Just a farming scenario... what would you do?

Question

This is a scenario that I have to study for school.

You are the owner/manager of a beef cattle property of 500 acres. Your stocking rate should be kept at 15 adult equivalents per acre on the unimproved pasture. The rate can increase to 25 a.e/acre on the improved pasture. 30% of the property is improved pasture. 5% is creek flats, 15% is rocky slopes that are prone to erosion. The remaining 50% is native pasture. You wish to turn-off steers for the feed lot, averaging approx. 250kg. (Should reach this by 12 months on improved pasture.)

Can you guys help me? What would you do?

Answer 1

Hobo, I don't know if this is supposed to be a serious question or not but there is no pasture anywhere that you could stock at 15 to 25 cattle to an acre, improved or not.  A stocking rate of one cow per acre is about average on good pasture.  You might manage two cows per acre with good management, pasture rotation etc, but that would be the maximum if this were a real farming situation.

Answer 2

On the 150 acres of improved pasture, rotational graze the cattle to maximize the use of the grass, on the basis that it is of good quality.  Maintain a feedlot area at the road front to this farm round out the ration with good quality silage and grain mix, rent out the native pasture to another farmer as your rate of gain will not be as good, and put the remaining 100 acres of erodable and bottomland acreage in a conservation reserve program and receive payments from the government.

Answer 3

You should restate your question. I am a farmer but don't really understand. turnoff steers for the feedlot? Cattle off of grass headed for the feedlt gernerally weigh 850 to 950 poulds say 400kg. Calves are generally weaned of the cow at 250 kg.  The stocking rate could maybe be attained in a rain forest but certainly not where cattle are generally grazed. If you could restate your dillemma a little clearer about what weight you want them to come off or using terms ranchers understand we would be glad to help.

Answer 4

I concur that this is too high of a stocking rate and you shouldn't turn off to the feed lot anyway.  If you grow fewer cattle with rotational grazing and market as grass fed, providing you have a USDA butcher within range, you will make a lot more money with less work, and you won't have to worry about the whole feedlot end of things!  Oh yeah, and if you invite the govt in to subsidize on the creek area, be aware that they will take as much as they can, often destroying access to pastures, etc.  Ask anyone in New Jersey with a big creek!

also, if you do manage to market yourself, be aware that, like Creekside Grassfed Beef, the USDA will not allow you to test your cattle for mad cow disease as that might give you an unfair trade advantage because consumers might find it a more desirable product than factory beef.