What should I raise

[Prochaska]

I just came in contact with 640 acres of land through inheritance, my grandfather never did anything with this land. I've always wanted to be a rancher but never thought I'd have the opportunity. So I'm asking what would be the most successful animal to raise on this land it's in east Kansas with a decently sized stream if not a small river flows through it so it has immediate contact with water.

Thank you for all the advice and opinions,
-Austin Prochaska

[wannalive]

if I has 640 acres.. I would raise EVERYTHING... lol

[jwal10]

Cows, Cows, Cows....James

[Brighton]

What Jwal10 said, that part of Kansas, cows cows and more cows!!

[Prochaska]

Is there a reason for cattle in that area? If so why? Please explain I'll soak up any knowledge or help I can get!

-Austin Prochaska

[katy]

Congratulations Austin, How fortunate you are, assuming you have working capital. Cattle can be very profitable, especially if you can grow and harvest your own hay. It sounds as though you know very little about the actual land, so a visit and researching the area might be in order. If your Grandfather owned the land and was NOT leasing it out to others, it might be prime to be worked again. Being a good steward is important, and to that end, I would suggest reading the Extreme Composting thread in this forum.

There is a Cattle forum here also with an emphasis on "rotational grazing". I haven't spent much time in that thread but it would seem to be a reasonable place to start.

This could be your blessing or curse for life, but with lots of work it should be the blessing. Good luck to you.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Lease it to someone else and learn and watch. If you know nothing about livestock, fencing, etc., you need to give yourself a couple of years to learn.

"The best way to make a small fortune in the cattle business is to start with a large one."

[geo in mi]

Walnut, oak, cherry, maple, hickory.............have you walked it yet?

geo

[Grumpy old man]

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

Lease it to someone else and learn and watch. If you know nothing about livestock, fencing, etc., you need to give yourself a couple of years to learn.

"The best way to make a small fortune in the cattle business is to start with a large one."

Exactly ! I have cattle and it took me years of watching and learning from those who have lived this life way longer than me . You don't just buy a bunch and throw them out to pasture .

What to raise ...How much cash to you have to use while your in the learning phase ? Do you have good grass and good water /fences aren't cheap or easy ,do you have reliable help a couple of kids altho they do help are not farm hands ,cattle can be dangerous animals are you up to the job ? do you have tractors/barns /hay storage /trucks/trailers/ ????? Raising anything will require a good local vet ... There's a lot more to it than just a field to put them in .... fastest way to learn how to care for and what it may cost will be to put 4 cows in a 1/2 acre pasture and see how much it cost you .then double that and you will barely have enough money to raise 1 more

[YounGrey]

Sheep would raise there well, and might be easier to manage than cows


Homesteading Recipes:

http://homesteadingrecipes.blogspot.com/?m=0

From my farm to yours...

[ksfarmer]

Originally Posted by Prochaska

I just came in contact with 640 acres of land through inheritance, my grandfather never did anything with this land. I've always wanted to be a rancher but never thought I'd have the opportunity............................. .................
Thank you for all the advice and opinions,
-Austin Prochaska

This could be a problem. Do you mean he literally left the land idle with no maintenance or care? If so, it is probably grown over with undesirable stuff like eastern red cedar, dogwood, elm , locust and so on. It may even have noxious weeds such as sericea lespedeza. If this is the case, it will take a lot of work to make the land productive again. Is it forested along the stream? Open areas of grass? Any conservation work, such as terracing? Has any of the land been farmed in recent years? Did he rent out to anyone ? Can't tell you what to do with the ground without a lot more information..

[ksfarmer]

Originally Posted by YounGrey

Sheep would raise there well, and might be easier to manage than cows


Homesteading Recipes:

http://homesteadingrecipes.blogspot.com/?m=0

From my farm to yours...

Sheep need good fences and a guard (or several) to keep coyotes away. And, lots of care and feed in the winter.

[d'vash]

Oh, why didn't my grandfolks invest in land?

Lease the 600+ acres. This will allow you to learn from someone who knows what they're doing, whilst generating some income that can be put towards future projects once you get a hang of ranch living. Think about it: you need good quality fencing, a decent shelter for the livestock, a barn for the farming equipment, machines, the livestock themselves, vet costs, feed costs!

Keep an acre or two to yourself, really this is all you need to start off with. Plant a modest garden, acquire some honey bees, rabbits, chickens, ducks, turkeys, maybe a few goats and pigs. Something small, relatively easy to maintain and good to learn the ropes on. Something that doesn't require a major investment in fencing, shelter, feed and whatnot as all this money will go into the drain if you have no idea what you're doing. Once you're comfortable, expand. Then, and only then, begin to look at long-term plans.

[ksfarmer]

Originally Posted by Prochaska

Is there a reason for cattle in that area? If so why? Please explain I'll soak up any knowledge or help I can get!

-Austin Prochaska

As I said earlier, lots of questions you need to find answers for. Not all of eastern Kansas is cow country. Some is more suited to crop farming, such as corn and soybeans. If it isn't already in good grass it isn't cow ready.
by the way, do you live near this section of ground?

[fordy]

...............You're a very blessed person ! Once you decide on a species of animal , say cows , I'd go about developing an adequate hay field that could feed say 50 cow\calf pairs ! That's why I'd invest in a feed source for the cows , First , then slowly build your heard After your haying operation is up and producing feed !
...............You already have a source of irrigation , so start cultivating and soil prep , then cows , later ! , fordy

[jwal10]

On second thought,

Work, Work, Work to make your first million.

With your limited knowledge of the cattle business, I would rent the land to a real cattleman, sit back and learn. When you have enough for a start, then take over part of your ranch and run it until you make your next million or lose the first. Not you per say, anyone in your predicament. Owning land is one thing, running a ranch that size is BIG buisness....James

[Prochaska]

Well like I said earlier Ive always wanted to be a rancher but never thought I'd be able to (I didn't know my grandfather owned this land). It's been a dream of mine and with this opportunity to be one I really want to try, I'm going in to college next year as a freshman and I'm thinking of changing my major plan to be agriculture related now. Would that be enough to come out of with a bachelors degree and be successful with this land or still lease it out and try and learn from others and work experience. One of you asked if I lived near it and the answer is no I actually live in north Texas.

Thank you for all the help so far guys I really appreciate it
-Austin Prochaska

[Prochaska]

Also another question is at the biggest once and if I ever have all of it figured out how many heads of cattle could I have on that land being 640 acres and how much would you guess id make in profit?
-Austin Prochaska

[ksfarmer]

Originally Posted by Prochaska

Also another question is at the biggest once and if I ever have all of it figured out how many heads of cattle could I have on that land being 640 acres mad how much would you guessnid make in profit?
-Austin Prochaska

Austin, no-one can tell you how many head you can run on that acerage without knowing the condition of the land, what vegetation is on it, and many more questions. You need to contact someone near the land and ask questions. You might contact the extension agent of that county, he can probably tell you a lot. Check also with the local FSA office and see if there is any crop acerage and if it has been enrolled in the farm program. Has someone been leasing the land from your grandfather? My advise would be to lease the ground out while you go to school, hopefully you will get enough to pay property taxes and some left over to help pay for school. You should attempt to visit the farm and talk to neighbors and learn all you can about it.
So many things you need to learn, I wish you luck.

[jwal10]

Hard to see it from here. Since it has been left unused, who knows. Depends on grass type and what shape that is in. May have been let go to native grasses and be good rangeland, who knows. How much has been taken over by trees and thick, may not be much pasture there....James