Gator I run 5 mother cows and one bull on 21 acres. I Currently have 10 calfs from 2 years of breeding for a total of 16 head. I live on the property. I commute 60 miles to the city everyday to work. I would say on my small operation I break even to making a little, depends on the rain, cattle market prices, and how much feed I have to buy to support them. The draught in Texas has played havic on the price of hay. I have another 36 acre place that I just completed a 5 acre +/- pond that I use for hay production. I plan to move cattle and expand the operation as soon as I get the fences repaired.
As for how often you need to tend to cattle, I'd say it depends on the quality of your fences, do your neighbors have cattle?
If you are putting cattle on good grazing land with plenty of grass and water with good fences once a week is plenty, or if your futher away and have a neighbor who looks out for your place is also good. Most issues with cows getting out is usally the bull is wanting to get with the honey's next door or the bulls start fighting over territory and tear down the fence or the cows are hungey and head for greener pastures.
The hay operation also depends on the weather. If you get plenty of rain then everyone has hay and the market is flooded. If your in a draught and you have hay from past years you'll make out like a bandit. I sold round 100 bails to my neighbor last summer for the price of bailing 15$ a roll. This was the first cutting of the year and has weeds. I had planned on getting at least 2 more cuttings. Didn't happen. 3 month's latter after the draught was in full swing the same hay could have been sold for 100$ a bail. You just never know.
