SE Manitoba | wurtzy - 6/18/2025 12:16
this goes out to more the beef guys out there, but dairy guys feel free to chime in.
After you have gotten out and all the cows leave, do you miss them? do you miss the work/ accomplishments it took for them?
I'm getting to a point in my life (41 years old next week), that I want to be gone more, and not so tied down. I'm an all in guy, so I'm not going to sub it out. also it takes the same work for 25 cows as it does 40 or 80.
I have a daughter(19) playing D1 Volleyball, and VB season is when calves are at home getting weaned, and the final four is during our early calving season.
My middle boy (14) is allergic to anything requiring work or getting up in the morning. Doesnt want anything to do with cows, fence, grinding feed, wrenching on equipment.
My youngest daughter (11) is my hardcore farm girl, but is more a horse person than cow person.
My wife is a city girl and has zero interest in the farm and cows.
its getting harder and harder to find the help, and my main HS kid that comes out to work cows regularly graduates next May. Im on family ground and owe nothing on cows or equipment, but its getting harder and harder for me to enjoy what I've built in this cow herd over the past 30 years. I work full time, as well. So I'm leaning to just cashing out and having my nights and weekends to myself and family and being able to travel and not so tied to the farm. No matter what i invest in it will still get cut 4 ways when it comes to my generation.
So..............do you miss them when they're gone? or do you just replace that time and feelings from the fenceline, grinding feed, packing silage, working cows, fixing feedwagons, with time in Cabo, making more softball/volleyball/football/etc games?
It's just getting harder and harder to enjoy it, even with record cattle prices.
Well - - - I'm over 20 years older than you and am in the 4th run at growing an operation.
My perspective - - -
why are you giving the 14 yr old the options - - - he wants his stuff - - - he contributes - - - no contribution very little stuff (whining makes me really edgy!!!)
The older daughter - - - move the calving to when its real easy and I think that one is ok - - - besides she's gone pdq and it sounds like she wouldn't care much about things if you weren't there.
the 11 yr old - - - she wants her horsies - - - - well see for son - - - same deal - - - - its either pull your freight or enjoy sitting on your duff.
If you don't teach them how to work - - - - well they will NEVER learn.
My wife is also a city girl and really though long and hard about it before she thought she might be interested in connecting with me.
She doesn't do much but I try and involve her in stuff she likes (latest one is gardening and also raising a Livestock Guard Dog) - - - gotta find those things.
Me - - - I keep coming back to livestock - - - I've realized I'm a critter person - - - I like animals and without them most of the time things wouldn't be wonderful
Now there are times why I wonder why I'm such a fool but then I'm getting into something that is a whole lot more time consuming that running cows - - - I do that for fun!
Let us know what you decide - please.
(you could try selling down 75% and then growing back up slowly then you have something sitting for a rainy day) |
do you miss the cows?
