Hi we just bought 40 acres and would like to start a cattle ranch. can any one tell me where to go to get a goverment cattle loan or are there any grants for this? any help would be great. thanks

-- Cody (farmerb3@yahoo.com), April 08, 2002

Answers

If you are in Arizona, that is enough land to support one, maybe two cow pairs. All throughout the West ranchers are DECREASING the size of thier herds due to lack of water and poor market.

-- Joe (CactusJoe001@AOL.com), April 08, 2002.

We are in Texas, on the coastal plain, very good pasture. You can stock 1 cow / calf pair for acre here in the GOOD years. Nobody in their right mind would stock that high because you can't trust the weather. So, if you use controlled, rotation grazing on 40 acres, you can stock 30 cows and get 29 calves a year. If you sell them for $300 each at weaning (in a good year) and spent $100 each on hay, wormer, shots, fly spray, vet bills, etc., then your net is going to be $5,800. Not counting what you are paying in interest on your 40 acres and taxes and liability insurance. Not to mention the new fence, trailer, catch pens, water system, tractor and shredder to keep the weeds down in the pasture, etc etc etc. I don't think you are going be a cattle 'rancher.' You are going to have some cattle and make a small fortune... out of a big one.

-- Rose (open_rose@hotmail.com), April 08, 2002.

Read Joel Salatin's book "Salad Bar Beef". He gets a premium price for his best cattle because he has organic beef and sells it directly to the consumer. Any animal that doesn't look like it will measure up is turned into hamburger, as he will not sell second-rate beef at those prices. As an old teacher used to say - "marketing, marketing, marketing"!

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), April 08, 2002.

Lots of good advise. Here in western Oklahoma, that's not enough land to start a cattle ranch. Where are you located? Maybe Terri's advice would work, raise some organic beef. Best wishes.

-- cowgirlone in ok (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), April 08, 2002.

40-acres will support maybe three aum (3 cow and 3 calf) in the western U.S. O'course that depends on where you're located. If you're in coastal states it will support up to thirty aum's. If you're in west TX, AZ, NM, UT, CO, WY, MT, or SD it's back to the lesser number. Why? Because there's little or no water. We're in our fourth year of a drought. We're selling all our animals NOW. We can't afford to raise them. And we have many more acres than you. Try four sections! If we can't make a decent living, without outside jobs, how's a ranchette going to do it?

My brothers and sisters and I were all raised in a ranching family. That's all I know how to do besides wait tables and make/pour mixed drinks.

No water, no sustainable crops and no animals.

-- KA (duchmom@yahoo.com), April 08, 2002.

Been there, done that! I've now cut my herd down to a hobby herd size to plug a hugh cash outflow leak. I sat down and figured I could cut my herd 75% and my expenses about 90%, and so far that seems to be the case. Folks are the Co-op have remarked they haven't seen much of me lately. Don't forget fertilizer, probably lime and winter feed.

I've tried to sell quarters and sides or entire young steers locally for seven years trying several different approaches. Sold a grand total of one yearling steer as freezer beef. People just don't stock up on beef like they once did for a variety of reasons. Those who do all seem to have a relative with a small herd.

Yes, Joel Salatin does it, but Joel is one of those guy who really could sell ice to the Eskimos and sand to the Arabs.

Be sure to get that off the farm job to support the cattle farming desire.

Remember, farmers are about the only group who buy at retail, sell at wholesale and have absolutely no control over their market.

Ken Scharabok

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), April 08, 2002.

We have several ranchers in n.e. okla. who buy feeder calves in the early spring and then sell out in the late fall. They're not having to buy a whole lot of feed while the grass is green. Some even overwinters and then sell the fallowing fall, making even more money.

Get in touch with your county agriculture extension agent to find out about different loans and grants. There should be one located in your local county seat.

-- r.h. in okla. (rhays@sstelco.com), April 08, 2002.

Cody;
I wish you luck with your venture, but I would recommend that it would be much more viable if you followed Joel Salatin's example. The income from a successful book would increase your chances of success.
As for gov't loans to begin any farming operation, they are mostly political smoke because if you can qualify for one you probably don't need it. They are hard to find and much harder to come by.
There are many good solid second and third generation ranching families on the financial rocks today. Why? Drought, markets, and a thousand other variables that can't be compensatet for by good management.
Don't give up the dream but do your homework. Visit with people who have actually done what you are thinking. Experience is still the best teacher.

-- charlieS (charliesap@pldi.net), April 09, 2002.

Another idea is to buy some registered top quality breeding stock of some breed, your calves will bring a premium especially the bulls which can be sold to owners of mixed herds who look for a quality bulls.

-- Gary (burnett_gary@msn.com), April 09, 2002.

Govt loans & agriculture don't do well together - the govt is too slow, too many regulations to make these small, individual loans. If you are Chrysler or can offer your town 1000 jobs you are in - but a little bitty farm just won't get the attention, but you _will_ get all the regulations....

Where are you? Raising breeding stock or dairy hiefers could net you a lot more than just beef in the right location, in addition to the above good advise - you won't make a living on 40 acres of beef no matter what.

A good starter resource for raising hay or pasture on the web (as well as sheep info) is:

http://www.18james.com/

--->Paul

-- paul (ramblerplm@hotmail.com), April 09, 2002.