1100 lbs cows vs 1400 lbs cow

[TheRustyCowCompany]

I would like to add a different perspective from East Texas....we have smaller acreage (50 Acres) and sell to even smaller acreage customers. Our small herefords have a specialty niche for customers who just don't have large acreage. Whether they want to have a small herd or just smaller beeves for the freezer, our Herefords fit the bill. In 8 years, I have not experienced any of the problems I see on your post. I have very little calving problems, even when bred to a larger bull (which I try to avoid but the neighbor will not keep his fences up). I can run quite a few on my small acreage and they always look great unlike the neighbors scraggly "Large" cows. I do my own vet work when applicable, and yes I have to use more vaccines because I have more head on my farm but I do have more calves to sell to the waiting list. Not everyone wants to buy from the local sale barns...they know I have very healthy livestock coming direct from the farm. Your very large operations are needed to fill the market, but small farms (like me) do have a very viable market for smaller cattle and do quite well. Thanks for the discussion.

 

[North Ridge Ranching]

We typically wean and sell right around the 205 days. Average calving date of April 10 and sell last week October or first week of November. The last 2 years my steers average 600lbs on the nose. That would give me about 2.4 to 2.5 lbs per day with a 100lb birth weight. I think that with the summer we had here this year, we should actually see an increase in the calf weights.

I have also seen a increase for the past 5-6 years as we have been culling harder and keeping our own replacements instead of buying them. Plain and simple, the cows herd is getting stronger.

Here is one of our pairs. Calf is Blk Simmental Sired out of a straight Blk Angus cow. His sire is the one by my Username. Born March 29th. He will be over the 700lbs at the end of October after shrink for sure. I wish they were all like this.

 

[Faster horses]

That is one hunkka beef, North Ridge! Wow! And the sire is ________?

 

[North Ridge Ranching]

Sire is a Wheatland 680S son we purchased 2 years ago.