So you want to raise cattle? (2024)

Swelling of the beef for profitCan be a satisfactory company.However, there are a number of administrative skills that every beef producer must succeed.Manage these sources.

In addition to managing resources, new producers must wonder,What should I start?This question includes considerations for the type of animal that a manufacturer wants to travel and where these animals can be found, how to choose and what equipment is needed for the operation.And what health trend they will use to keep the animals healthy.Progress in industry to learn:

  • How you can decide which type of animal you are going to travel
  • About the different races and how you can choose the right one for you
  • Where are you going to buy your animals
  • What should you look for as the ideal properties
  • What equipment do you need to raise your animals
  • How to breed and breed your cattle
  • What to feed and how you can take care of the health of your animals
  • What it requires to market your animals

What type of animal should I travel?

The first to decide when starting a new cattle company is what kind of animal to lift.

Beef can be used to produce meat or generate seeds (breeding animals).Buy Speened Animals, also known as food, to increase to market weight.

Manufacturers must start by deciding whether they want to increase purbred or commercial stock.Non -registered purebred animals or they can have crossed animals.Crossing animals have the advantage of hybrid power, which is simply the ability of transversal offspring to rise on average productivity that were part of the cross.Grown faster, or a transverse woman can produce more milk for his descendants.

Selection of a race

Each livestock farming has various functions for which they are recognized.Ras clubs can provide information about these properties and help you limit your decision which breed or varieties are best for your operation.(Father) races of mothers are usually moderate size and are recognized for their ability to set up healthy calves.from cattle.

Composite varieties are spring axes that generally consist of mother and terminal varieties and often combine genetics for specific environments or markets..

Mothers

  • Angus
  • Hereford
  • Map
  • Rode Angus

Terminal

  • Charolais
  • Gelbvieh
  • Limousin
  • Salmental language
  • Maine Anjou

Complex

  • Simangus
  • Maintenance
  • Braford
  • Beefmeester
  • Limflex


AngusPhoto credit: Michelle Kunjappu, Working Group of Pa -Rundvleesproducers


HerefordPhoto credit: Michelle Kunjappu, Working Group of Pa -Rundvleesproducers


Photo credit: Michelle Kunjappu, Working Group of Pa -Rundvleesproducers


FOTOKREDIT: Dave Hartman, Penn State Extension

Where can I buy animals?

Animals can be purchased in different ways.Many sales are kept throughout the country throughout the year and can only offer a breed, a number of races or even for sale.

Choose breeders who supplement the excellent characteristics of your women and improve their weaknesses.Always use the best bull, you can afford to improve the genetics of your herd.

Note the choosing and keeping of good productive women who will produce one calf a year without help and keep weaning and their body status without becoming too thin or fat.

Selection principles

There are two methods to choose cattle: performance of animals and visual assessment.

Principles of selection selection principles evaluate measurable characteristics such as birth weight, teen weight, annual weight or meat yield and quality.

Manufacturers who assess the growth properties must adjust teen weights to explain the gender of gender, age, birth weight and teen weight of the dam.

Progressive farmers with registered animals can register for their herd in databases for the breeding association to reach expected offspring (EPDs).Disse EPDs use genetic connections to assess genetic profits for growth, carcasses and maternal properties..

Commercial manufacturers can use benefit data when choosing a new bull.More information about expected differences in the offspring can be found by contacting racing associations.

Visual assessment of animals evaluates aspects such as structural correctness, muscles, body capacity and racing character.

Pure manufacturers who increase registered shares must become familiar with racial property related to the race they increase, such as:

  • Overlong and form
  • Color and distribution of color
  • Level status
  • Missing that disqualifies animals from registration

These shown bulls show the ideal properties of breeders.


Angus Bull.fotokredit: Michelle Kunjappu, Pa Beef Producers Working Group


Hereford Bull.fotokredit: Michelle Kunjappu, Pa Beef Producers Working Group

Equipment needs

When the relevant animals are selected for the operation, the equipment needed to retain these animals must be collected.Safety is a point of care when handling these large animals, cattle cattle operations must also have cattle handling equipment.

Fodder

Feed must be used to prevent animals from eating away from the ground.Every effect of beef, and as such, is feed waste a floating factor for food.


Feeder can be easy as stretching to keep around baller.Photo credit: Bigstock.com

Many different sizes and feed styles are available for beef.They feed on specified time frames.If animals have a free choice all day for feeding, less food can be used.


