this is exactly what I love about this channel.... the honestly and brutal truth about Ranch Life such as it is.... Thanks for doing what you do keeping everyone informed

Mike, this is probably the best video you have ever made! I'm so happy you also decide to cover the business aspect of ranching! People often forget the farms and ranches are business entities no different than any other business that is intended to be profitable. I'm glad you decided to cover this topic because many other ranchers I personally know are contemplating similar decisions. I'm glad you decided to wean you calves and sell them after being weaned. I would also suggest another round of vaccinations before weaning. Cattle feeders definitely pay premiums for weaned calves over truck weaned or "bawling" calves. I would suggest using fall grazing and fenceline weaning for the least amount of stress. As a purebred breeder, we always have to sell our bulls and heifers after weaning to other ranchers. Also our calves that don't make the standards to stay intact, become steers and are sold after preconditioning. Also coming from a cattle feeding background, I have dealt with non-weaned and weaned calves and the weaned calves generally are easier to start on feeding programs. I ultimately believe that while your decision may bring more work to your operation you will see a better paycheck on sale day because you will be selling more weight and a higher demanded product to stocker operators and feedyards. Also perhaps consider bangs vaccinating your heifer calves to make them more appealing to buyers who are looking for heifers to breed. I also notice you utilize Red Angus herd sires, perhaps consider in the future using a Red Angus Association of America Feeder Calf program to capture more value for your genetics. I know this is quite a bit of information and a lot of my opinion but I have quite a bit of opinion on this topic and in today's world of tight margins cow/calf producers need to use every tool in the toolbox to take nature's gifts and produce a product that commands a higher premium. Thanks so much again!

Finally an ACTIVE farm life youtube channel that posts honest, educational videos. We want a little farm one day, and have no idea how to start or where to begin but these videos give us a great idea what we are in store for!

May God bless all you farmers/ ranchers Without you all we wouldn't have beef to eat.

Mike you guys work so hard to make a go of it. Most people have no idea what it takes to put their food on the shelves. Your videos show a lot of folks theirs a lot of hard labor , planing and sleepless nights in raising livestock.

Another example of "nothing is as easy as it seems". A lot more goes into the process than most people realize. Thanks for the explanation.

A goal without a plan is just a wish. Very well said. I have been known to wish quite a bit, but once I make a plan, (good or bad) I follow through and get results. Keeping any business alive and prosperous is hard work. Thanks for sharing.😀

Shalom! Mike and Miss Erin, thank you so much for sharing with u, how to cattle. Blessings to you all, grandma and the girls!

Thanks Mike...a great look at the reality of Ranch Life! A great time for us to purchase cattle for our farm!

Thank you Mike! Hope all goes well and your cost as well! Take care and have a warm winter.

Another great video Mike. You and Erin work so hard for every dollar the ranch makes!! Thanks for showing us ALL of it!! I sure appreciate where my food comes from more because of it...!! Hope the sale goes well.🙏

I didn't realize how much goes into the whole ranch process. There is much more than I thought. Raising a family on a ranch has to be very rewarding also. I wish you guys the best. Thanks, JohnG

Thanks for sharing the intimate details of your financial situation. It adds so much to our understanding of your operations and that of many other ranchers and farmers. You have a gift for breaking down the complexities so urbanites like myself can understand.

We never know what tomorrow will bring,I've heard the elders say millions of times. They lived threw things I hope none of us have to worry about. Hope yall can hold em to just the right time to get the best price. Good luck. This time of year is a nailbighter😳😊.

I enjoy when you break down the cost and such. Most channels wont give the bad side of ranching, but you guys ain't afraid to show the good and the bad. Your honesty is what keeps me watching. Thank you for being brutally honest!! Keep up the good work!!

Awesome video mike hope an pray all goes well an the market turns up

Fellow Rancher here, you explained it well.

As of Tuesday, I will be one month into my weening process, life is good now! It’s been really noisy around here. In Iowa where I am, neighbors are much closer. Had one stop a month ago, not knowing anything about cattle, and asked, “if I was torturing the my calves?” I had to answer, yes.

