Cattle as an investment, better than Gold & Silver?
 

Everyone is aware of the economic dangers out there and the fear of the
collapse of our economy in the near future. I believe farmers will fare better
than most because food is the #1 necessity and farmland produces life from
the ground as GOD designed it to be. This past year gave us a glimce of what
livestock prices will be when the worst of the changes occures. Farmland and
what it produces will be the strongest and safest haven of wealth. Farmers
need to prepare their operations to be more self sufficient, less reliant on
purchased grains, energy independent and become better entrapenures to
deal with the demand to be.
I have switched from a cow calf operation to stocker calfs. Physically I am
unable to maintain several farms to maintain my 120+ cattle operation.
Recently I purchased several 350 lb bull calfs which I castrated, to raise for
sale early next year. We have 7 milk cows to service a herd share customer
base at farmers in market in Richmond, Va. Grassfed beef, pork, chicken and
raw milk has given us a healthy customer base to draw from.
I believe martial law may occure when the bubble bursts, so dealing with
riots and hungry people may be a challange.
This thread is put out here for discussion, ideas and a venu for all our welfare.
Please, no blaming for whats to come just helps for all us farmers and homesteaders.
God Bless,
Paul

I believe the farm is the most secure place to be in these unsure times we live in. The downturn in this economy has cost my family dearly in lost jobs, thank God we have this farm to provide food and at least a small income. Will times get so bad that we have riots and marshall law? Only time will tell.

You certainly can't eat Silver and Gold! IMO having things to barter with...i.e. necesities of life. Roman soldiers were payed wages in Salt. Bartering is not a bad thing to practice doing now if you can find those who will. Neighbors trading things trading help...the way they used to do in the old days.

I do not recommend golden calves.

I am not a fincancial planner, and I don't play one on TV. But I would be careful not to be caught with a bunch of cash at this point in time. I feel slightly more comfort having $ in cattle and land. But I confess that in one of the worst case scenarios I can fathom, owning land and cattle would be pointless.

I think I may need some interpretation on the paragraph above.

If the economy collapses and martial law is declared, those cattle and probably the land ain't gonna be worth anything even if you can hold on to them.

And, if nobody has any money or the money is just a bunch of worthless paper, food riots and hungry people will be the least of your worries regardless of how good of an "entrapenure" you are.

I believe they would be most valuable as food and a strong bartering item in this situation, as long as you have the ability to protect those assets with force if neccesary.....:runforhills:

A man with a hungry family will get food or die.....so you will have to watch your cattle 24 / 7 and the garden and the house.....you will need to have families or groups together to protect all this or it will be gone...

plus if you butcher a cow how will you keep it from spoiling.....I see the garden canned and put in the protected house more valuable than anything...and you could do that in the city

I am a hunter I see no way to protect everything ...... as in a man walking out of the house or working in the garden finding a man pointing a gun at you what do you do then give it to them or die

Agree

I am not a dooms day-er with no hope but history is a good guide. WW1 & 2 farmers fared better than city folk. All might have been lost, house, barn, livestock, etc but the land was still there to work. Planning for the worst and hoping for the best is a sound strategy. A fresh water supply, green house, outside garden, milk cow, laying hens, a few hogs, reliable and trustworthy neighbors are all crucial to ones survival IMO.
A few silver coins won't hurt either.

Raising cattle is a business, not an investment. Gold and silver if done right can be a hedge against inflation.

Think about things like how many bales of hay will be needed to get my jar of coins through the winter? How ling can my coins go without water?

If I lock a calf in my closet and ignere in for a year how much will it be worth then?

It's apples and oranges, not at all the same.:coffee:

You can't eat gold and silver but then you don't have to feed and protect it either.

Well, by leaving a cow-calf operation to go for stocker calves you've put yourself in a market dependent situation. Your doomsday apple doesn't match your customer base orange, like Edcopp sez. Self sufficiency? Hard for modern folks to imagine what that's like.

