want to work on ranch in the winter, it is crazy! (rent, fencing)

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by kevinwindwalker

That is the problem! I have 1.2years experience on raising hogs, 2 months experience on cattle........

I have been many office positions , like salesman , maketing manager , consultant , etc. I just want someone could give me a chance to experience some defferent area.

Don't quit your day job ... the livestock business is marginal enough without having to pay the overhead of entry folk without experience in the dead of winter.

[Ltdumbear]

I second-that opinion. Granted I've only been earning my living this way for just shy of 20 yrs...but never have I seen the job-market (ag-related) so bad...everybody and thier SISTER want's to bust-loose from thier respective metro-suburban/inner-city chains, and 'follow thier dreams of becoming a cowboy'...

...this is'nt quite the best time in U.S. economic-history to make that kindof leap of faith...

If you got a job and a place to live (I have neither right now) dig-in, STICK WITH IT, save what little you can, and wait-out this recession/depression (whatever the hell it is) until things start getting back to 'normal', and THEN once the jobs start coming back, decide what to do with yourself.

Anybody who tries to 're-invent' themselves in this kindof economy (with-OUT a financial fall-back plan) is probably playing Russian-Roulette with a loaded, locked-and cocked revolver...and you stand as good a chance as anybody else, to pull the trigger on a loaded (or empty) cylinder.

That's the best advise I have to give, for what it's worth...

[branDcalf]

Originally Posted by kevinwindwalker

That is the problem! I have 1.2years experience on raising hogs, 2 months experience on cattle........

I have been many office positions , like salesman , maketing manager , consultant , etc. I just want someone could give me a chance to experience some defferent area.

Go for it. You won't get much of a wage at first, but you have to start somewhere, right?

If this is something you really want to do, I encourage you to apply for some of those jobs.

And, I have 35 years in the field, but I didn't have near that many 34 years ago.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Originally Posted by Ltdumbear

I second-that opinion. Granted I've only been earning my living this way for just shy of 20 yrs...but never have I seen the job-market (ag-related) so bad...everybody and thier SISTER want's to bust-loose from thier respective metro-suburban/inner-city chains, and 'follow thier dreams of becoming a cowboy'...

...this is'nt quite the best time in U.S. economic-history to make that kindof leap of faith...

If you got a job and a place to live (I have neither right now) dig-in, STICK WITH IT, save what little you can, and wait-out this recession/depression (whatever the hell it is) until things start getting back to 'normal', and THEN once the jobs start coming back, decide what to do with yourself.

Anybody who tries to 're-invent' themselves in this kindof economy (with-OUT a financial fall-back plan) is probably playing Russian-Roulette with a loaded, locked-and cocked revolver...and you stand as good a chance as anybody else, to pull the trigger on a loaded (or empty) cylinder.

That's the best advise I have to give, for what it's worth...

Kevin, these are words of wisdom. Listen to Dumbear. I've looked at your other posts, and I absolutely admire your enthusiasm and drive--but there is a time and a place. I see you're Chinese, and I'm assuming that you're thinking about making a major move to another culture (of course you may be here already), in pursuit of a dream. That's the pioneering spirit of the West, so I see nothing wrong with that, but you'll be competing with seasoned ranch hands (cowboys) like LtDumbear who has been looking for steady work for a long time. You're still young--spend a few more years expanding on your education, save up, like he says, and then revisit your plans. OR, if you're in this country already, and can afford it, volunteer to work on a guest (dude) ranch in the summer. They may not even accept you--they need people with skills, and it is dangerous work. But that would give you some skills, enough to know if you want to pursue that line of work.

[kevinwindwalker]

Originally Posted by Clark Fork Fantast

Kevin, these are words of wisdom. Listen to Dumbear. I've looked at your other posts, and I absolutely admire your enthusiasm and drive--but there is a time and a place. I see you're Chinese, and I'm assuming that you're thinking about making a major move to another culture (of course you may be here already), in pursuit of a dream. That's the pioneering spirit of the West, so I see nothing wrong with that, but you'll be competing with seasoned ranch hands (cowboys) like LtDumbear who has been looking for steady work for a long time. You're still young--spend a few more years expanding on your education, save up, like he says, and then revisit your plans. OR, if you're in this country already, and can afford it, volunteer to work on a guest (dude) ranch in the summer. They may not even accept you--they need people with skills, and it is dangerous work. But that would give you some skills, enough to know if you want to pursue that line of work.

