Is it appropriate for small farmers to be in beef?
The current protest from the beef farming community, while understandable from a price perspective, does not seem to question how appropriate is cattle farming – the least profitable farm enterprise – for small farmers.
Is there controversy over the level of beef prices?
The current controversy over the level of beef prices, while more strident that hitherto, is nothing new. Back in the 1980s incomes from dairying were about twice those from cattle farming but in recent years that differential has often been much greater.
How to make money from a beef cow?
You are gonna need to get cows paid for before you start to see a big return. Cow Calf is a great way to make money and look good on a balance sheet but it takes time. You will also need to take into account, facilities for calving, facilities to house bulls and other things. Maybe a good way to start would be buy 50 cows and a couple bulls.
Which is the cheapest gain on a cow?
You can use distillers or whatever, to push cow numbers on grass, but what tends to happen, is that you bring your expenses up a bit, as grass is the cheapest gain on a cow.
How many beef farmers have no business being in beef?
More than half of beef-farming households have off-farm sources of income, while about 40 per cent of beef farmers are part time. Even considering these other income sources this still means about 50 per cent and 40 per cent of these farms respectively do not have a viable future.
When did the United States start eating beef?
Americans weren’t big eaters of fresh beef until about 1870, due to the enormous growth of the cattle industry in the West. The introduction of cattle cars and refrigerated cars on the railroad facilitated distribution of the beef. “Beef” is meat from full-grown cattle about 2 years old.
Is it a good thing to be a beef farmer?
The most difficult part of analysing the beef-cattle sector comes when pondering its future. As stated previously, incomes in beef enterprises have traditionally been among the lowest in farming and only on full-time farms with the largest herds can it return a decent living.
How big is a steer when it is full grown?
The introduction of cattle cars and refrigerated cars on the railroad facilitated distribution of the beef. “Beef” is meat from full-grown cattle about 2 years old. A live steer weighs about 1,000 pounds and yields about 450 pounds of edible meat.
