend not to visit this forum because they will already know what they need and probably are too busy to visit a cow community... but if they need info or want to be active here, then they are all welcome.

As long as the rules are kept, we allow the comments / discussions. We don't allow people to belittle others even if they disagree with their opinions.

 

[WildRoseBeef]

All right, thanks for that Nifty.

 

[Imissmygirls]

WRB, I guess the main difference I see that the principles don't reverse is that mean old thing $$. Commercial herds have to make money. ( OK , we all know that some are just tax deductions, but that's another story) But the principle of commercial herds is to make enough money so the farmer can live a somewhat decent life. That fact alone colors much of the farm life ranging from minimizing vet bills, feed bills, yet keeping animals healthy to make a profit to buying the correct breed and breeding to be profitable. No use buying a dairy cow that doesn't produce to a certain standard or a beef that doesn't produce to a standard of meat. I still can hear Pop say " We can't run this business on sympathy"
Family cows, on the other hand, have MUCH more leeway in all of these. Yes, the family wants to save/make $ on it but if it is a breakeven , they will survive, and some will subsidize. I know we certainly did not make money on our family cow or heifers, but I wasn't raising them to make money. I had different principles leading me: feeding the family and providing education for my kids.
OK, the one thing I can say that family cow has it over commercial herd is in the teaching of children. You don't generally get the interaction/teaching with a commercial herd that is possible with smaller.
Actually, I think MissKitty has the best of both worlds. Herd small enough to personalize and (hopefully) large enough to make a profit.

 

[WildRoseBeef]

WRB, I guess the main difference I see that the principles don't reverse is that mean old thing $$. Commercial herds have to make money. ( OK , we all know that some are just tax deductions, but that's another story) But the principle of commercial herds is to make enough money so the farmer can live a somewhat decent life. That fact alone colors much of the farm life ranging from minimizing vet bills, feed bills, yet keeping animals healthy to make a profit to buying the correct breed and breeding to be profitable. No use buying a dairy cow that doesn't produce to a certain standard or a beef that doesn't produce to a standard of meat. I still can hear Pop say " We can't run this business on sympathy"
Family cows, on the other hand, have MUCH more leeway in all of these. Yes, the family wants to save/make $ on it but if it is a breakeven , they will survive, and some will subsidize. I know we certainly did not make money on our family cow or heifers, but I wasn't raising them to make money. I had different principles leading me: feeding the family and providing education for my kids.
OK, the one thing I can say that family cow has it over commercial herd is in the teaching of children. You don't generally get the interaction/teaching with a commercial herd that is possible with smaller.
Actually, I think MissKitty has the best of both worlds. Herd small enough to personalize and (hopefully) large enough to make a profit.

I see now. It was really late when I asked that so I guess I wasn't thinking about what you said more clearly than you did now. Thanks.

 

[kstaven]

You have more leeway with animals when you cater to niche markets also.