O.T. fun with the topic of the thread.

That does sound a bit like gibberish. My explaination probably will too. My answer to the OPs question is based on the assumption that he is buying gold--or cattle--in anticipation of extreme economic woe. For me the homestead is a "going concern". I wake up each day and try to make life here easier/better than the day before. Outside of some very minimal prepping, I don't worry too much the spookier aspects of life. That said...While I am not a dooms-dayer, I do consider the general state of mankind when thinking through long term worst-case scenarios. History has not been kind to us. One thing that I think is possible--not likely, but possible--is that personal property would no longer be a socially acceptable situation, and hence, it would be pointless to own land and cattle because someone with bigger ammunition will take it away from me. (That 'someone' being the UN).

Given the choice of cash, gold/silver, and cattle, I would (and do) opt for cattle/land over the other two. It is my uneducated opinion that there will be a financial event or series of events that will erode the purchasing power of the dollar faster than it can be converted into hard assets, leaving a whole bucketload of moderately weathly people with a pile of nothing. My plan is to have the land/cattle to enjoy life if that doesn't happen, and use them to sustain life through it if it does happen. That is not the worst-case I was referring to above. My opinion on gold/silver in the event of an economic melt-down is that it won't be useful until society gets used to its new britches, and protecting it until then will be perilous.

Short answer: Cattle can be profitable now and act as a hedge against the stuff hitting the fan.

I right with ya now.....you probably got it right.

Do you know about UN Agenda 21? If they have their way this will be the situation.

If a doomsday scenario ever did play out the most valuable thing in the world will be knowledge, not material goods. There are a lot of people out there who don't even know how to cook food any more, let alone grow it. It's pretty scarey when you think about it.

As for cattle being better than gold, it's hard to say. Gold doesn't need to be fed, but then again, you can't eat it either, and gold doesn't reproduce itself. I wouldn't worry about the UN either. They spend more time bickering amongst themselves than the U.S. congressmen do. I think the best policy is to pay off debt, learn how to be self sufficient, and make good friends with the neighbours, because friends will be a most valuable asset to have.

One well placed .50 cent round from 100-400 yards is all it takes to separate you from your herd. Enjoy the good times, read history, hug your family, PM's may not be edible, but they sure are portable.....Topside

I think gold and silver coins will become the the international money again in a sense they already have with the increase in trade. Its a lot easier to trade a coin for a cow , chicken, pig, gallon of fuel or more importantly ammunition then it is to walk around with a cow in your pocket.
Guns and ammo may trump all posessions. There are already a lot of people with guns that have no intention of feeding cows are canning a whole summers labor. They will form bands of raiders.
we live in a very rural very well armed community. We are off the grid and just starting our cattle operation. Taking it slow as this is our first rodeo. Learning a lot here.
two bred cow, one bred heifer and one steeer that will go in the freezer in the fall. Hopefully we will have a good friend come down from AK with a cooler full of salmon and we will send him home with a cooler full of grass fed angus.

well, in a little microcasm of sorts, people have money to buy hay in some places, but hay is not available...so I suppose all the gold in the world does little good if nobody wants it, you can not eat it for sure, but I would think still a better investment than stocks and such..I think land is the most valuable asset.

That is the perfect example of what this entire thread is about. Even the majority of "homesteaders" won't know how to survive. You don't have to freeze or can to keep meat from spoiling.

From me to you, how about diversifing, that's really the ticket. I own cattle, goats, and chickens. Cattle would be a problem, goats not as big of a problem (very manageable) and would actually be much more of a barter item than a 1200# steer. Goats are more intelligent and eat a wider variety of forage. They also provide, milk, meat and some sanity...Topside.

I'm with topside on the goats and chickens. Both of these creatures are able to forage and survive in less than favorable conditions. Plus, they are small enough that if slaughtered there shouldn't be much of a preserving problem. Together, these two provide milk, eggs, lard, hides for leather, feathers for pillows, and meat.

