New to Cattle

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Meadow, I applaud you for your ability to provide grass forage on your 7 acres for your 55 head of sheep and goats. This small paddock meathod to increase animal units per acre works great under the right soil type, rainfall, and sunshine conditions to produce feed needed to sustain the ratation of the subject animals. While here in the Far West where we have alkaline soil , hard pan at the surface or just below it, NO rainfall from mid May to mid Nov. ( they don't call Cal. the "Golden State" for it's gold) . My neighbor, just 1 mile down the road at the rolling hills ( elevtion of 500'-1500') of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, owns 5,000 acres and can only run 100 beef cows and their calves (total 200 head). He has to wean the calves and feed good quality alfalfa hay plus grains to these calves from May toNov. in a feed lot, then marketed when they reach 1,000 pounds. Cows are returned to pasture. This equates to 1 cow per 25+/- acres. I own 20 acres , 2 acres is in house and grounds, 18 acres is in 4 pastures. This 18 acres can support 2 mature mares and their foals for about 8 months the rest of 30 head has to be fed alfalfa hay + grain year round. As in real estate values ... Location, location, location makes all the difference !

I agree, I am also in California, and when I first started on here everyone told me an acre wasn't enough for my 6 (soon to be 12) goats, but what I realized is that here in Cali almost EVERYONE is on what they call a "dry lot" where you supplement 100% of their feed... that's just the way it is here... dry dry dry... we haven't had rain in months and months...

 

[DAVIS FARM]

i have been a cattle farmer for many yrs...it takes 2 acres for each cow here in NC....now if your only going to have one baby for slaughter..the best thing for you to do is to go to a sale barn and buy a few BEEF babies to raise...note, that when they are large enough to butcher..you need to butcher them or sale them because you dont have the grass to keep them happy and fat..but go buy meat cows...they are better meat than a milk cow bred with a beef cow..no sense in that if your wanting a cow for food...BEEF meat..since you dont have the land i will go ahead and tell you..2 cows will eat 2 whole round bales every 2 to 3 days when locked into a small 3 acre lot..because thats all they have to eat...but 100 % grass feeds are what satisfy them..there is no need for man made feeds if you give them grasses/hays 24/7...man made feed cause you more problems than if you just feed grass/hays...trust me..they wont collic, they will never get gut problems unless you dont worm them..thats also a must when on a very small lot..you cant get out of that...cows are expensive to raise if you only have a small lot to be able to keep them happy....cows not feed right will go look for food.. they can jump over your fences for others pastures/pretty flowered neighbors yards..and let me tell you..they can jump over a 6 ft fence standing still and in one jump..i have witnessed it many times

 

[meadow1view]

Meadow, I applaud you for your ability to provide grass forage on your 7 acres for your 55 head of sheep and goats. This small paddock meathod to increase animal units per acre works great under the right soil type, rainfall, and sunshine conditions to produce feed needed to sustain the ratation of the subject animals. While here in the Far West where we have alkaline soil , hard pan at the surface or just below it, NO rainfall from mid May to mid Nov. ( they don't call Cal. the "Golden State" for it's gold) . My neighbor, just 1 mile down the road at the rolling hills ( elevtion of 500'-1500') of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, owns 5,000 acres and can only run 100 beef cows and their calves (total 200 head). He has to wean the calves and feed good quality alfalfa hay plus grains to these calves from May toNov. in a feed lot, then marketed when they reach 1,000 pounds. Cows are returned to pasture. This equates to 1 cow per 25+/- acres. I own 20 acres , 2 acres is in house and grounds, 18 acres is in 4 pastures. This 18 acres can support 2 mature mares and their foals for about 8 months the rest of 30 head has to be fed alfalfa hay + grain year round. As in real estate values ... Location, location, location makes all the difference !

Actually Holistic Management is far more than small paddock methodology (that is more of a MIG system). I will provide some links for ranches all over the US that are employing Holistic Management (yes, even in CA). There are many ranches located in New Mexico and Texas also. As far as Holistic Management working well under the right soil type, rainfall, etc. - the real reason one should use a practice that mimics nature is because the benefits are realized when conditions are not favorable (which seems to be most of the time). Our operation came through very harsh conditions this year (D4 drought most of the summer and just now back to D1 conditions). The benefits include :
"Holistic Management embraces and honors the complexity of nature, and uses natures models to bring practical approaches to land management, and restoration. The planning procedures embedded in the Holistic Management approach are designed to incorporate this complexity and work with it.It does take time, skills and discipline to use this decision-making framework successfully but the economic, environmental and social benefits are enormous." http://www.savoryinstitute.com/holistic-management/


increased soil matter, increased microbial activity, denser foliage to protect soil from extreme temperatures, increased animal performance, more effective mineral and water cycles, and biodiversity to ward of pestilence.

