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West Central Iowa | Agree with previous posters about the type of cattle to buy......middle aged cows that are bred to calve in your desired timeframe. When everyone starts, there is typically the desire to go buy the best to start with (regardless of desired color/breed) but I would actually recommend somewhat the opposite. Buy something reasonably priced (not junk) because with limited or no experience you will make mistakes. Current cattle owners could probably fill this board with the mistakes they made when starting out and it would be best to do that with a $1000-$1300 cow than to spend $1800-$2000 at a registered breeders production sale and make the same mistakes. After a few seasons of experience those middle aged cows will be getting near replacement age and you could either retain heifers that meet your breeding criteria or purchase some more "valuable"/higher quality cattle to replace them.
Raising livestock can be a very rewarding experience, but with that also comes open cows, dead calves, and sick animals. Something else that would be of benefit would be to speak with a local veterinarian that you would likely have do your work. Explain to him what your intentions are so he is more familiar with your operation and he may provide some very valuable information (local disease issues, after hours emergency call info, health requirements, etc.) that could make your life a lot simpler in the long run. Do that BEFORE you buy any cattle! Wish you the best of luck and let us know how everything turns out. | |
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Introduction and seeking input