I'm no doomsdayer either, however; a person needs to have a clue what their resources could/would be in the event of a problem. It's like knowing you have spare flashlight batteries when the storms coming.

Yes. Wicked actions based on wicked intentions from people in power kind of aggravates me. A long term chess match is nothing to sociopaths that want to be the last one standing.

I don't disagree. One well placed .50 cent round will separate me from anything, including PM's. But the eventualilty of death is not something that concerns me, I've got that base covered. (Dying will suck, though). If my neighbors will steal gas and hay today, I don't put too much stock in what they would do if everything went totally south. I have no intention of preparing for that day. If I were to do so, I would have to stop short of nothing less than 50 cal pill boxes on the roof of the barn, bunkers that would make the unibomber proud, and crazy things on the perimeter. That aint living. I think all discussion of investment is mute when considering total societal breakdown, unless you are investing in "being the last man standing". Not my cup-o-tea.

Given the choice, I would (and did) opt for cattle over gold/silver because cattle have upside in a positive economic scenario, in an economically depressed one, and WW. Gold has excellent upside if things head downhill, and scary downside if things head uphill. And holding the cash has downside in all directions. From a personal/intangible, raising cattle--for me--is challenging. Gold just sits there and twinkles. woohoo.

We do make expendiature on dairy and meat goats, milk cows, chickens, rabbits & veggie garden, but that is more like lifestyle diversity than financial diversification. I am trying to find an angle to make money on the meat goats, but everything else looks to be a push at best with our lackluster approach on them. We justify them because they bring much joy for the effort and money, and they appear to as useful now as they were during the last depression.


I agree with your comment on gold. But raising cattle is a business that starts with an investment in capital. If that capital comes from credit then it is slavery masquerading as business. The other thing that comes to mind here is that an investment in a cattle business can be a bad investment in any ecomomic condition if you don't know the front end of a cow from the back. That may be the case with me, but I hope to have enough time to figure out those details out before its too late.

Our cattle operation is a mix of cow/calf (we're cutting back not eliminating), stocker calf's when the price is down like now, hogs for meat and selling piglets @ $65+ each, layer hens for egg production, Jersey milk cows to attract customers for raw milk herd shares, broiler chickens, honey from local hives, Amish produce and a bunch more. We are diversified with livestock, productive land, precious metals, weapons and the skills and experience to use them, a strong customer base and most important, trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. A balanced portfolio you may say but I believe cattle and dairy is a reproducing investment especially in times of hardship. When the roaming gangs begin to roam, riots in the streets get out of hand and lawlessness turns loose we will honker down on the farm and our community which is armed will come together.
The use of a smoker, learning how to barter, stocking up for a 120 day supply of preserved food, water, a healthy green house, toilet paper, salt, lanterns and a lot more is just plain common sense IMO. Prayer is a natural occurrence like breathing which brings blessing, direction and deliverance. I believe in prayer, awareness, preparation, hope and the common sense the Lord gave me. When I see a storm coming I prepare, when I see people coming with guns, I run and hide. The purpose of this thread is for us to discuss, learn, teach, plan and encourage each other as we enter some difficult times ahead.

Oh see, here I go again responding to the title of a thread instead of the content. No wonder everyone looked at me crosseyed. I guess there is no 'undo' for some goofs.

since it is discuss..if you put the fact a hungry man will do anything to feed his family.....and you will have to go outside to protect anything outside...and Topside saying from 100 to 400 yds hiding in the woods...

the man with the animals is in more danger than of being killed than the hungry man with nothing


the man with the gold wanting to bargain...will be right there with him...somebody sells you something you give him gold....and he comes back the next day shoots you from 100 yds then asks your wife were the gold is


why I said in my first post

you will need to have families or groups together to protect all this or it will be gone...