Food can also include simple valleys to contain additional proteins, energy or minerals for grazing cattle.


Cattle can be fed in inclusion systems with a more complete mixed ration in a bunk bed.

Beef in all classes must always have access to a good quality mineral mixture formulated for their production needs.

Feeders in Fenceline style can feed manufacturers on the one hand to place food and grain in the feeder, while the animals have access to their feed on the other..

Larger operations often feed hay in the form of large round or square balls.

Water

Water can be the most important nutrient because it influences poor quality nutritional consumption or not enough water can reduce nutritional intake and result in reduced animal performance.are available.The key is that the water must be fresh, clean and accessible at all times.


Automatic frost -free vagrants can be used on grazing or in control for cattle.


Permanent spring transfers can offer water supply for a year -round for beef when grazing.


Simplist Floatantrug systems can easily be moved, depending on livestock farming.

Grazing systems

Many cattle, especially ripe cows and bulls, grazing grins during spring, summer and autumn., Often four to five days.Can cause damage to the nutrition rack in over-down or high traffic areas and encourages weed growth in other less desired parts of the grass.

A circumference of good quality contains cattle in the grass and holds out predators.One part of Polywire with step-in positions to lower input costs.Most cattle will respect a string if they are electrified.

Grasslands must also offer access to water.To access electricity to heat the vagrants during cold months.

Healthcare Equipment

Routine Healthcare uses practice to prevent disease.treated animals.

Manufacturers may also want their cattle cavities to prevent growth in horns.

Trimming Hoeven is another topic of health care.Professional if the hoof care is needed.


A gangs can be used to castrate young men.

Other types of equipment

Larger equipment can be used by cattle meat operations to enable manufacturers to process or control animals more efficiently.Correct dosage for medication treatments.Three types of dishes are often used by livestock farmers: beam, dial and digital.


Cattle production equipment must include these things that are needed to retain the health of the herd, because this drop for it near Dieren.tara Felix, Penn State Extension

Most feeder calves and finished cattle are purchased and sold on a weight basis.Weights on critical times all year round, such as breeding, weaning, and so on.All scales must be tested to guarantee the accuracy.

Dealing with system equipment enables manufacturers to handle animals more efficiently.The system contains the animals, while manufacturers perform tasks.


A main shelter in the shake limits the cattle to the necessary procedures, while the safety of both cattle and the human handles is guaranteed. Tara Felix, Penn State Extension

If the beef meat operation is planning to use implants to increase the growth performance of market animals, a handling system must be used.


An alley enables beefmakers to move more cattle at the same time, making cattle easier and more efficient. Tara Felix, Penn State Extension

Reproduction and breeding seasons

Pregnancy length for beef is approximately nine months, which varies somewhat between breeds and dad.

Cattle Cycli throughout the year over time, checking a defined breeding season will improve the effectiveness of the herd of the cow and the marketability of the calves.When the weather warms up, some can choose to calves in the fall to take advantage of a less saturated calf market.Purbred cattle used for seeds are often raised early in the year, January or February, so that these animals breed the breeding in heavier weights.

Estrus -Cycli and age in puberty vary somewhat between breeds.Their adult weight due to calves.In general, they are expected to meet this weight and be ready to breed between the ages of 11 and 15 months.Recovery the following season.

Some producers will go one step further and synchronize their females, so that they certainly breed the heifers at the desired time and the rest of the cows are in the heat or cycle, at the same time about a month later.For an effective and effective artificial insemination procedure and is usually achieved by using a CIDR, although ADD pregnant protocols are found for heifers.Advised to work with their vet to work with their vet to establish their own on the farm.

In most cases cattle are born outdoors, and so the fallback season is timed to start when the weather warms up and the grass is available on grassland.Summer or fall.In other situations, producers can breed earlier, so that calves are older and heavier during grazing.

Manufacturers who want to calves earlier may have to house animals in a shed, such as a bank shed, depending on the climate.

Drawing threatening declining

While a cow is approaching her time to give birth, she shows more signs that the birth process will start.Help in protecting newborn calves against diseases.

When the cow is ready to give birth, the muscles start to relax around her hips and they can look like they sink..

The first sign that the woman is working is the appearance of the water bag., When the mother starts licking to dry the newborn and encourage the calf to stand and nurse.


