1,003 Acres, Custer County, The Cain Ranch

A 1,000+/- deeded acre Nebraska ranch for sale that produces 500 calves per year?!! The Cain Ranch is it!!

The Cain Ranch is a highly efficient, self-contained unit that has been using Intensified Rotational Grazing since 2008. What is Intensified Rotational Grazing?  It is Management-intensive rotational grazing that increases harvest efficiency of vegetation with grazing animals through smaller paddock sizes, higher stock density while maintaining plant residue with enough energy reserves to recover quickly when adequate soil moisture is available for growth. By rotating the cattle into different paddocks through the summer this ranch can carry a cow with calf at side on as little as one acre for the grazing season. 

The Cain Ranch owner does not start too early in the spring, he waits until the grass is growing and healthy before starting the grazing.  Normally waiting until June, when the grass is “belly high” and then able to run the cattle until mid-December, 6 months.  By moving the cattle between new paddocks on a regular basis the native grasses flourish and depress any invasion of weeds.  Water is not an issue when moving cattle as there are 14 tanks spaced across the pastures.

This 1,121 acre ranch can run 500 pairs on irrigated grass for 6 months and produce the majority of the forage to feed the cows the rest of the year. There are approximately 1003 deeded acres and 118 acres of school ground.

The irrigated grass is watered by 5 pivots and is divided into numerous paddocks with lay down electric fencing, that allows the pivots to move into different paddocks.  Each pivot on the native grass pasture has turf tires to limit pivot ruts and hinder any erosion of the soil.  The paddocks have been designed to follow the contour of the landscape.  There are “pass throughs” on the permanent fencing to allow easy access to all areas of the pasture. This type of fencing allows the cattle to be moved as soon as the grass needs regrowth.  Depending on the situation they can be rotated every 10-14 days if needed.

There are also 2 pivots used in double cropping to grow forage.

There is also a site set aside to background calves without having to truck them to a feedlot.

All of the electricity for fences is buried in PVC conduit to the gates with shut offs located at each gate. The electric fencing has fiberglass poles and spring tension tighteners on all the wires. All corner posts and gate posts are heavy duty with ratchet tighteners to keep them strong and square.

There is a very nice 50’X130’ pole building that has a break room, office, shop and space for machinery, and an indoor calving area.

Intensified Rotational Grazing vs. Conventional Grazing?

Conventional 5 month pasture grazing

The conventional way of grazing you would need 10-12 acres per pair in this area of Custer County, NE.  This would mean that 50 pairs would take 500 acres.  If you wean a 400 lb calf in 5 months, it would have a value of $1,400.00 assuming a $3.50 per pound.  Those 50 calves would give you a return of $70,000.00.

Intensified Rotational Grazing 6 months on pasture.

IRA you use 1 acre per head and wean a 460 lb calf with a value of $1,610.00 assuming $3.50 per pound. 500 calves with a value of $1,610.00, and give you a return of $735,000.00.

The Difference

If you kept 500 pairs in a conventional setting you would have to have access to a minimum of 6,000 acres, with 40 miles of fence to maintain, windmills to check and trucking to the pasture and back to a back grounding feed lot.

On The Cain Ranch, there is no trucking to pasture and back, half the fence upkeep, no windmills to maintain, and the cattle walk to the back grounding yard.

The IRA method reduces labor, reduces time and the net return is 10 FOLD!

Estimated Taxes: $12,213.76

Address: Broken Bow, NE 68822
County: Custer