1. Basic Beef Cattle Production Doug Mayo Livestock Agent Jackson County Extension

2. Why Raise Cattle? Can be a profitable operation Utilize marginal land Less labor than other livestock Enjoyable work and lifestyle

3. Operation Goals Make profit Utilize land & Greenbelt exemption Pastime, recreation, enjoyment Utilize crop by-products

4. Annual Goals 90% of cows calve annually –not as easy as you might think Keep expenses low Optimal—medium cost/quality calves Best calves money can buy Maintain beautiful place and fat cows

5. 2002 Survey of 264 NW FL Cattle Producers

6. 33.6% Lost Money31.6% Broke Even34.8 % Made Profit

8. Purebred, Crossbred or Stocker Purebred –Select a breed carefully (fads can be very costly) –More money invested –More fences and facilities Single bull units –More marketing options –More detailed management Registration, performance data collection and records Crossbred (commercial) –Simpler operation/lower investment –Breeds and hybrid vigor compliment strengths Stocker Cattle –Can be short term –Can control risk –Requires more experience, labor and better facilities

9. Cow Calf Overview Primary expense nutrition –Pastures, Hay, Supplements Facilities –Fence, cow pens, squeeze chute, water troughs/ponds Health –Vaccines, wormer, fly control Equipment –Tractor, disc, truck, livestock trailer, feed troughs Market prices

10. Reproduction Management “The #1 factor that influences the profitability of a cow-calf operation is reproduction” Wise Cowman

11. Breeding Season Management Breeding Season –Forces selection for fertility –More intensive management –More efficient—feeding, labor, health Target needs of cows –Market uniform calves –More marketing options –Comparable cow performance with adequate management (85-90% pregnancy rate) Year-round –Have annual income versus regular or as needed income –Can follow market and sell accordingly –Minimal management and labor –Difficult to evaluate reproductive performance –Marketing more limited

12. The #1 Factor for Reproduction Nutrition –Permanent Pasture –Annual Pasture Winter-rye, oats, ryegrass, clover Millet, sorghum sudan –Hay –Supplements

13. Stocking Rate Stock conservative and slowly increase with experience Stock for drought or wet periods Stock for short grass season –April and October Permanent pastures –Bahia—2 to 4 acres per cow –Bermuda—1-2 acres per cow Annuals (ryegrass, millet) –1/2 to 1 acre per cow

14. Bahiagrass Seasonal Production DM Production (lb/acre/day)

15. Rye-Ryegrass Seasonal Production DM Production (lb/acre/day)

16. Adding Rye-Ryegrass to Bahia: Forage Production (lb/acre/day)

17. Hay Storage Shade + GroundSun + Ground Sun + Palette Tarp + Ground Tarp + PaletteBarn Stored

18. Visual Differences after 90 Days Ground Palette Barn

19. Dry Matter Weight Loss % 5/15  8/14

20. Crude Protein 8/14

21. TDN 8/14

22. Take Home Message Ryegrass makes great quality hay –All treatments 12-16% CP, 58-62% TDN $ for $ getting hay off of the ground is best investment –Less dry matter loss for low cost Covering hay protects quality Best to get off the ground and cover Barns will pay for themselves with enough volume of hay

23. Body Condition Scores 1-9 BCS 2 –Very thin BCS 3 –Thin, backbone visible BCS 4 –Last ribs visible BCS 5 –Just right BCS 6 –Smooth BCS 7+ –Increasing fat deposits on tail head, back, hips, ribs, belly, brisket

24. BCS Scores 2 3 4 5

25. The Bottom Line Body Condition Affects Profitability Avg. BCS at Calving, Breeding, & Pregnancy Test

26. Fencing Need Solid Perimeter Fence –Field Fence best & most expensive –Can use stand off electric wire for barbed wire –Good electric fence is secure and legal Cross fencing –2 to 22 paddocks per herd –High tensile ½ the cost of barbed wire Brace Posts –Don’t skimp on braces Gates –Use better gates that swing and save $$

27. Cowpens Holding pen—34 sq ft per cow-calf pair –Large Enough to pen entire herd or multiple herds at weaning Crowding Pen—18 sq ft per pair Chute leading to squeeze or head catch— 28-30” wide Fence—6 ft high, 2x6, pipe, sheet metal

28. Cow Health Schedule MinimumBest Late pregnancy (summer/fall) –IBR, PI3, BVD, BRSV (killed) –Vibrio/Lepto (oil) –Deworm Pre-breeding (spring) –Vibrio/ Lepto (water) Late pregnancy –IBR, PI3, BVD, BRSV –Vibrio/Lepto (oil) –8 way clostridium –Scour Vaccine –Hemophilus –Deworm –External Parasites Pre-breeding –Vibrio/ Lepto –Deworm –Fly Control

29. Calf Health Schedule MinimumBest 4 Months + –Blackleg (8 way clostridium) –Deworm –Castrate –Dehorn –Growth Implant 4 Months + –Blackleg (8 way clostridium) –IBR, PI3, BVD, BRSV –Pasturella –Deworm –Growth Implant –Castrate –Dehorn Pre-weaning –IBR, PI3, BVD, BRSV –Pasturella –Blackleg –Deworm

30. U.S. Cattle and Calves Inventory, 1949-2006 Dr. Walt Prevatt, AU Univ. Cattle & Calves Inventory Year Million Head 1949-581958-671967-791979-901990-04

31. What time of year are prices the best? Try to avoid selling cows and calves in late fall, best prices early spring.

32. Questions or Arguments? solutionsforyourlife.com jackson.ifas.ufl.edu

33. Thank You For more information visit the Small Farms web at http://smallfarms.ifas.ufl.eduhttp://smallfarms.ifas.ufl.edu Take a virtual field day tour by visiting the Virtual Field Day web at http://vfd.ifas.ufl.eduhttp://vfd.ifas.ufl.edu This presentation brought to you by the Small Farms/Alternative Enterprises Focus Team.