This is without a doubt one of the, no...THE BEST farming videos I have seen on KZfaq. No crap, and it's heartening to see that the pitfalls of cattle raising are universal, not just confined to one location. In Australia we have some occasional respite when live exports to Asian and middle eastern markets jump, but mostly it is the same old grind.

Good analysis. Hoping for better markets. You lay it all out there. Good luck.

That's a good move on your part Mike, always wean my calves and bring them to a desireble weight. This year I averaged 700 lbs on steers

Excellent video with honest information. Very informative, thanks Mike

I always enjoy your videos there always so informative. I hope everything works out for you and your family.

I'm subscribed. I like to see what you do and how Wyoming Ranching works. You make great videos and the quality is really good. Great work Mike, keeps it up.

I really must say I'm impressed at your delivery, candor, and ability to explain how the economics of a cattle ranch work. I am not a farmer, nor will I ever be, but that doesn't make this ANY less fascinating. Your video production quality skills are excellent. You've got a new subscriber. Excellent stuff. With brutal economics such as this, acquisition and amortization of major equipment such as tractors, etc, as expensive as they are, must be daunting at best.

I plan having my own ranch in 4 years and I've learned alot from your videos man.. thanks

Mike/Erin, Very informative, educational, excellent video presentation, thank you!

Very interesting. Thanks for taking the time to break it down. Good luck!!

Great video, it was really interesting to see the market prices for steers and heifers while you explained what we were seeing. Hope weaning and your new plan goes well. Thanks for sharing your family's story and promoting agriculture.

i really love the way you break this down. :) makes it so much easier for me to plan my future moves to off-grid farming.

Farmers and a Ranchers are some of the smartest people on the planet. Thanks for sharing

Good luck Mike I know you have been talking about selling off some of the cows about a year now . Your a great rancher / family man We will say a special prayer for your ranch / family Best of luck sir 👍

“ The Cost of Ranching “was your first video I saw , “The dollars and the CENTS and not the common sense bc after this video you’ll be wondering if I have any SENSE at all” loved it!! Classic👌

I love your videos Mike you are still doing a great job with your farm and animals , you takes care of them healthy animals and pretty land. I love your family, your wife with the beautiful crops that I loves ,you all are doing an amazing job. Way To Go Mike !

I’m glad you have a plan to beat the odds. I wish you the best of luck to you and your family. Thank you.

Happy New Year Mike & Erin & Family i enjoy your videos so much about the ranch

Without a side job in town or some extra income it’s just nearly impossible to sustain a ranch. What a shame 😔 Best wishes to you and your family Mike 👍🏻

Mike thank you for the wonderful job that you do with your ranch and explaining things everybody I'm a farmer and I have the same issues.

I do understand the farming life, I only wish more people would understand,I'm so happy that you're able to come onto KZfaq and to be able to make these videos to show people what it's like financially for Farmers we depend on you we don't have you we don't eat me I love to eat beef thank you. Lisa in East Central Ohio

Enjoyed your presentation, spot on. Here in S Texas during the same time as the market report you referenced we're getting $1-$1.20 for heavy weight steers and bull calves. We'd be jumping for joy to be getting your average per head. Our prices peaked in April at an average $1.40-$1.55 for 500# plus steer/bull calves. From June it was until the 1st of September before we received any rain. Prices haven't rebounded. Good video, enjoyed.

Thank you for bringing truth to the internet Mike, along with ranching's hard choices and decisions! -Bob...

Thanks for explaining the cattle battle

Great content, thanks for the numbers. Good fortune.

Another great and informative video Mike.

I think everyone will need to make some changes in the next few years. Frankly and honestly, I foresee a change in our eating habits, so I'm glad you keep a finger in more than one pot on this Wyoming Life. Lots of love from S Carolina 🌎

Mike thank you for explaining things with us. Decisions that are so hard on farmers . Thank you for this video

Another excellent informative video, cheers mate.

