CATTLE FARMING By: Logan Evans

Introduction Farming goes back to ancient times where people’s everyday question was, “What are we going to eat today?”. Now in the present day we can go to any fast food restaurant and get a quick meal, but most people do not even know where their food really comes from. Thankfully, 2% of Americans work in our Agriculture Department and raise good food that we can eat. There are many different types of farming today. For this SAE project I am focusing on cattle farming.

Hay Production Our company uses bermuda, fescue, or bahia pastures in warmer months for our cattle to graze on. In colder months when the grass is dormant we depend on hay and other nutrient supplements. Once a field of hay has grown high enough, it is time to collect it. We use a hay cutter also known as a disk mower to mow the hay to the ground. I usually pull this machine with our 5525 John Deere tractor, which has more power than our smaller tractors.

Hay Production After the hay is mowed, the second step is to use a hay tedder. This machine fluffs the hay to get it off the ground and makes it easier to rake. The hay tedder is pulled with our 231 Massy-Ferguson tractor. The third step is using a rake. We have recently upgraded our rake to a 10 wheel speed rake. This rake rakes much faster. This machine pulls the hay into rows, so a hay baler can pick it up. The rake is usually pulled with our 231 Massy-Ferguson tractor.

Hay Production The final step is using a hay baler, which bundles the hay. We use either a square baler or more often a round baler. Our 5’x6’ round baler sucks up the rows of hay with a conveyor belt and starts forming a bale of hay. A computerized screen on the dash of the tractor lets us know when the bale has been wrapped and ready to be kicked out. We then have a finished product. After all the hay has been baled, the rolls of hay are picked up and stored to feed our cattle in the winter. We have 30 acres of land in Hytop, AL, 30 acres in Skyline, AL, 80acres in Scottsboro, AL and 30 acres in Paint Rock Valley, AL; which are sown in hay to feed our cattle.

Feed We feed our cattle hay, but occasionally add range pellets and sweet feed for extra nutrients. We also feed the cattle mineral salt blocks and white salt blocks for nutrients. The extra nutrients helps the cattle to get through the winter without loosing too much weight.

Cattle Statistics We have three cattle farms. We divided our 94 head of cattle into our farms. We also have a 6 head heifer pen. We have different breeds of cattle. With the market value of cattle changing constantly, having different breeds helps our revenue. Our 38 acre farm in Scottsboro, AL; holds 18 head of Charlai cattle. We run a 2,000 lb. Charlai bull in this pasture. Our 80 acre farm in Skyline, AL; holds 35 head of Black Angus and Black Baldies. We run a 1800 lb. Gelvie bull in this pasture.

Cattle Statistics Our 78 acre farm in Scottsboro, AL; holds 35 head of Black Angus, Red Angus, and Brangus. We run a 1650 lb. Black Angus in this pasture. Our 8 acre heifer pen located in Scottsboro, AL; holds 6 head of Black Angus, Black Baldies, and Herefords.

Working Cattle It is very important when working with cattle to remain calm and not spook the cattle. A very important rule, is to always be observant to your surrounding when in the pasture with the cattle. Cattle can seriously hurt you. To keep our cattle healthy, we give immunizations, antibiotics, worming medicines, and apply fly tags. For our calves, we add Black Leg vaccine to their regiment.

Land Management There is a lot of preparation in preparing a pasture for cattle. We use a 5525 John Deere tractor and bush hog to mow the field. This cuts down all the briars and thickets so the grazing grass can grow to feed the cattle. We check the ground for any holes or areas that a calve or cow could become injured. Fencing is a very important aspect of the farm. To keep the cattle from wondering off, we continually check for breaks in the fence.

Cattle Sale We usually sale our cattle at the stockyard in Ft. Payne, AL. After unloading our cattle, we go through the process of signing up the cattle to sell. We have a cow/calf production farm, which means we usually only sell calves. The calves have to be weaned from their mothers for a certain time before being sold. Occasionally we bring cows that do not raise calves well or are getting old.

Profits On an average, a calf can make a profit of $500 to $900. A steer will have a higher profit. The average profit for a cow is $1,000 to $1,100. Prices for cattle are determined by their breed, bloodline, registration and other variables. At the current time, Charlais and Black Baldies are top sellers.