A visible water bag or feet that indicate threatening calving. Tara Felix, Penn State Extension

Usually calves most of the beef cows on grass and require a little help.If help is needed, inexperienced producers must consult a veterinarian or an experienced manufacturer for help.Tas is displayed or if the cow is strenuous and the water bag seems to be broken.Always be careful when trying to work with or around working cows or cows that have recently supplied.Try to feel or investigate a new calf.

Spend the first few days after birth on the newborns.Because they get up, probably not receives enough milk.


A good beef -margin must immediately tend to her calf without interference.

Nutrition and Nutrition

All animals require water, proteins, carbohydrates and fat (to offer energy), vitamins and minerals in their daily diet.The production phase: growth, maintenance, breeding, pregnancy or breastfeeding (milk production).

Feeds such as grassland and hay often meet the requirements of adult animals, but they may not meet the requirements for fast -growing animals.

Additional protein requirements can be met with better quality hay or through sources such as soybeans, soy meal or distiller granula.

In most cases, Weiland offers the most economic food source for adult cows.From a grazing because the food is the grass to 4 inches.

Grain supplements are usually used for the cultivation of cattle or in times of grazing deficiency.For young calves while breastfeeding.

Health issues

A good indicator of healthy cattle is their body status.

The breeding of women must be maintained by an average body condition score of five to six.

The first step to keep animals healthy is to prevent illness from entering the farm.Other animals for three to four weeks.Wear plastic disposable shoes.

All manufacturers must form a relationship with a veterinarian.This veterinary customer relationship enables a veterinarian to become familiar with your agricultural management practice and to tackle your animals and faster health problems in your herd.

Internal and external parasites

Although most beef systems do not experience production losses as a result of parasites, it is partly because they are very easy to treat and prevent in beef.Products because they are easy to apply and are quite effective.

Extra internal parasites that can influence cattle include worms and coccidia.


Livestock must be treated for internal and external parasites to keep them healthy.

Abortion

Perhaps more critical than the parasites themselves are the influences they can have on reproductive performance.However, because it is a disease carried out by blood, people can play a role in infecting cattle by recycling contaminated needles and castration and dandeling equipment.

There are other abortion diseases caused by sexually transmitted diseases.This can include chlamydia and trichom*oniasis.

Various other diseases can also cause abortions in cattle.Program for your beef herd.

Foot health

An important cause of the implementation of bio -safety measures is the occurrence of highly contagious, difficult to become sensitive to problems, such as hairy heel, also known as digital dermatitis.The country.

In addition to digital dermatitis, foot health can be influenced by poor food..

Marketing

A number of markets are available for beef.Or retail shards due to access to consumers.As an alternative, much larger producers can only focus on selling finished cattle on a large meat packaging.


Links: Many producers of beef meat choose to sell beef at them or quarterly.Tara Felix, Penn State Extension

Right: Steaks is a popular consumer choice, but selling individual cuts requires a good license. Tara Felix, Penn State Extension

Remember that the state laws prohibit a manufacturer to sell meat unless the animal was treated in a USDA insured facility.This often sells producers Live and the customer would arrange cutting regulations with the treatment facility.to a local processing facility.

Other options for beef are marketing of breeding stock, feed calves for feeding lots or market animals for junior exhibitions.Pay to develop their bulls with other young bulls and to go into a larger sale at the end of the test.

Conclusion

Beef can be a rewarding agricultural companies.There are many a few cattle meat operations identical to each other, giving producers a number of opportunities to develop a program that fits unique with their lifestyle and farm.To think about thinking about when you are considering cattle farming.You start your own company, ask for your expansion educator or experienced cattle manufacturers in your area.

For more information about beef, visitPenn State Extension Beef Cattle

There are many options for beef manufacturers.This publication includes basic concepts with regard to raising these animals.

So you want to raise cattle?This factsheet can be used as a guide for beef manufacturers who have just started in the industry to learn:

  • How you can decide which type of animal you are going to travel
  • About the different races and how you can choose the right one for you
  • Where are you going to buy your animals
  • What should you look for as the ideal properties
  • What equipment do you need to raise your animals
  • How to breed and breed your cattle
  • What to feed and how you can take care of the health of your animals
  • What it requires to market your animals
So you want to raise cattle? (2024)

FAQs

What all do you need to raise cattle? ›

Beef cattle operations can be low input but still need a variety of equipment. Basic equipment includes feeders, water tubs or watering systems, and health care equipment. Because safety is a concern when managing these large animals, beef cattle operations should also have equipment for handling cattle.

