Here is a hypothetical question for everyone. If you were going to relocate from your current area what part of the country would you go to? I am currently living in west texas and sick of the drought and the wind. I always liked the eastern Ok,KS,NE and missouri. area. what are some of the best area in the country in your opinions. I am taking into account stocking rates and land prices as well as recreation ie (lakes, hunting, fishing etc).
best area for raising livestock?
- Thread starter A.P.
- Start date
Help Support Steer Planet:
I've had multiple people tell me that the "best" place to be - based on a combination of land price, weather, proximity to feed stuffs, carrying capacity (based on type of grass, precip, etc) is central to eastern Oklahoma. Our vet in Waurika, OK (not where his family has their cows though - they are much farther east) relocated to OK from NM for that very reason.
Plenty of fishing in that area, not nearly as good of hunting. OK is much more restrictive on hunting than TX.
Plenty of fishing in that area, not nearly as good of hunting. OK is much more restrictive on hunting than TX.
I agree with your vet chambero I have been through that country a lot over the years and knew their were better places than the south plains which is turning into the sahara before our eyes. The other problem out here is we are running out of irrigation water. That dosen't sound like a positive outlook out here. Thanks for the response
firesweepranch
Well-known member
Lets see...
Hunting? MO (we have deer walking through our pastures all the time, along with turkey, coyotes, and bob cats)
Fishing? MO
Lakes? MO for sure!!! (everyone out here floats, owns a canoe, or goes to the many lakes throughout!)
stocking rates? MO! (we are running about 25 head on 45 acres, and even made it through the drought... though I was concerned!)
Weather? SW MO (very little snow that does not last that long).
Price? Not sure what it is elsewhere, but out here it varies depending on land quality (forested land is a lot cheaper of course!).
So, of course, I would say Missouri! But you have to learn how to make fescue your friend
It grows EVERYWHERE out here...
Hunting? MO (we have deer walking through our pastures all the time, along with turkey, coyotes, and bob cats)
Fishing? MO
Lakes? MO for sure!!! (everyone out here floats, owns a canoe, or goes to the many lakes throughout!)
stocking rates? MO! (we are running about 25 head on 45 acres, and even made it through the drought... though I was concerned!)
Weather? SW MO (very little snow that does not last that long).
Price? Not sure what it is elsewhere, but out here it varies depending on land quality (forested land is a lot cheaper of course!).
So, of course, I would say Missouri! But you have to learn how to make fescue your friend
It grows EVERYWHERE out here...
Aussie
Well-known member
http://www.steerplanet.com/bb/index.php?action=classifieds;sa=view;id=645 Here is good. Just selling to buy a bigger place
Mueller Show Cattle
Well-known member
I agree with most of this, I LOVE Missouri as I was born and raised in Missouri and moved to Wyoming when I was 29, eight years ago. Great place to raise cattle for cattle per acre value. Weather was good but I like the cold better than the heat and Missouri was just way to hot for me, plus that is why our cattle up here in Wyoming has such great hair with our cold temps. Great fishing and good hunting, not as good as Wyoming as I get to hunt deer, antelope and elk hunt every year plus all the other stuff Missouri has with Turkeys, coyotes and bobcats. Yes you have to have cattle that eat the fescue, it is everywhere. I live in Wyoming and love the Wyoming country but my heart and family is still in Missouri.firesweepranch said:Lets see...
Hunting? MO (we have deer walking through our pastures all the time, along with turkey, coyotes, and bob cats)
Fishing? MO
Lakes? MO for sure!!! (everyone out here floats, owns a canoe, or goes to the many lakes throughout!)
stocking rates? MO! (we are running about 25 head on 45 acres, and even made it through the drought... though I was concerned!)
Weather? SW MO (very little snow that does not last that long).
Price? Not sure what it is elsewhere, but out here it varies depending on land quality (forested land is a lot cheaper of course!).
So, of course, I would say Missouri! But you have to learn how to make fescue your friend
farmboy
Well-known member
Close to the Mississippi river
nkotb
Well-known member
Missouri is great, as long as your cattle like to eat Fescue that is toxic. I wouldn't even try feeding it to pregnant horses. My wife is from Missouri and it is the worst place to visit. Poison Ivy everywhere, toxic fescue, and the people are less than friendly. We live in NW Kansas, so my vote goes there, but as far as value or cost/cow, I would vote for North Dakota, but nobody wants to live there.
RyanChandler
Well-known member
I'd take close to where I'm at now. Right in between Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge and Lake Texoma. With improved coastal pastures you can run close to 1:1. Rains 35-40"/yr, only froze once this year (thumbsup) and hunting..did I mention I'm a mile NE of the Refuge? Some of the biggest whitetail bucks in the world here. Turkey season starts in 2 weeks. Can't wait, the Toms have already started gobblin. And the best part, Highport Marina on Texoma is less than 2 miles. Sip'n N Tip'n - gotta love long Sunday Fundays on the lake. Hr from DFW, Cowboy stadium, and The Ballpark.
Keep me away from the cold! I don't care much for cutting frozen net wrap off hay bales.
Keep me away from the cold! I don't care much for cutting frozen net wrap off hay bales.
HAB
Well-known member
nkotb said:
ND isn't cheap when you have to feed hay 6 + months a year. Western part is much milder, but oil has increased cost of everything. Eastern part has too much high valued crop ground, only grazing is blowsand or swamps. Winters are wonderful. ;D
That is why I raise the cattle I do. Cheap winter cost, and they graze everything, and utilize it.
Chambero, In Littlefield we got 10 inches of snow on christmas eve which is around and inch of moisture and last week we got .60 inches. in 2011 we got 5.9 inches counting that snow. That is a total of 6.5inches in the last15 months. To make matters worse the wind has blown at least twice a week for the last year 30-40 mph. I know now why the taliban is always so angry wind and blowin dirt can piss a fella off over time.
gowyo I agree with that but I like a lot of people don't have the luxury of free and clear land anywhere. That's why I asked what the best area is. I would love to be able to ranch full time but I don't have that option. I have cattle for a little extra money and a big tax write off. That's why the extra cirricucular activities and astectics are a little more important to me. I have been in west texas 5 years and know its not big cow/calf country, plus land prices have almost doubled in the last ten years. Animal unit price is outrageous when you put a pencil to it. Feedstuffs are becoming extemely high everywhere but with all the big dairies in this country its getting harder by the day to purchase feed at a decent price.
Davis Shorthorns
Well-known member
I would say the flint hills of Kansas. No fescue, no fertilizer, decent winters, decent costs. Grass can naturally get 8ft tall. Very low inputs into your ground. Good marketing areas. And great outdoor opportunities for hunting, fishing, camping, etc...
A.P. said:
I hope it rains your way. You have to remember - there's a reason land is cheaper in other parts of the country - there usually isn't much else besides ag going on there. It's hard to make enough (some would say impossible and be right way more often than they are wrong) of a living off of cattle to raise a family ANYWHERE if you aren't already established with land paid for. Don't mess up a good business/job on a whim to try to raise more cows.
