What's yer Cattle Background?

[joaker]

Background:
Native Iowan, moved to Minnesota with folks at 19. State took most of our farm to make a park/historical site, sold the rest. After a few years in Minnesota I found a farm and bought it. When my wife and I got married we really watched the money cause we were going to buy a house; I found this farm instead, so we comprimised, I got the farm and she got pregnant.

Started buying cull cows in the fall and feeding really cheap corn to them and selling in Feb, March and April. A few would be bred and that's how I got my beef cows. Kept the hfs that these cows calved.

I had a little of everything, including Holsteins, started breding to a hereford bull and now pretty much everything is black bladies.

Depending on the price of corn I've fed out calves.

I'm 52 this year and farms is paid for, got a good job in town, kids are in college, so now I can slow down a little bit and not chase every buck, and have some more fun.

 

[efb]

I agree, very interesting .

1. My family is German Catholic from NE Kansas. I grew up on a livestock farm east of Wichita. We raised angus x shorthorn cross and liked them.
A little different slant, before I left home I worked for a polo team and rode 30 miles a day exercising horses. Easy to calculate I rode a little over 13,000 miles horseback in the 4 years I worked for them. I used to say, if I strightened it out I'd riden around the world horseback. But, I don't know how far it is around the world so that may have been strech'n it some. :wink:
Got a degree in Animal Science from K-State, was on one of Don Good's last livestock judging teams. I learned more from him than anyone else I've met. About life as well as cattle.
Sold cattle for a commission for a while, worked as a County Ag agent in North central Kansas for a while. Ended up in Texas on a place that has been in my wife's family since 1867. We raise and sell registered angus.

2. I have primarily raised angus x shorthorn cross in Kansas and straight angus here in Texas. But I have worked with all of them as a cattle salesman and could tell some tales about how they handle. Maybe when I get some time I'll share some " Cattle alley tales ".

3. When we started up in TX I thought about Limousine. They were popular at the time and people said angus would do well here. All my neighbors have now sold there limmys and run black cows :roll:

 

[Bent C Angus]

I'm pretty new to Ranchers but I guess a little late is better than never so I might as well post something.

1-What is your background?

Grew up on my father's farm. He owned 100 plus/minus Standerbred race horses and raced horses in Montreal, Toronto, New York and New Jersey the whole time I was growing up. He ran mares, broke colts and raced horses his whole life, and as long as I can remember back.

I didn't mind the horses and owned several but it wasn't for me. I milked cows when I was younger have I worked for a large feedlot nearby during the summer between the school months. I also ranched in northern Alberta for six months and would love to head back there one day.

I recently graduated McGill university with a Degree in Animal Science. Even better than the piece of paper I got was the fact that I found a girl foolish enough to marry me. Gettin married next summer. I have a small purebred Red Angus cowherd that I have been working on since I was 15.(45 to calve this year)

I'm also now working full time for the same feedlot I started working and hope to one day own shares in it.

2-What breeds of cattle have you worked with?

Red Angus, Angus, Charolais and Simmies cows and everything that passes through the feedlot

3-What breeds have you thought about working with?

Would love to one day have a speckled park cow or two, and maybe a longhorn cow or two also.

4-If you have crossbred, what were the breeds you worked with?

I don't crossbreed, I have purebred Red Angus cows and manage to sell a couple bulls each year.



5-Have you fed cattle?

I work on a fair sized feedlot and I own 200 steers on feed right now. (20 that are from my herd)


6-Did you grid market the cattle?

No

7-Other comments about your cattle past, present, and future?

I'm hoping to one day own shares in the feedlot I have been working for the past several years. First year on a salary and I can't complain about anything, great boss and some great perks that come with workin here. I'm hoping to atleast double my herd sometime in the future but Im not sure how that would pencil out. Land in this area is awful dear with corn and soybeans being so pricey. I hope to be in the cattle business my whole life, as does my fiance who comes from a large dairy operation in Ontario.

Thanks folks, I sure do love reading about everyone on here.

and just for the record I'm from Quebec, I'm english, can somewhat speak french, rode steers and bulls from 13 to 19, played football and hockey and I'm not a separatist

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

I agree, very interesting .

1. My family is German Catholic from NE Kansas. I grew up on a livestock farm east of Wichita. We raised angus x shorthorn cross and liked them.
A little different slant, before I left home I worked for a polo team and rode 30 miles a day exercising horses. Easy to calculate I rode a little over 13,000 miles horseback in the 4 years I worked for them. I used to say, if I strightened it out I'd riden around the world horseback. But, I don't know how far it is around the world so that may have been strech'n it some. :wink:
Got a degree in Animal Science from K-State, was on one of Don Good's last livestock judging teams. I learned more from him than anyone else I've met. About life as well as cattle.
Sold cattle for a commission for a while, worked as a County Ag agent in North central Kansas for a while. Ended up in Texas on a place that has been in my wife's family since 1867. We raise and sell registered angus.

2. I have primarily raised angus x shorthorn cross in Kansas and straight angus here in Texas. But I have worked with all of them as a cattle salesman and could tell some tales about how they handle. Maybe when I get some time I'll share some " Cattle alley tales ".

3. When we started up in TX I thought about Limousine. They were popular at the time and people said angus would do well here. All my neighbors have now sold there limmys and run black cows :roll:

"The circumference of the earth at the equator is 24,901.55 miles (40,075.16 kilometers)."

Well you got halfway around.


Guess you wouldn't count the ride home?
:???: :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Soapweed]

I agree, very interesting .