http://www.countryworldnews.com/news-archives/CTX/2005/ct0707ranch.php
http://holisticmanagement.org/holistic-management/case-studies/case-studies-blacktone-ranch/

What some are doing in California:

http://paicinesranch.com/index.php
http://bigbluffranch.com/our-cows-and-sheep.html

Photos of before and after on ranch in Zimbabwe
http://managingwholes.com/zimbabwe.htm

We implemented Holistic Management (when we owned a larger farm several years ago) because we were tired of the droughts (or near droughts) that seem to hit Missouri every summer greatly diminishing our carrying capacity. We commercially raised Red Angus cattle, Boer goats, dairy goats, and Dorper sheep. After beginning Holistic, our pasture production increased year after year without inputs and we never fed hay until winter. So......the benefits really are more intended to be realized during the tough times rather than when everyone is getting adequate rain and sunshine.

As I have said before, my intention is merely to relate my experiences to others so they can investigate for themselves what they want to do in their specific operation. If folks like you and me don't speak up, then how will anyone be able to obtain an answer to the question they are posing?

In our operation, we do not use chemicals of any sort, hormones, fertilizers, etc.. This greatly helps to minimize our vulnerabilities to market swings in commodity pricing. That is the real reason so many farmers are going out of business here in Missouri this year, they cannot afford all of the inputs needed to keep their operation going. Droughts are not killers like many would have us to believe, otherwise we all would be out of business here. Management, as in any business, is crucial to success. What will we do when fuel goes to $5, $6, or more per gallon, fertilizer increases by another 50% and all the while the producer (average farmer) is recouping a very small pay increase? This is really the heart of the matter. How do we insulate ourselves from outside forces that are constantly trying to put us out of business? What is the healthiest food we can raise for our families? These are some easy questions that demand tough answers. It is not easy, but we must give it our best effort, in my opinion. I want something to pass on to my children.

 

[Bossroo]

Here is my experience... We purchased what was open range land for cattle raising since 1850's. The 4 surrounding properties are fallow. I had 3 D9's deep rip the hardpan soil, then grade it to level it as it had 1-4' hillets , then for proper drainage I had them install drain ditches along fence lines to staighten out 3 very shallow ( 5" to 12" deep presenting a dander to horses if the lay down near them and then can't get up) and meandering run off riverets. At a cost of $ 19,000 18 years ago. On my 20 acres I ran 33 head of my own horses, plus about that many outside visiting mares for breeding. I have to purchase way over 100 tons of the best quality alfalfa hay that I can buy, plus 20-30 tons of top quality oat, wheat and barley hay, then add another 25-30 tons of grain and that adds up to quite a manure pile over the last 18 years which was applied to my pastures. I had my Vet. out every other day during the breeding season to palpate mares for ovulation check, then pregancy checks, and any injuries or illness and needed standing surgery in stocks that may occur. Also, since we had many outside mares come and some with unknown or questionable health issues, he advised the best practice for us was to vaccinate for infectous maladies, a regular worming program, etc. which isn't cheep. I also have to be very aware that herbicides and/or pesticides may cause health or abortion issues on my customers' mares as well as my own, therefore I didn't apply any of them. The only exception was to purchase poison grain from the County to be applied into ground squerrel ( by the dozens) tunnels as the entrance holes pose great danger for horses to break their legs. Now with all this tonage of organic material contained in the road apples, and planted with the best performing grasses for the soil and water needs on my ranch ( no irrigation water is available and there is only 6.5" to 10" supplied from the big sprinkler in the sky from Mid Nov.- mid May) on the advice of University range land management Professor and County Ag. Advisor. My pasture grass production and carrying capacity has only increased slightly. As always, everything depends on location, location, location.

 

[lovinglife]

We have 3 acres of good pasture that is watered regularly. We had two holstien steers on it for two years. We did feed hay daily and grain, but our pasture was still good. They were eating pasture until the day we hauled them in to the butcher. The grass was not knee high by any means but we had a good 4-5 inches over most of our pasture. We don't plan to keep cows on a regular basis, just when we need the meat so our pasture will have a year or so to bounce back fully, maybe that is how we can get away with it.

 

[greybeard]

You "kept 2 steers for 2 years" on 3 acres. 2 years is a "bit" longer than I've ever kept a steer.
I'm curious--what was their finish weight?