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Future outlook...

I

IluvAltaBeef

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Joined
Jan 3, 2007
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271
Location
Alberta
I have a question that's been buggin me for the past while, and I need to put it to rest. (sort of a kick-off from the Question for Everyone thread)

Is it too early to start planning a seedstock operation of my own? Like, I still have school, still have to finish this An Sci degree, and I want to go to another college to get some more hands-on experience with seedstock-related things...so, in total, that's about 5 years down the road before anything career-wise actually happens.

Just in case anybody asks, my BASIC plans are these: I plan on buying a small number of cows (5 to 10 head), and raising them, if possible, here on this home farm, maybe eventually taking it over from mom&dad. I'm still unsure of what breed I SHOULD go with, or just stick with some commercialbred cows that are easy-calvers, good mothers, relatively low-maintanence, and calm. I plan on expanding that little herd little by little, with a few replacement heifers every year, and sell the rest of the calves. I won't throw a bull in, 'cause it'd be enough to look after 5-10 cows plus calves, so breeding'll be with AI. Dad, I know'll still be around selling, raising, and buying feeder steers, so that part'll probably remain unchanged.

Anyways, I dunno what y'all think, but if it IS too early, then I can cope with that. If not, well....I'm doing research as I go along and gather as much info as possible, both from here and what I stumble across.

Don't hold back, let me know your thoughts, please.

Thanks in advance. :-)
 
It's never too early to start planning. Seems as if you've got a pretty good one already. Fine tune it a little bit as market conditions change and then go for it. Good luck.
 
Yep, never to early to plan, replan and plan again.. Mistakes are a lot cheaper if they happen on paper instead of the real world so I would fine tune what you want to do as much as possible and start as soon as possible on the planning... Kind of the old, measure twice, cut once philo.
 
It's never too early to have a dream and a goal.
I believe the seedstock business is more challenging than the commercial business, and can be more profitable. Especially if your are limited on size. But, it is also more demanding. The seedstock producer has to do everything the commercial producer does plus, take weights, keeping records, ultrasound , study and select bloodlines, and market his product. A lot of people don't want to do those things. But if you can do those things and are good at it , it will return you more profit. You also have to do more planning. You have to figure out where the beef business is headed and select the genetics that will get you there. If you like to do research you should become good at this. The first thing you will need to research is the breed or combination of breeds you want to have. What are the chacteristics that will make you the most money and be in most demand not only today, but 5 years and 10 years from now. From the time you select a mating it will be close to 40 months before you know how productive your decision was. You better have made the right decision.
Best of luck to you.
P.S. Luck is when preparation and opportunity meet. :!:
 
NOW is the time to plan! My motto would be something like "keep your heart right with God, then follow your heart". The first part of that advice is the harder part.
 
I'm sure I can carry that marketing stuff through...and of course the business is SURE to keep me on my toes and busy...which I like, because I hate being bored, and stuck with something that I don't want to do.

Like I said, still got a lot of planning ahead to do, though I'm in the midst of it right now (in my spare time between school), and learning lots...

Thanks for the replies!
 
I have a good friend and customer who started his Red Angus seedstock operation in eastern SD when he was 16 years old. He is now 25 years old and sells about 20 bulls a year privately. He took his finish weights just the other day, may phone calls to who are past customers and asked about his bulls in the past, and he sold every bull the by first weekend.

When he started we got to him real well and he asked alot of questions and we helped him out whenever/however we could. He purchased proven cows that would take him where he wanted to go. He did not buy the $5000-$10,000 cow, he purchased the real good solid cows through age dispersal sales and it worked really good for him.

I wish you all the luck in the world.
 
There are already to many people trying to sell bulls as it is. I predict many of the good to average outfits will get weeded out here in the next couple of years. The well established sellers are selling a lot more bulls than they did 5 to 10 years ago, couple that with limited funds and you will have a hell of a time getting your foot in the door. I don't want to rain on your parade but that's reality.
 
Well, if i can't sell my bulls, then it wouldn't be a problem selling them as feeder steers right? There's already a huge market for beef as it is....

I have another question. What would happen if I mixed my cows with the steers, would that be a problem? Or what?
 
IluvAltaBeef said:
Well, if i can't sell my bulls, then it wouldn't be a problem selling them as feeder steers right?
Click to expand...

The economics behind this scenario do not work. Put some hard numbers down considering purchasing registered cows, feeding a bull to yearling weight, marketing, advertising, and selling the late cut bull calf at a reduced price and you'll see what I mean. You will always have more money in a yearling bull than you will a yearling steer that was cut at branding.
 
I'm starting to think now I should go into just a commercial herd...all this marketing stuff is kinda scaring me. Plus, what if you bought a 5 000 buck cow only to have her go down in a few months to something? I think I'd rather stick with the good X-bred cows that can produce good calves, and not worry about alot of red tape to do...
 
as a converted grass-fed producer I can honestly say that we need more seedstock producers producing cows that are moderate framed, easy fleshing cows on an all forage diet. Pharro Cattle Company is a good place to get some genetics for this type of animal.
 
Ben H said:
as a converted grass-fed producer I can honestly say that we need more seedstock producers producing cows that are moderate framed, easy fleshing cows on an all forage diet. Pharro Cattle Company is a good place to get some genetics for this type of animal.
Click to expand...

I think I have his website on my favorites.....yup, I do.
 

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