How do I get started ranching these days

[pwilli3]

I love cattle and horses, not necessarily in that order. I am one generation removed from farming/ranching. As such, I have always been town kid. I want to lead the charge back into ranching for my family, but short of winning the lottery have no idea how to get started. Today's price per acre, and price per head seem prohibitive for anyone to get into the business.

I do still have family in the business of livestock. I have asked some of my family members, some still in and some now out of the ranching business, for some pointers, but not much advice is available other than what the day to day life is like and what to look for in good land and cattle. I am well versed in these subjects through their advice and my own constant reading and research for the last couple of years. I have spent many hours also baling hay and taking down thistle. I love the life and want more of it!

The dream of life on an open range doing back breaking work, often in terrible weather, for little pay but a ton of pride is most definitely the way I want to go. I need advice on how to make it happen. Any and all ideas will be welcome. I'm tired of being all hat and no cattle!

 

[Ben Roberts]

My advice to you would be, first join the NCBA, they are the organization that speaks for the multinational corporations and USDA for the world in the cattle industry. Then you can go up from there.

 

[Texan]

My advice to you would be, first join the NCBA, they are the organization that speaks for the multinational corporations and USDA for the world in the cattle industry. Then you can go up from there.

:lol:


I guess my advice would be just a little bit different from Ben's. You can join up with one of the squabbling national organizations later. :wink:

I think you'll find a lot more start-up advice at the Cattle Today boards:

http://cattletoday.com/forum/index.php

Your question has probably been asked at least a thousand times over there. Go over to the CT boards and register and introduce yourself. Don't ask any specific questions - just browse the Beginner's Board for a few weeks.

Use the search function to try to find out everything you can that has already been posted. The people over there are just like they are everywhere else - they get tired of answering the same questions over and over.

I guarantee you that there are enough posts over there to keep you busy for several weeks. You'll probably find more people in your general area that can offer you more localized advice at the CT boards.

Other than that, the only thing I can tell you is that you haven't given anybody enough information to help you - such as age, education, income, etc. The first step is to find somebody close to you to mentor you or to offer you work. There's no point in pursuing it unless you're sure you're up to the hours, the low pay and the physical work.

If you've already got a good paying job, find somebody that will let you work part-time for 30 or 40 hours a week - in addition to your full-time job. And if you don't think you can stand the pressure of that much work, you might want to re-think your goal.

But if you can stand the work and low pay, and after working for somebody for a few years and finding out all you can, and as long as your family is behind you - if that's still your dream - don't let anybody talk you out of it.

Good luck.