Introduction Farming goes back to ancient times where peoples
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.
Slide 3
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.
Slide 4
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.
Slide 5
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 5x6 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.
Slide 6
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.
Slide 7
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.
Slide 8
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.
Slide 9
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.
Slide 10
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.
Slide 11
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.
Slide 12
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.