Hobby farming

max

Well-Known Member
The nephew up at the home place is getting a interest in farming and spent a few weeks with a neighbor on his farm during the summer. We have no land bar maybe a acre in grass but he was on about us renting a few acres of a neighbor so he can rare a few calves. Thinking about it today I wouldn't mind trying it, he's a good young lad and between himself and my father they would look after it.

What would be the ins and outs of it, of course we have no herd number, would we have to have them in someone else's herd no to sell them? Could we buy in spring and sell in the back end to save having to house them? What age of animal would be the best to buy or how many acres would we need for a few? Sorry for all the stupid questions but when it comes to animals I wouldn't be to far from been described as a townie.

It would only be a bit of a hobby and experience for him and he's at the age where his friends are on about having there own calfs and selling them on. It doesn't need to be profitable but i wouldn't like to be just throwing money away at it either.
 
The nephew up at the home place is getting a interest in farming and spent a few weeks with a neighbor on his farm during the summer. We have no land bar maybe a acre in grass but he was on about us renting a few acres of a neighbor so he can rare a few calves. Thinking about it today I wouldn't mind trying it, he's a good young lad and between himself and my father they would look after it.

What would be the ins and outs of it, of course we have no herd number, would we have to have them in someone else's herd no to sell them? Could we buy in spring and sell in the back end to save having to house them? What age of animal would be the best to buy or how many acres would we need for a few? Sorry for all the stupid questions but when it comes to animals I wouldn't be to far from been described as a townie.

It would only be a bit of a hobby and experience for him and he's at the age where his friends are on about having there own calfs and selling them on. It doesn't need to be profitable but i wouldn't like to be just throwing money away at it either.
Couple of options.
Get a herd number for your own ground. You would need to have a pen and crush on it. An acre will rear 3 or 4 calves from may to October. The 2 here have an acre and it's double what they need.

Rent from the neighbor and ensure that there's a crush to get a herd number and keep more.

I'd be inclined to start small and use what I have without committing to rent until I see how it goes. Buy a couple of strong calves so that you won't need to put big effort into them to get them started on the bucket or feeder. Spread a few bags of fertilizer, keep the ground clean.

Hard to make money at calves, might be lucky but may only break even. But he will learn so much from it and its a great way of getting them interested in farming.
 
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