Beef cattle advice

3 posts
Sun, 06/23/2013 - 12:30 #1

Member for

11 years 6 months
lucetto
Last seen: 03/08/2018 - 21:05
Joined: 06/23/2013 - 12:16

Beef cattle advice

hi there

me and my wife really want to start a small beef cattle farm with the aim to make it our primary income. we are now doing all we can to learn what we can about it and talk to as many people as we can for advice and help :)

this will be the first of many questions and posts but we were wondering what the best way is to start and how much land and cattle we should be looking at if we want to grow into it?

we will really appreciate all the help that we can get from people with experience - thanks in advance for any response

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Wed, 06/26/2013 - 08:19 #2
rmcpb
Last seen: 03/08/2018 - 21:05
Joined: 10/22/2012 - 11:13

Where abouts are you looking? What sort of enterprise are you looking at - breeding weaners or growing out steers?

Off the top of my head I would look as much land as you can afford without too many overheads so you are not trying to catch up with the bank (real killer) and stock it very moderately till you get a handle on your final model and some experience. Also, buddy up with any local farmer you can - lots of knowledge in their heads and local knowledge is vital.

Cheers
Rob.

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Sun, 06/30/2013 - 22:55 #3
barra
Last seen: 08/15/2017 - 15:44
Joined: 11/07/2012 - 16:02

Yep Robs advice is right. Also don't get to fancy with your cattle, just grow animals the butchers want, big fat cattle. black baldies are good.

Do you have any idea how much land you need to gross $150k p/y ? Check the prices in the yards, at 150 to 165 cents per kilo live, you have to sell a lot of steers to break even. You need to do a lot of planning and thinking and ask yourself why farmers are selling up farms worth $2m , say 600 to 1000 ac, if the return was fair for the work they do and the risks they take. They are realising they can get more return by investing. Prices on imputs are getting higher and our govt won't subdise us like overseas. add in red tape , ferals, weeds, fencing, mad bulls and Oh the odd drought or flood. I have 200 ac and no morgtage and its bloody hard. If it's your dream, go hard, just realise you won't be rich,and you kids will think you've gone mad.

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