I have learned so much about cattle ranching since I been watching your channel . Didn’t realize that some much went into raising cattle

Thanks for all the info. A behind the scenes of a true rancher !!! Great job Mike (nice hat) and wish you the best with the herd !! How’s the piggies, they almost ready ?? Thanks again for your time and video !!

Tons of respect. Work with corn farmers daily & it’s just amazing how hard farm work is & the dedication involved.

THANK YOU FOR SHARING , I FOUND IT VERY INTERESTING

Thanks for the inside look at ranching numbers. Makes me think about my 23 head of black angus heading to market soon. Big or small we all face the same decisions. Good luck Mike and Erin.

Great video, Mike...Love the channel....interesting video....Thanks for all you do.

Thank you for explaining this I have always been curios about the how and why of this.

God Bless you and your Family 🦋 Thank You for the food supply that you raise 🙏🇺🇸💕 Lupita Macedo from California

Exellent video ! I like your honestly and your channel this is so interesting! I’m proud to be a subscriber and help you and the ranch !

Great explanation. Thanks

Thanks for explaining the cattle market prices, very interesting

There is no escaping reality. Thankfully you do not sugar coat your presentation Mike. All the best, in all regards, to you and your family.

Hi again MIKE! Point positive it's a tough business because there are so many variables. Transport is tricky as some measure of weight is lost. Wondering if you've ever sold right from the ranch which would save both ship fees and weight loss. Happy you have all your new sources that will help out. Looking forward to the next things coming soon. Hope you All are finally well. Take good care and we'll hope the bad snows hold off a bit longer!! Thx as always Mike...

Good info Mike for sure.

Down here in East Texas, we avoid October sales because the market is glutted with everybody else's stock, and the price is down. So we might sell earlier or later to catch the higher prices. As always, a good presentation.

Ranchers and farmers should be watching your channel, good info that many have never looked at in such a manner. Keep it up! The open market is really not open, owned and operated by the packing house, it has become a noose around all the ag industry! You have roots in the corporate world, you must realise the injustice. The plight of our food producers, that are at the bottom of the food chain, by design, needs to be exposed!

you are doing a great job....i just hope those without a clue how hard it is to ranch/farm see this channel and start repecting how hard it is for you to put that food on the table for them

Mike I like videos like this I like how you explained about the beef sales awesome video again

Great job Mike and I been in the same place over the years but some how God has help me get throght it all. Godbless yall and he will watch over yall also. Love Cliff

Thanks. Very interesting and informative. My maternal grandparents, and one son were small farmers in central VA when I was a kid. They raised tobacco and wheat for cash and grains for animal feed. My grandfather raised black Angus for fun. With mostly year round pastures winter feeding not such an issue. Think all of that is why I value your work.

We all do i worked with my dad for 40 years and if we broke even we felt good and hope next year will be better

Hey Mike,, Thanks for sharing.

When I was a kid I worked on a small farm. One week I got to go along to the sales barn. They had pigs on this farm ,no cattle. We on loaded the pigs and went in the sales barn. We were probably in there and hour. When we came out to the pickup to leave. We had a small calf in the box of the pickup and 2 in the trailer. This was back in the 80's.

Great informative video. Hope things get better ASAP. I never heard of the term truck wean ranch wean. Hope the new method helps you out. Wyoming is having some winter early...maybe early spring...

Beef it is what s for dinner, I get some tougher cuts of steak and put rub on them and throw them in the crock pot, in a few hours I have the most tender roast beef you can imagine, toss in a few taters and veggies and I got a feast. Pour out any fats over the feast and add some butter and you have a very tasty meal. Keep raising them for us.

Great video and info

We normally would be Selling calves but we’re doing the same thing. Thankfully we made enough hay to winter them. Have a good one

Great commentary !😎

Thank you Mike!👍👍👍✌

Down here in Louisiana a Cattle Rancher came up with an idea. He opened his own Slaughter House and sales “Grass-Fed” Beef. He has meat deals of 50, 75, 100-lb, half cow or whole cow. Stock your Freezer with good natural grass fed beef. He employs locals and keeps people working to slaughter & meet the many orders. Someone at my daughter’s office over heard her place he order for “Grass-Fed” Beef and five other women wanted the phone number to do the same. This could be a way to profit. People will drive for miles for Grass-Fed Beef.

