B&B Happy goats
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You gotta do what works for you and Teresa, 
Teresa & Mike CHS - Our journal
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farmerjan
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I completely get the animals taking over. My son and I have been having conversations like that recently, also. One of the reasons that we have cut our mature "cow herd" down from the 200 to about 150 and may cut it more. It is definitely a bigger scale than your sheep, but the same perspective. We are tossing around the possibility of buying feeders to get our numbers up during the grass season, and then selling them off. Cutting back to 100 cow/calf operation. And doing some manipulating so that we can buy during the "cheaper cattle price" times, with stockpiled hay that won't "have to be fed" to our cows. We are also tired of seemingly always working for the cows, instead of them working for us.
ESPECIALLY with the way cattle prices have been the last few years. I think I have said on here that if we should see an upturn in prices that I was going to sell off half my cows and bank that money because we are not making it now.
He is actually been making some money, going to some of these auctions/cattle sales, and buying some feeders that might be rough looking or thin, or sometimes even too fat, and bringing them home, and feeding them for a month or so and then putting groups together to resell. If you know what you are doing, you can sometimes pick up some animals for 10 to 40 cents less than what most are bringing. Alot of times buying bulls as feeders, for 10-30cents a lb. less than steers, bringing them home and castrating, then getting them "going" and selling as steers when they are healed. Making bigger groups to sell together which often bring more per pound than singles do.
You make your money in cattle at the BUYing price, not at the selling price. That is where the cow/calf producer, like us, gets screwed all the time. There is a fixed cost to keep that cow for the year, like with keeping the ewe for the year. Then you hope she has a healthy baby(ies) and they all live and grow and that the prices are good when you sell. When you have to keep putting in more money, like bought hay, and grain, and then your increased time, there comes a point where it is not profitable anymore. I don't know where all the feeders are going to come from down the road if all the "smaller guys" keep cutting back or go out. Someday, the cow/calf, ewe/lamb, nanny/kid producers will be appreciated and we will make some money. Problem is, it runs in cycles and the ups aren't as good or as often as the downs.
ESPECIALLY with the way cattle prices have been the last few years. I think I have said on here that if we should see an upturn in prices that I was going to sell off half my cows and bank that money because we are not making it now.
He is actually been making some money, going to some of these auctions/cattle sales, and buying some feeders that might be rough looking or thin, or sometimes even too fat, and bringing them home, and feeding them for a month or so and then putting groups together to resell. If you know what you are doing, you can sometimes pick up some animals for 10 to 40 cents less than what most are bringing. Alot of times buying bulls as feeders, for 10-30cents a lb. less than steers, bringing them home and castrating, then getting them "going" and selling as steers when they are healed. Making bigger groups to sell together which often bring more per pound than singles do.
You make your money in cattle at the BUYing price, not at the selling price. That is where the cow/calf producer, like us, gets screwed all the time. There is a fixed cost to keep that cow for the year, like with keeping the ewe for the year. Then you hope she has a healthy baby(ies) and they all live and grow and that the prices are good when you sell. When you have to keep putting in more money, like bought hay, and grain, and then your increased time, there comes a point where it is not profitable anymore. I don't know where all the feeders are going to come from down the road if all the "smaller guys" keep cutting back or go out. Someday, the cow/calf, ewe/lamb, nanny/kid producers will be appreciated and we will make some money. Problem is, it runs in cycles and the ups aren't as good or as often as the downs.
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Mike CHS
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A friend of ours is the auctioneer at the Columbia stock yard and he has told us that for as far back as he could remember, 90% or better of the sheep run through there has been the small (under 100 head) producers. He said many are quitting or reducing herd size as the majority of their sellers are senior. A couple of months ago, Teresa and I were driving by the boat ramp for Laural Hill Lake and we both looked at each other and said at the same time, "When was the last time we went fishing?" That led to more talk about when was the last time that I made a piece of furniture and a whole lot more - when questions. 
Most here haven't been to our home but every piece of furniture here was made by us.
Most here haven't been to our home but every piece of furniture here was made by us. - Thread starter
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Mike CHS
Herd Master
We pulled the twins that were born this morning. The ewe never did drop any milk so we fed them some colostrum and milk during the day but gave them to our Mennonite friends. She has been in the stall bawling all day but I just checked her again and there is nothing in her udder.
thistlebloom
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That's amazing. That really puts a lot of depth to your history together. To look around the room and say, 'remember when...' .
farmerjan
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Sounds like a smart move on the newest set of twins. With her being early, she might have come in eventually, but probably not as much as they would need anyway. One less job for you both to have to fool with. We have found that raising bottle lambs is just not economically sound due to the amount of time you have to devote and the cost of replacer if you do not have a source of milk.