1. My family is German Catholic from NE Kansas. I grew up on a livestock farm east of Wichita. We raised angus x shorthorn cross and liked them.
A little different slant, before I left home I worked for a polo team and rode 30 miles a day exercising horses. Easy to calculate I rode a little over 13,000 miles horseback in the 4 years I worked for them. I used to say, if I strightened it out I'd riden around the world horseback. But, I don't know how far it is around the world so that may have been strech'n it some. :wink:
Got a degree in Animal Science from K-State, was on one of Don Good's last livestock judging teams. I learned more from him than anyone else I've met. About life as well as cattle.
Sold cattle for a commission for a while, worked as a County Ag agent in North central Kansas for a while. Ended up in Texas on a place that has been in my wife's family since 1867. We raise and sell registered angus.

2. I have primarily raised angus x shorthorn cross in Kansas and straight angus here in Texas. But I have worked with all of them as a cattle salesman and could tell some tales about how they handle. Maybe when I get some time I'll share some " Cattle alley tales ".

3. When we started up in TX I thought about Limousine. They were popular at the time and people said angus would do well here. All my neighbors have now sold there limmys and run black cows :roll:

"The circumference of the earth at the equator is 24,901.55 miles (40,075.16 kilometers)."

Well you got halfway around.


Guess you wouldn't count the ride home?
:???: :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

efb, now would be a good time to tell some "cattle alley tales." :wink:

 

[Faster horses]

I agree, very interesting .

1. My family is German Catholic from NE Kansas. I grew up on a livestock farm east of Wichita. We raised angus x shorthorn cross and liked them.
A little different slant, before I left home I worked for a polo team and rode 30 miles a day exercising horses. Easy to calculate I rode a little over 13,000 miles horseback in the 4 years I worked for them. I used to say, if I strightened it out I'd riden around the world horseback. But, I don't know how far it is around the world so that may have been strech'n it some. :wink:
Got a degree in Animal Science from K-State, was on one of Don Good's last livestock judging teams. I learned more from him than anyone else I've met. About life as well as cattle.
Sold cattle for a commission for a while, worked as a County Ag agent in North central Kansas for a while. Ended up in Texas on a place that has been in my wife's family since 1867. We raise and sell registered angus.

2. I have primarily raised angus x shorthorn cross in Kansas and straight angus here in Texas. But I have worked with all of them as a cattle salesman and could tell some tales about how they handle. Maybe when I get some time I'll share some " Cattle alley tales ".

3. When we started up in TX I thought about Limousine. They were popular at the time and people said angus would do well here. All my neighbors have now sold there limmys and run black cows :roll:

"The circumference of the earth at the equator is 24,901.55 miles (40,075.16 kilometers)."

Well you got halfway around.


Guess you wouldn't count the ride home?
:???: :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

efb, now would be a good time to tell some "cattle alley tales." :wink:

I second that!

 

[North Ridge Ranching]

1. Born and raised on the farm that my Grandfather bought when he got married. I am a third generation rancher on the place and trying to raise the fourth. Fell in love with cattle at an early age. My parents said I learnt my ABC's and numbers from the cows tags. Dad used to take me to the auction just so he knew when his came in and who there mothers were, he said I could pick them out from a mile away. Bought my first cow from my father (26Z) with what was left over from my 4-H steer cheque. She still has a daughter and a bunch of grand daughters in the herd even though we have been through the alphabet once already.
I have a degree in Agriculture from the University of Saskatchewan.

2. My grandfather had a purebred herd of H. Herefords and dabbled with a few crossbred Shorthorns. My father ran a RWF Simmental x Hereford herd for years until 3 years ago when we started using B. Angus and B. Simmental bulls. I don't think I have ever been happier with the herd that we have now. My father ran Charolais bulls for years and we bought replacements. We thought the herd quality was dropping so we started raising our own again which is one reason we switched to black cattle. We keep our own replacements and can get a good price for the black steers.

3. We have tried alot of different breeding but find that this has worked the best for us.

4. Hereford x Shorthorn, Simmental x Hereford, B. Simmental x B. Angus

5. The only real feeding we have did was my 4-H project steers and a couple steers a year for our own beef.

6. We have never grid marketed.

7. I have lived, breathed, and hope to one day pass with my cattle. I enjoy every minute out in the pasture with the cattle. The only thing better than that is my family, my wife of 10 years, and our 3 children, age 7, 4, and 6 months. Both my father and I work a job off the farm so that I can expand enough to ranch full time one day. I can't think of a better way to live and raise a family.

 

[Galloway2]

1-What is your background?

I have been involved with ranching / farming my entire life, dealing mostly with seedstock. My dad raised Reg. Polled herefords and Sim X Herf bulls and females. I bought my first Galloway heifer when I was 12, and have been raising Galloway seedstock for over 30 years. My wife grew up raising Angus, so we have a few of those also.
I have worked on large commercial and purebred ranches, as well as a few years in a small 2,500 hd feedlot. We also show our Galloways at various National and International shows.


2-What breeds of cattle have you worked with?

Basically every breed that has ever been tried this far North.





3-What breeds have you thought about working with?

On the commercial side, I would like to produce some Galloway X Angus X Hereford baldies.





4-If you have crossbred, what were the breeds you worked with?

The Galloway X Angus has worked well, as did the Original Simmental X Galloway


5-Have you fed cattle?

Yes


6-Did you grid market the cattle?

No.

7-Other comments about your cattle past, present, and future?

We are seeing a good demand for our Galloway cattle. Our customers are wanting no nonsense, hardy, maternally oriented cattle, that haven't been screwed up or changed to look just like every other breed.

We offer a true outcross to the other breeds, yet not too far outside the box.