Great explanation, thanks.

Wow Mike, I had never thought about the price break for ranchers. Hearing how little you get for calves is like knowing how small our milk check is going to be. The farm costs the same to operate, the girls still need to eat all winter, (late November to late April) but the CWT for milk is still low and going lower. We can expect just a little over $15 per hundred weight of milk, Roughly 11 gallons. That same 11 gallons being sold in the local grocery yields approx. $49.30. Given that milk, I presume like beef, needs a lot of fossil fuel to get it from point A to point B then back accounts for a fairly significant chunk of the difference. It is a great irony that Vermont is known as a dairy state but virtually all, (except a very small number of independent bottlers) our milk is trucked an average of 600 miles round trip. Knowing that, those numbers in pricing are not surprising. Thanks for taking the time to educate and make these videos. More folks ought to know the how and why of food production.

We have had good results with our pre-conditioning program for calves. That, along with selling them as "naturals" when possible has increased our sales proceeds. We have the feed to hold them over for 90-120 days. We feel it's a win-win!

Good luck with your sales plan, the beef problems are the same here in Ireland, calves are selling currently below the cost of production

Great content, very interesting video.

I really enjoyed this video so much show as I sit here idling through life and now with the feeling of well-being after watching your video maybe I need to continue on my journey through life it's been a tough one they slashed year-and-a-half thank you so much for your video and your kindness knowledge God bless you and your family and friends I will subscribe and in fact the few friends I still have left living I'll tell him about you great job sir

Wow I did not know that you would have to keep such records it's very confusing watching those prices your Channel is so educational I really enjoy it

Excellent video Mike , Over this direction we have a few late calves that hopefully we can keep them good and healthy . I believe there was one that i had sent you a picture of. The weather is not helping the young stock at all. I guess as far as the auction prices go , do you think it maybe better to wait till possibly Dec. Over this way there are some special feeder cattle auctions that bring in more buyers and sometimes that helps.

Very educational good video

In the ranch life there are always hard decisions to be made, gotta rob from Peter to pay Paul but ya always seem to make things work. Another informative and great video Mike thanks for taking us along with ya. God Bless & have a great week.

Man..... Great story.....it's good to see that you can see the future .....to some extent....and deal with it.....farming is like anything else( business wise) except it's not😟.....you can't eat steel..... concrete.... plastic.....but times are changing.....( If you can buy calves cheaper than you can produce them..... Then someone else is also taking a loss.....) It takes a deep pocket sometimes to stay in business.....it's our Turkey day in Canada 🇨🇦( Thanksgiving) giving....best off luck....

I'm a subscriber. Been watching since the beginning.

Thank you for this channel it's helpful over coming our human tendency to get stuck in complaints & into a possable solution LOL I still don't want to move back into that kind of weather but I do practice what I peach so I'm happily looking forward to the move & really lucky yucky weather gives more packing time in nice weather = ya uhalls going from Oregon to Wyoming is not a smart winter travel plan yet I can be ready for spring travel before the miserable heat LOL 🙋

i love this channel keep it up please

Thank you

Being a data wonk I LOVE videos like this. Wish more people would take the time to understand that ranching/farming isn't a hobby but a serious business!!

Sounds like perfectly sound decisions, Mike. I hope, hope, hope you keep number 2. I want to adopt her next year when our expenses are better situated. In the meantime, I hope she stays. I hope and pray that things work out for you and your family on making these tough decisions, but it sounds like you have a good plan and it should work very well.

just subbed yer channel as soon as i found it thank ya fer the video

New to channel interesting video open my eyes on cattle ranching.

I hope all works out for the best Mike! Jo Jo in VT 😊💕🍁🍁🍁🍁

Another great video. Most people including me go buy a pound of beef not realising how much really goes into the process. OWL makes me think of those things now.

Good luck Mike.

Im sorry for you herd reduction due to hay and pasture. Been there , really hurts. Bless You.