I think going fishing sounds like a great prospect. Speaking of that, caught a news story of the largest Lake trout ever caught in NH by a guy while ice fishing. Since my parents live in NH and I used to get to ice fish in the winter as a kid, just thought it was neat. Topped the old record by over 9 lbs. It was a BIG FISH.
I am in total envy of your woodworking ability. I think that is really special. Hope you get to do some more of it after this years lambs are sold and ewe numbers are reduced.
I think going fishing sounds like a great prospect. Speaking of that, caught a news story of the largest Lake trout ever caught in NH by a guy while ice fishing. Since my parents live in NH and I used to get to ice fish in the winter as a kid, just thought it was neat. Topped the old record by over 9 lbs. It was a BIG FISH.
I am in total envy of your woodworking ability. I think that is really special. Hope you get to do some more of it after this years lambs are sold and ewe numbers are reduced.
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Mike CHS
Herd Master
Jan it didn't take much math last year to see what a black hole our two bottle lambs were. The cost of replacer was indeed more than the sale price would have been. The Mennonites that we give to have both goats and dairy cattle so they take all the free lambs they can get.
Ice fishing is one of the few things I miss after living in Michigan. There was some great fishing on Brighton Lake where my aunt and uncle lived.
Ice fishing is one of the few things I miss after living in Michigan. There was some great fishing on Brighton Lake where my aunt and uncle lived.
Baymule
Herd Master
I get where you are coming from. You have to take time for each other. Fishing sounds like some much needed fun. You can get too much going on that it becomes a chore and it's not enjoyed as much anymore.
We got 2 feeder pigs a month ago and just got 50 Cornish Cross chicks, so we'll be tied down to feed, water, feed, water, rinse, repeat, repeat and repeat some more. But it pays for what we keep and we even make a little (very little) on it. I am always glad to see them go. LOL
I am selling a couple of my ewes. I'll worm, trim feet and breed them to Ringo. A young couple we met (when I gave away the pair of silkie chickens) in our neighborhood wants to raise some sheep.
Let's see......sheep math......
Baymule has 10 ewes, she is selling 2 ewes, how many ewes will she have?
8 ewes!
Baymule is keeping 2 ewe lambs, how many ewes will she have?
10 ewes!
Baymule is taking 1 ewe to slaughter, she will look much better as pan sausage. How many ewes will she have?
9 ewes!
Baymule might possibly cull 2 more ewes...….maybe......
Baymule will have to get a couple more ewes...…
We got 2 feeder pigs a month ago and just got 50 Cornish Cross chicks, so we'll be tied down to feed, water, feed, water, rinse, repeat, repeat and repeat some more. But it pays for what we keep and we even make a little (very little) on it. I am always glad to see them go. LOL
I am selling a couple of my ewes. I'll worm, trim feet and breed them to Ringo. A young couple we met (when I gave away the pair of silkie chickens) in our neighborhood wants to raise some sheep.
Let's see......sheep math......
Baymule has 10 ewes, she is selling 2 ewes, how many ewes will she have?
8 ewes!
Baymule is keeping 2 ewe lambs, how many ewes will she have?
10 ewes!
Baymule is taking 1 ewe to slaughter, she will look much better as pan sausage. How many ewes will she have?
9 ewes!
Baymule might possibly cull 2 more ewes...….maybe......
Baymule will have to get a couple more ewes...…
Baymule
Herd Master
We did visit with Mike and Teresa and they have made some beautiful pieces of furniture. They have a whole wood working shop with everything you could possibly imagine. I bet it hasn't seen much use since y'all moved!
We understand the moving and building up the farm. We understand the dragging to the house and being exhausted at the end of the day. We still have projects to complete plus the upkeep on what we have already done. It can take over your life. We love the work we do, but we take time to go to a movie or go visiting or just something that we can do together.
Y'all are wise to take a step back and regroup, getting your priorities in order.
#1. Each other
Everything else takes a back seat to #1.
We understand the moving and building up the farm. We understand the dragging to the house and being exhausted at the end of the day. We still have projects to complete plus the upkeep on what we have already done. It can take over your life. We love the work we do, but we take time to go to a movie or go visiting or just something that we can do together.
Y'all are wise to take a step back and regroup, getting your priorities in order.
#1. Each other
Everything else takes a back seat to #1.
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Mike CHS
Herd Master
#1. is why we started this conversation several months ago. We still enjoy the sheep but there got to be no time for anything else, especially each other and we aren't going to let that happen at this point in our lives. We aren't wealthy but we don't depend on the sheep for any income.
