Best place in US to raise show cows and calves?

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box6rranch

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Dec 11, 2008
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Larkspur, CO
We've been considering moving from Colorado to somewhere else. Where in the US do you think is the best weather plus the most affordable to raise quality show cattle? Just two of us left so we don't need a huge house and schools aren't a factor. Need to be somewhat close to a mid size city so my husband can get work. Other than that we are pretty open. I hate the cold, would like to find something more mild.
 

BAILEYFARMS

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Weatherford, OK
DEPENDS ON IF YOU WANT TO RAISE FALL BORNS OR SPRING. IF YOU DONT MIND FALLS OK OR TX IS A GREAT PLACE. PLENTY OF TRADERS TO GET THEM SOLD FOR GOOD MONEY. NOT TO MENTION ECONOMY IS STILL OK
 

OH Breeder

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I think if you go solely with what will feel good you may find the cost of living no so affordable. Usually if the weather is mild or temperant folks want to live there.Not always. IE:colorado springs is 15% more expensive than Macon GA. Tennessee is pretty and fairly mild in weather. Talk with Doc on that one. Consider also feed source and access to grains and hay. That will factor into your operation. Price of land etc. I am not an expert Just a thought.....several of my coworkers have done what you are talking about.

Personally I like the change of weather. I have lived in Ohio all my life. Travel all over US but really like it hear. Affordable and grains/hay are easy to access.

There is a cost of living calculator.  http://www.bestplaces.net/col/
 

box6rranch

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Larkspur, CO
We have been kicking around the idea of OK and TX. Don't really care when we calf just trying to have 10 to 15 calves ready for the 4-H kids or others to buy when it's the right season for the calves to sell.
Would like to stay somewhat centrally located to Colorado. Would like to have 60 to 100 acres. Thanks for the cost of living calculator.
Anyone live around McCalister OK? I think that's the name of it. It's close to the Texas border.
 

Jill

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Gardner, KS
Ok or Tx would be your best warm markets.  Iowa is great, but you're kidding yourself if you don't think it gets cold there.
 

farmboy

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Apr 21, 2007
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south webster ohio
ohio

it gets hot in the summer, cold in the winter, i thought that was how it was supposed to be.

there is a show every weekend somewhere and no matter where you are in the state, your never to far away.
 

shortyjock89

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Mar 6, 2007
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IL
BCCC said:
I don't think there are ALOT of shortys shown down south.

Yeah, maybe not as many as up here in IL, but there is almost as much money in the ones in Texas.  V8, WR, CPR...some pretty good stuff down there too.
 

justintime

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May 26, 2007
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Saskatchewan Canada
Bob... I just said to Chris a few minutes ago, that I may have seen this much snow before, but I don't think I have ever seen this much piled where I don't want it. I have spent at least 20 hours this week moving snow with the tractor. There are 11 snow plows working in the oil patch around here and none can come here for at least another week... and that is only if we don't get more snow or wind. I don't even want to think of the water and mud we will have when this decides to melt. It is also one of the coldest I have seen in a long while.
 

jbzdad

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southwestern Kansas
I grew up in Oklahoma... If you go to far east from I-35 the trees get thicker, it gets more humid and it gets a little more "deliverencish"  if you know what i mean....oil prices have really driven up land prices in Oklahoma,probably more than Kansas but prices seem to be up here also..., but prices are probably up where you are so maybe that would even out.... rainfall is generally better the farther east in both kansas and oklahoma.... there is a big club calf business in oklahoma ,partly driven by the texas market... if you are really into shorthorns how do they really do in hot humid weather,southern oklahoma really can be that , north central (think Enid) would perhaps be better, still hot but not quite so humid...would be happy to go into more detail if you like, have knocked around these parts all my life, fel lin love with smoky show steers in Purcell....
 

PaddyO

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Feb 11, 2009
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Honestly... the south isn't the place.. IF you are wanting to calve summer time, dang it can get so hot. And Oklahoma and Texas is like that.. But mcalister is eastern part, so its a lil better, but its still way to hot...
 

ploughshare

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May 30, 2008
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furinsilex said:
I would have to say Iowa the climate is very suitable there. Not to hot in the summer, yet not rediculusly cold in the winter

I would say a 60 mile radius of Kansas City, maybe out to 100 if you go East.  PM me for my reasons. Its not what you make, its what you keep.
 

AAOK

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Rogers, Ar
box6rranch said:
We have been kicking around the idea of OK and TX. Don't really care when we calf just trying to have 10 to 15 calves ready for the 4-H kids or others to buy when it's the right season for the calves to sell.
Would like to stay somewhat centrally located to Colorado. Would like to have 60 to 100 acres. Thanks for the cost of living calculator.
Anyone live around McCalister OK? I think that's the name of it. It's close to the Texas border.


I'm in Ada, OK, which is the east central part of the State; 60 miles straight west of McAlester.  Most of OK east of I-35 is hilly, with lots of trees.  Our economy is the best it's been since the late 70s-early 80s.  Jobs are still plentiful, but our average annual wage runs about $28,000.  In Blackjack Oak country you can buy rough land for $500 - $600 per acre.  60 acres of good pasture land within 20 miles of Ada, McAlester, Durant, Shawnee, Seminole will run $1500 - $3000 per acre.  We do have 4 distinct seasons, sometimes all in the same day.  Since we are in the exact center of North America's prevailing jet streams, we have the highest paid meteorologists in the nation, and well deserved.  Our climate is what I would call moderate.  See for yourself at: http://climate.mesonet.org/normals_extremes.html  Surprisingly to most, Oil $ Natural Gas is not our largest revenue industry, nor is agriculture.  Aviation and Aerospace ranks numero uno.  Oklahoma largest employer is the Department of Defense, Walmart second.  We have a very strong manufacturing base, mostly under 50 employees.  An interesting and little known fact is that we have more miles of shoreline than the east coast & the gulf coast combined.

All this comes from a guy who just can't wait to move to NW Arkansas, which happens to be where our kids and grandbabies live.  BTW: I have 47 acres, highway frontage, 6 mile NW of Ada with an insulated barn, great pens, and three pastures; great building site
 

box6rranch

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Dec 11, 2008
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Larkspur, CO
I really appreciate everyones input! I guess I never realized how much there is to consider. For purely selfish reasons I want to move somewhere warmer. I don't know how shorthorns would do in the humidity and hot weather. We live right off the Palmer Divide almost zero humidity and the summer can get warm but we usually top out at 90 degrees. A lot of our cattle keep some form or another of hair all year long.
The mid west was inticing because the cost of land is so much lower than here. I'd hate to make the move and get somewhere that we aren't able to fit in with whatever the 4-H kids show. We are working on developing a small crop to sell each year for extra retirement income.
We live on 15 acres but we have it set up pretty efficient. Spring we lease 80 acres and only keep what my daughter shows at home.
When we started showing shorthorns very few people here in the surrounding counties showed them. Now all of a sudden folks who said they would never have a shorthorn on their property are showing them exclusively. We don't have any big contenders in CO for competition. Did get our start by going to the KaBa ranch to buy.......great folks, that's another story in itself :O)
 
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