Why you should raise cattle? ›

Creating Resiliency – Raising your meat without dependency on the grocery store is always a goal. Land Management – If you own acreage and have sizable pasture land, beef cattle will help with brush management, and rotational grazing can improve soil and pasture land.

What are some facts about raising cattle? ›

Cattle feed on things like grass, grains, alfalfa hay, cracked corn, legumes, or specialized livestock feed. Almost eight hours of a cow's day is spent chewing their cud, six hours are spent eating, and four hours are spent sleeping. The gestation period of a cow is nine months.

Can you make a living raising cattle? ›

However, if you were to finish raising the calves as organic grass-fed beef, it is likely that each calf would become worth at least $2,200 for you (net). This assumes selling to consumers in urban markets. Often the prices are even higher than this and prices have been rising steadily over the past few years.

How hard is it to raise cattle? ›

Raising beef cattle is a complex procedure that requires a lot of hard work, commitment, and dedication to produce a superior quality of beef. There are many advantages of raising beef cattle for profit.

Why do people need cattle? ›

It's easy to see why: cows provide meat, milk, labor, leather and hundreds of other products that people use in everyday life. Domesticated cows are descended from wild aurochs, a species of wild cattle with long horns that are now extinct.

Is raising a cow worth it? ›

Is it even worth raising your own meat? Yes, it is absolutely cheaper and worth the time and effort to do so! Learn how you can raise your own beef while making the most of the resources you have.

What is the point of having cows? ›

Cattle return nutrients to the soil.

However, cattle harvest and use the plants right on the land. Cattle return about 85% of the nutrients they consume back to the pasture. This jumpstarts the nutrient cycling process, which, in turn, benefits the plants and the whole ecosystem.

What are 5 fun facts about cattle? ›

Cow Fun Facts:
  • Cows can sleep while standing.
  • Cows can see almost 360 degrees.
  • More than 800 different cattle breeds exist.
  • Cows are very social and don't like to be alone.
  • Cows have no upper front teeth.
Jul 11, 2023

What are 3 fun facts about beef cattle? ›

When the average beef cow chews feed it causes over 40,000 jaw movements per day. Cattle consume less than 2/10ths of 1% of all water used in the United States. Cattle outnumber humans in nine states: Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, and Wyoming.

What are the benefits of cattle? ›

Cattle farming can provide a number of benefits, including: Food: Cattle are raised for their milk, meat, and hides. Milk is a valuable source of protein and calcium, and it is also used to make cheese and yogurt. Meat is a good source of protein and iron, and it is a popular food in many cultures.

How much profit from 10 cows per day? ›

10 cows milking 85 lbs of milk at $21/cwt is $179/day in revenue. 10 cows eating 57 lbs of dry matter at $. 14/lb of DM costs you $80/day to feed them.

Is it expensive to raise cattle? ›

These non-cash costs add up to $350/cow/year on our example farm: $150 per cow in depreciation/interest on equipment/fencing/facilities and $200 per cow in land rent and labor. We encourage you to estimate these for your own operation, but the unfortunate reality is that they quickly add up on most farms.

Is there money in cattle? ›

Projections for annual cow-calf returns to reach in the hundreds of dollars per head in 2023 and 2024 are enough to make a person sit up and start shopping around for heifers.

What equipment is needed for cattle? ›

Equipment for Cattle farming

These options also help with long-term profitability. These kinds of equipment have specific functions in cattle farm security, feeding and handling, and more. They may include cattle guards, cattle crates, cattle chutes, feeding rings, water tanks, and troughs.

What do you need to start a cattle farm? ›

  1. Choose the Name for Your Cattle Farm. ...
  2. Develop Your Cattle Farm Business Plan. ...
  3. Choose the Legal Structure for Your Cattle Farm. ...
  4. Secure Startup Funding for Your Cattle Farm (If Needed) ...
  5. Secure a Location for Your Business. ...
  6. Register Your Cattle Farm with the IRS. ...
  7. Open a Business Bank Account. ...
  8. Get a Business Credit Card.

How to care for cows for beginners? ›

The Takeaway: Cattle Care Basics

Keep water available at all times and supplement your cows' diet with nourishing feed. Provide access to high ground or a shelter to keep them safe in bad weather. Work with a livestock vet to monitor your herd's health and to assist with any pregnant heifers.

How much does it cost to raise a cow? ›

How Much A Cow Costs Annually? Generally, cows cost between $500 and $1,000 per year to keep. This includes their care and feed. Purchasing a cow and raising it will automatically become less expensive if you have extra land to grass-feed it.

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