if we have a colaspse it will not take many years to get to this point..I also feel just not having a law officer in charge he might be the one wanting your stuff...everything is open

but taking care of a 1000 pounds of beef in 1 day or even 2 when you run out of meat in the 100 degree weather will be a job for just one family from live animal to preserved will be a job but if you do it in the winter it would be a whole lot easier.....my parnets salted there beef to preserve it in the winter but were will you get salt


I will just go with what worked in the past...and I do mean PAST...HUNTER GATHERS....and move on....



carrying gold around will get heavy herding animals will be tuff

Not everyone can raise cattle. Sometimes they die.
Just about everyone can carry a gold coin around in their pocket.
A cow is sort of hard to hide. A gold coin is easy to hide.

Each person is better at one thing than they are at the other. If you are better at raising cattle then cattle would be the best choice. If you have problems keeping a cat alive it might be better to choose the gold.

Best investment is neither gold nor cattle, it is education. And I don't mean from colleges or universities, I mean the type you get from being a homesteader, how to raise a garden, preserve the bounty, raise animals, weld, build, any of the things most of us probably do every day. More and more folks are never taught how to be self sufficient, and if you have the knowledge and skills to do it, you will become a very valuable part of society if a collapse happens. That is my 2 cents worth.

Stiffle, you are so right. Education is the best investment as it cannot be taken from you and with it you will prosper.

Cattle is an investment if you have the land both short term and long. If you don't own the land, rent it, if you don't have the cash to rent, barter calf's or other livestock or something you may have. People will always need to eat no matter what happens. Gold and Silver has a historical record of higher value when currency's drop and vis versa. The strategy is when to use your Gold & Silver to purchase things that have lost value due to the failed printing fiasco, all things go up and go down. Silver is the poorman's gold so I have invested in it as well as beef cows and dairy.
Cattle also goes both ways but it reproduces a healthy return as your base remains in place and your annual dividend (calf sales) provides cash flow even when the stock market crashes or the Gold and Silver bubble bursts.

You can can beef and pork well any meat easy as beans :-) :-)

If you are farther out in the country you are safer.the hungry mobs from metroplitain areas have neither the knowledge or ablity to get more than a few miles away from a link card acepting grocery store gasoline will run out befor the masses get really hungrey most of the crimanals have never been out from under a street light and are afraid of the dark .being part of a comunity in the country would be the best bet knowing where to trade a bag of corn for a chicken not just figgering that the back room of the store produces all the nessitys of life.

When I go deer hunting I go to where the deer are.

If it reaches the point were there are hungry mobs in the cities, the economy has collapsed, and martial law has been declared, I can guarantee that there are going to be "motivated" people that are going to reach your community sooner or later.

They are going to go to where the "hunting" is good and living out in the country and knowing who wants to trade a chicken for a bag of corn ain't gonna help you when they show up.

ramiller EXACTLY it might take them a while to get to you but bicycles and motoercycles...will get you there some time.....like I have said a hungry man will find a way to eat....

It feels good to have good neighbors that are well armed with a lot of ammo. If the big ass mistake gets reelected I will up the ammo supplies and get a couple mean ass dogs.

Wisdom and prayers. I seriously doubt any side winning.

Gold is more for, a chance at, wealth preservation. So ya have done well and have 100 1 oz gold coins ( at $1,623 each today) .... but you and yours are starving .... I have 4 chickens for sale at $40 each ..... how is this deal going to go down?

The flip-side being that I have 4 chickens that I can afford to sale ( with 30 others in the pen) .... and there are 20,000 folks wanting them ( migrants from the citified millions looking for food) ... many on the last straw. Each one plum serious about eating ... one way or another.

Considering the distance from a McDonalds ... there ain't many places left to hide.

Better that a collapse never happen. And should it, you might ought to look as hungry as the others.

Live for today .... plan for tomorrow .... but accept that all possibilities can not be covered.

Awful lot of Rambos in recliners looking for approval/justification :(

What is this hungry man going to live on while he is pedaling around the country looking for me?