Cattle Management Software Helps Josh Ayer Build a Successful Feedlot from the Ground Up

For Josh Ayer, the cattle business didn’t start with a large operation or generational infrastructure. It started with grit, creativity and a willingness to figure things out the hard way.

“I came out of high school with nothing,” Josh says. “No fence, no cattle, no money. My dad told me, ‘If you’re going to do it, you’re going to do it on your own.’ At the time I didn’t like it but now I’m grateful for it.”

At 18 Josh bought fence posts using PayPal credit and began building what is now Porter Creek Cattle Co. From bucket feeding cattle with his wife hauling feed in her car to running close to 1,000 head annually, every step has been earned.

“It literally started with 5-gallon buckets,” he says. “Now we’re loading out semi loads. That’s something I’ve dreamed about since day one.”

Rooted in history, built for the future

The land Josh farms carries generations of his family’s history dating back to the late 1800s. That legacy is part of what drives him today.

“When you’ve got that kind of history you take pride in what you’re doing,” he explains. “You want to do right by the land, the cattle and the people who were here before you.”

That mindset extends beyond tradition into innovation. Josh has repurposed old poultry barns into cattle facilities, giving new life to existing assets.

“There are a lot of barns out there people don’t know what to do with,” he says. “Cattle can give them a second purpose.”

From guesswork to precision

In the early days, feeding cattle meant handwritten notes, mental math and constant uncertainty.

“I was pen and paper on everything,” Josh says. “I’d forget what I put in the mixer halfway through. I wasn’t making money, I was guessing.”

That changed when he adopted Performance Beef.

“It was a game changer,” he says. “It took us from guessing to knowing.”

With Performance Beef, Josh tracks feed, monitors performance and manages costs in real time.

“Feed is your biggest expense. If you’re not precise, you’re losing money,” he says. “This keeps you accountable.”

RELATED: Six Performance Beef features you should be using

better decisions at the sale barn

Josh also relies heavily on Cattle Krush to evaluate cattle before they ever hit the yard.

“I use Cattle Krush all the time,” he says. “I’ll sit at the sale barn and run numbers before I even bid.”

By combining Cattle Krush with Performance Beef, Josh can confidently make buying and selling decisions backed by real data.

“I know my breakeven. I know what they’re worth,” he explains. “When someone asks if I’ll take a price, I don’t have to guess, I already know.”

That confidence has changed how he operates.

“It makes you sharper,” he says. “You’re not sitting there second-guessing you’re making decisions.”