Thread: Flipping cows for profit

I was wondering about flipping cows for profit. Buying males at about 9-12 months old feeding them for 4 months or so and selling for slaughter. Would be feeding them planted grass for cattle as well as feed. Any input would be great. Have land already and good water supply as well as barn for the cattle. Would be keeping them in the barn and feeding them there. Not letting them free range. As far as age to buy and sell? Anyone have experience with this? We already raise females to have offspring but looking for a little faster way to get the process going. Thank you in advance.

I don't know about Thailand but in modern dairy farming the male calves are not wanted, they normally end up as veal.
Look for a Dairy farm and buy up the male calves, the trouble is you have to feed them milk for the first few months.

Are you making any money on the female cows? I have three on my land that my BIL purchased. Two are with calf and should be dropping in another month or so. What kind of time frame can I expect to make some of my investment back? If they are male cows, they will be sold off after they are able to eat grass.

Interesting 4 months or so it would be, I suppose...Would worry about "disease" of any kind...Can check records of any shots?...What should they have?...What's the "law?"...

And of course, the market...

I thought you meant this:

Would like to buy the males after they are weaned off milk, but will purchase cheap before hand. Yes would have to give them milk though for a few.
Disease is a concern so would give the shots they need as soon as they are purchased.

Rick, Yes you can sell the males off after a few months. People will always buy them for there meat. Longer you keep them more you get because it all goes by weight.
What type of cows do you have? That will determine the selling price.

I take great exception to this Bovinophobic thread and believe it violates 18C of the oz racial discrimination act under "insult or offend, humiliate or intimidate" and therefore request the moderators to remove this bigoted bovinophobic trash.

Originally Posted by Vettronics

Rick, Yes you can sell the males off after a few months. People will always buy them for there meat. Longer you keep them more you get because it all goes by weight.
What type of cows do you have? That will determine the selling price.

Brahman.

Rick, Sell the Brahman males after they come off milk unless you want to get more weight on them for market. It seems different areas sell them for different prices. Where we are I saw one just sell for 25,000 Baht after milk at 6 months old.

Thanks Vett, my BIL was recently offered 45K for one of the females, but declined. They are the money makers if they have a calf yearly. I will know what gender the two calves are shortly.

Rick, That is about right for a Female. 45-50,000 Baht. If you sell it though you will have to start over. They say most sell the females after they have had 8-10 calves.

Rick, What color is the female? Red sell for more then the white ones. Do you know what percent Brahman your cows are?

Sounds good. What are the Thais doing with all the cows they sell? Rebreeding? Slaughter for food? Just keep for status reasons?

Yes the expensive breeds are kept for status. Most of the males are slaughtered for food unless it is a really good bull for breeding. You are right though that a lot are sold everywhere you go.

So anyone have a good info on raising cows here in Thailand? I visited a few farms last week. Some of these are Thai groups that get together and sell as a large lot of animals at a time. Seem to let them walk around while they are young then put them in a barn after they are around a year or so old for 6+ months and feed them and not let them walk around anymore to fatten them up for market. Just don't know if the profit is there to get a good return.

Originally Posted by Vettronics

Just don't know if the profit is there to get a good return.

I just don't see any profit in farming in Thailand if one is starting out from scratch.

Only 2 requisites. You must be an insomniac living in close proximity to a golf course.

Most of the cattle herds seen in Thailand are for slaughter. There are huge (and rich) milk farms near Korat but that's out of question fro farangs.

The herd is mostly grazing along the roads. That's why we see now fires along roads, then the grass will shoot out very soon. And mostly without any supervision, easiness is always preferred in Thailand (milking is not easy). The herd comprises of many females, just 1 -2 bulls.

There are cattle markets, almost in every district, mostly on Mondays, the cows are traded by some 8 - 20,000 Baht.

Beside the typical Thai way of feeding cows Weeds on the side of the road and in fields. What are others doing? I always give them feed and Hay of course. We also grow grass for them. We will be making are own feed in the near future. Hopefully works out well.

My folks ran a beef fattening station in Queensland.
They'd buy the male bobbies and keep them for a year, then sell for beef.
Pasture, sorgum, and molasses was the diet.

I have thought about doing it with one beast at a time just to produce some quality beef. I think 4 months of good feed and easy life should do it.
Proper slaughter would be essential: Well rested relaxed animal and quick dispatch with a bullet to the brain.
Proper butchering and hanging for at least a week should produce good beef.

I reckon if you get the process right you could have a very good market for high quality beef.

Hi Maanaam,

Yes I was thinking the same. Get a few young males fatten them up good with feed and molasses. A few months to a year would do the trick. Doing it mostly for a hobby at first. We shall see.

Originally Posted by Vettronics

Hi Maanaam,

Yes I was thinking the same. Get a few young males fatten them up good with feed and molasses. A few months to a year would do the trick. Doing it mostly for a hobby at first. We shall see.

The thing though is to produce good beef you have to not only raise them right but slaughter and butcher them properly.
I don't think it would be too expensive to fatten them up for a year.
Getting a good butcher and a chiller to hang and age them in might be the tricky bit.
However, if you get it right, the meat will be prime and will sell accordingly.

I'm salivating, just a bit, at the thought.

Consider, too, that as they fatten up and look in good condition, security might be an issue as jealous farmers and hungry peasants may be tempted to visit at night.

Yes you are right. We will be living on the land right by the Cow barn. Shouldn't be a problem I hope. I will let you taste the beef once it is ready. How is that?

Originally Posted by Vettronics

Yes you are right. We will be living on the land right by the Cow barn. Shouldn't be a problem I hope. I will let you taste the beef once it is ready. How is that?

Mate, come slaughter time, if I can, I would come and assist. As a qualified NZ government meat inspector and ex-farmer, I have (aside from being able to detect diseases such as TB) a lot of experience in slaughter and (farm) butchering, though I'm not a qualified butcher and not nearly experienced enough to claim to be able to slice your scotch fillets perfectly.... but then, Google is our friend