Well, things change a lot. I worked on farm, so i know how suck it was. I want to experience some difference things in United States at the first couples years.
About my future in here, there are many plans, but i need to do it step by step.

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by kevinwindwalker

Well, things change a lot. I worked on farm, so i know how suck it was. I want to experience some difference things in United States at the first couples years.
About my future in here, there are many plans, but i need to do it step by step.

I can't speak for every potential ranch employer ...

but everybody I know around our area isn't interested in hiring help that has:

1) no experience

2) wants to hire in just for the training without staying long enough to recoup the costs of training them

3) has a track record of not staying with a job for any length of time

There's enough people who are chasing their dream of this type of work that the prospective employers have a lot of experienced qualified help to choose from.

What you may not see from your side of the labor equation is the cost to the employer to train you to do more than the most menial of tasks around the place. There's a lot of responsibility when taking care of livestock, and the risk to the owner and profitability by using inexperienced help is high.

While livestock prices are high these days, and headed to new highs according to the reports I read, the margins in the business are getting smaller due to the costs of feed, energy, taxes, environmental costs ... and the drought in substantial areas of ranching country these days. There's simply no margin for error in this business as many people are finding out today and you can read about all the ranch dispersal auctions going on at this time.

Livestock owners are doing everything they can just to survive, and many aren't making it these days. The ones around here that are still in the business are mostly using family member help because they do other off the ranch jobs to generate a living income and then do the livestock work in the balance of their time; they cannot afford to pay anybody else to help them.
That's folk in the cattle, hog, and lamb business ...

[jody_wy]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

I can't speak for every potential ranch employer ...

but everybody I know around our area isn't interested in hiring help that has:

1) no experience

2) wants to hire in just for the training without staying long enough to recoup the costs of training them

3) has a track record of not staying with a job for any length of time

There's enough people who are chasing their dream of this type of work that the prospective employers have a lot of experienced qualified help to choose from.

What you may not see from your side of the labor equation is the cost to the employer to train you to do more than the most menial of tasks around the place. There's a lot of responsibility when taking care of livestock, and the risk to the owner and profitability by using inexperienced help is high.

While livestock prices are high these days, and headed to new highs according to the reports I read, the margins in the business are getting smaller due to the costs of feed, energy, taxes, environmental costs ... and the drought in substantial areas of ranching country these days. There's simply no margin for error in this business as many people are finding out today and you can read about all the ranch dispersal auctions going on at this time.

Livestock owners are doing everything they can just to survive, and many aren't making it these days. The ones around here that are still in the business are mostly using family member help because they do other off the ranch jobs to generate a living income and then do the livestock work in the balance of their time; they cannot afford to pay anybody else to help them.
That's folk in the cattle, hog, and lamb business ...

or some one that thinks all ranch work is horse back and uses a rope. that won't use a shovel to dig a post hole, or spread irrigation water or better yet turns green when asked to help put the prolasps in

[Ltdumbear]

...prefer a breaker-bar to dig my post-holes (and to tamp them down afterwards) and a post-hole digger to clean them out, but that's just me...I'm never fortunate enuf to hire on anywhere where they use an auger, like on them flat-hatter/buckaroo outfits.

Yup, I damn sure have paid MY dues.

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by Ltdumbear

...prefer a breaker-bar to dig my post-holes (and to tamp them down afterwards) and a post-hole digger to clean them out, but that's just me...I'm never fortunate enuf to hire on anywhere where they use an auger, like on them flat-hatter/buckaroo outfits.

Yup, I damn sure have paid MY dues.

I couldn't take that any longer ... I had to buy a HD post pounder. Now we don't drill or dig post holes. Just drive the pointed wood posts or t-posts in with the hydraulic pounder. What a labor saver .... and I got it from a ranch that had used it to do all their fences and sold it for a fraction of what it was new when they were done with it.

[Ltdumbear]

must be nice; i seldom have either a choice or voice in the matter...I do what I'm told, or I end up in a motel-room, making calls like I am now.