Do you own a ranch?

[Southern Elk]

I just had a lady tell me that she needed to buy a Polaris Ranger to drag the fields on her ranch. She owns 6 acres. It takes 20 acres of ground like hers to support a cow. Yes, she just moved here from California.

 

[Luke_with_a_lab]

If I had a dollar for every time I talked to a person who just moved to Montana who called their "property" a ranch I could buy a teener of beer at the very least. I want to say back to them you mean "hobby farm"? I then however remember they are paying me to work on their property so I smile and continue on.

 

[BenInMT]

Paints all 12 fence posts around the place fluorescent orange and a no trespassing sign every other post even through the property is like 150 yards across in any direction.

 

[WildWill]

Sh@# if she owns a ranch I'm the Wilkes brothers.

 

[Southern Elk]

If I had a dollar for every time I talked to a person who just moved to Montana who called their "property" a ranch I could buy a teener of beer at the very least. I want to say back to them you mean "hobby farm"? I then however remember they are paying me to work on their property so I smile and continue on.

Hobby farm would be a very generous description of her place.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Hobby farm would be a very generous description of her place.

Horse Ghetto. That's the proper name for any "ranchette."

 

[MThuntr]

6 acres of dry rangeland in the Madison...she could feed 3 horses for a week. The other 51 weeks they'll live on fence posts, cheatgrass, and kochia

EDIT: Ben beat me to it

 

[Nick87]

I love the signs around here "enter name here acres" yes acres two of them.

You have 4 dogs and 3 cats and a bog of bones horse wtf.

 

[Nameless Range]

Horse Ghetto. That's the proper name for any "ranchette."

Now a permanent and frequently used part of my lexicon. Thank you.

 

[Oak]

My spread is known as Rancho Debris.

 

[Letthemgrow]

I'm proud of my Almosta Ranch.

 

[BirdManMike]

Ya horses wallowing in a combination of mud and their own filth isnt a great look.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Ok now I wanna know... what's everyone's min acreage for a ranch.

 

[Stocker]

The citiots are fleeing Omaha and moving down by us. Everyone of them starts a “vineyard” or an “orchard” or some goofy thing on their “ranch”. They tend them about 2-3 years, then they realize it’s a lot of work for no pay and they turn into weed patches.


The complaints about dust from rock roads and animal smells are pretty comical though.

 

[406dn]

I guess I'm a rancher.

Is there a public grazing lease I can get for a song?

 

[Stocker]

Ok now I wanna know... what's everyone's min acreage for a ranch.

I’m not sure acreage matters as much as if it’s a actual, functional working ranch. Meaning it’s a way of life for the people living on it. Not a hobby or 2 horses a city slicker got scammed into buying.

Grass quality makes pinning an acre amount to it difficult. One area a family could make a living running cattle on 500 acres, another area may take 15,000. A large tract of land doesn’t make it a ranch anymore than raising a calf and chickens in the suburbs makes that a ranch.

 

[MThuntr]

Ok now I wanna know... what's everyone's min acreage for a ranch.

I think it would be different in certain areas based on climate. According to Mik "Crocodile" Dundee if you can walk across it in 3 or 4 days it's a hobby farm

 

[Luke_with_a_lab]

Ok now I wanna know... what's everyone's min acreage for a ranch.

In my onion it largely depends on type/quality of land. if you have 2-300 acres of irrigated land with good grass you can raise a cattle and thus have a ranch. However normally in my opinion the term "ranch" becomes appropriate once you have a full section.

 

[BirdManMike]

Speaking of chickens, a former neighbor of mine tried to free range a bunchve chickens one summer. They were all, or mostly all, dead in a month, 40 or so. I think it was mainly the mink(s), but the foxes, coyotes, eagles, and owls surely contributed.

Im thinking of selling homing pigeon eggs for the agriculture tax write offs myself. Either that or young ones to some organic market - squab is a real delicacy!

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I’m not sure acreage matters as much as if it’s a actual, functional working ranch. Meaning it’s a way of life for the people living on it. Not a hobby or 2 horses a city slicker got scammed into buying.

Grass quality makes pinning an acre amount to it difficult. One area a family could make a living running cattle on 500 acres, another area may take 15,000. A large tract of land doesn’t make it a ranch anymore than raising a calf and chickens in the suburbs makes that a ranch.

So for instance in parts of western slope CO I know this happens a lot... 1 ranching per say 10 "ranches". 1 family is leasing the 9 other properties to have enough land to raise enough cows to make it work. The other 9 have other sources of income... construction, restaurants etc. and then supplement it with leasing fees.

Properties are like 200-600acres?

All ranches, none ranches?