How To Raise Cattle In A Farm

How To Raise Cattle In A Farm Brought To You By: www.GuideToProfitableLivestock.Com

Raising Cattle Put aside all prior assumptions about raising cattle and you'll discover that this farming activity is one of the most progressive in the industry with farmers earning large profits every single year. Many people believe in the potential of a good cattle herd and based from experiences, many cattle farmers believe that raising cattle doesn't necessarily require a lot of effort before the fruits of one's labor start to grow. In fact, with so many options available, well-rounded strategies from the masters to adopt, and one's own instinct in raising cattle, you can earn a lot of profit from this farming business. All you have to do is learn the basics, start with a good foundation, and learn the proper tips and tricks on how to raise cattle. The first thing that a cattle farmer, especially a first time farmer, should do is to decide what his objectives are and what type of cattle is he going to raise to meet those objectives. Are you into the dairy business and would like to raise dairy cows or do you prefer to old fashioned beef cattle farming? Do you have the resources to raise such cattle? Do you have the equipment to breed and raise dairy cows for their milk? Whatever may be the answers to these questions will guide you to your final decision on what to raise and make profit from. For many cattle farmers, raising cattle, particularly grass-feeding cattle, has proven to be the most cost effective and beneficial way of making money since these cows thrive on grass, a very vital resource that you can find in most areas where cattle farming is rampant. Grass-fed cattle are also beneficial to the consumers since these cows have the most nutrients, aren't fed growth hormones, and are normally stress-free in life. If you're planning on raising cattle such as these, you can do so in many different ways. The two most popular would be to either start with a small number of high quality cows and a high quality bull herd to raise and breed the stock or a number of high quality calves to feed and raise until the calves reach a certain amount of weight. Here are some very useful tips when raising cattle: o Make sure that you choose cattle breeds that thrive on grass. o Make sure you have enough pastures to rotate your herds around so that they all get fresh grass to eat. o Supplement the cows' diet with plant proteins as they need 11% of this in their diet.

Cattle Breeds As with any purchase it is important that you get value for your money. If you are uncertain about how to purchase a beef animal then it would be best to deal with someone who is ethical and understands this side of the business. This could include a family member, friend, neighbor, a local farmer or County Agent. The idea is to not go into purchase with little or no information or background. Here are 4 Important Considerations When Buying Cattle Breed: 1) Breed- In most situations frame and conformation are more important than breed in relation to cattle performance. However, there are some things to consider. Holsteins will work well in a feeder or finishing enterprise. They require different management and sell in a different market category. Animals with a high percentage of Brahman genetics do poorly in cold winter conditions. The disposition of the cattle can be an important factor which can be a breed characteristic. Avoid cattle that are high- strung or aggressive. 2) Condition- If you are purchasing cattle to put on pasture avoid cattle with excess fat as they gain poorly for the first month. Cattle should be healthy but lean and avoid cattle that may not have performed well elsewhere. You may be able to purchase them for less money but they probably won't achieve an acceptable performance. 3) Frame Size- Cattle with a small frame will finish at a light weight while cattle with a large frame will finish at a heavy weight. Cattle with different frame sizes require different feeding programs. Since you will want to manage your cattle as a group, purchase cattle that are uniform in frame size. 4) Health- Does the animal look healthy? Is it alert and bright eyed? Is its breathing normal and does it move about vigorously? Does it have a dull hair coat and look emaciated? What has it been vaccinated for and when? Cattle Feeding Take care when introducing cattle to grain and pelleted diets as there is a risk of grain poisoning. The high starch content of most grains can cause grain poisoning. Lupin is the exception because it is low in starch. Good security of grain stores and standing crops is essential in order to prevent accidental poisoning. If you intend to turn stock onto stubble, it may be a wise precaution to feed some grain beforehand, so that the rumen bacterial population becomes adapted to grain. When stock are fed grain or any feed that has a high carbohydrate content, the feed must be introduced gradually so that the animal's rumen has time to adapt to the increasing levels. There should also be a minimum of 10-20% roughage in any ration.

During the introductory phase to grain feeding, animals should be closely monitored. Diarrhea is often the first sign of mild grain poisoning, and if this is seen in a number of animals, the proportion of hay in the ration should be further increased. Some grains, for example lupins, are safer to feed than others. Similarly, it is safer to feed oats, which have a higher ratio of fibre to starch than does wheat. When changing between different types, or even batches, of grains, and especially when changing between batches of pellets, the new feed should be introduced by 'shandying' it with the old and gradually increasing the proportion of the new feed over about 7 days. When cattle are introduced to a high-grain diet, they should be started on a ration consisting primarily of hay, with the percentage of grain being gradually increased over 2-3 weeks. Cattle Behavior Believe it or not, studying cattle behavior absolutely pays off. Not only does it increase and help in the production you are hoping to attain, but it makes raising cattle a lot easier. When you understand their behavior, you will also understand how they adapt to their surroundings. You will therefore learn how to manage them effectively as well. You may now be asking yourself what causes cattle to produce poorly despite all that you have provided. It is stress. Stress affects cattle too, thereby producing poorly. It affects their immune system and this will cost you more money. That is why learning about cattle behavior is important because when you know how your cattle behave, you will know what stresses them. There are five areas of cattle behavior you ought to look into. First is the allelomimetic behavior. This is actually the starting point of cattle behavior. It is most helpful if the animals are not confined. You can observe them when they are out in the field grazing pasture or simply resting. Because cattle is a herd, they function as a unit, you will be able to easily spot which among them might be sick or calving, or displaying any abnormal behavior. Next is the herd behavior. Cattle also form their own groups. Females group together as well as the males, and at times you get a mixed gender group. Having mixed genders often happen during mating season. Observing them in their groups will help you know how to group them without causing any unrest. You have to be considerate of all members of the cattle especially the bulls when they tend to be very aggressive. Then there is the ingestive behavior. This is probably the most important aspect for good production. When it comes to effectively feeding them, cattle behavior during eating and drinking should be observed. First, you have to consider them as innately grazing animals. But if you want to add crop as part of their diet, that can be done too. Plan their diet ahead of time so that they will be able to adjust well. Just keep in mind to prioritize their health. Next, food must be easily accessible. And during feeding times when not out in the field, they should not be facing each other to avoid aggressive behaviors.

The last two areas of cattle behavior are maternal and handling behavior. You have to give special consideration to cows and calves during the following months after they're born. Cows tend to be very protective. And if they're not able to give protection, this causes a lot of stress on both mother and calf. And as for handling the entire cattle, the key is to remain calm. Do not fight with them because there will be many procedures like branding or ear tagging. They have to know that they'll be able to interact with humans peacefully. Raising Cattle For Profit Business minded people continuously ask tips on how to raise cattle for profit. This is because raising cattle is a very good business venture, especially in the non- winter seasons, which has a great return of investment. The basic and most simplified description of cattle raising is \"buying a cattle for cheap, fattening them up for cheap, and selling them for high.\" This statement might be bordering on oversimplification, but the premise is as clear as you can get with this business venture. Buying the cattle is the first step in how to raise cattle for profit. Advertisements can be found in your local newspaper or online. For starters, a few weaned calves or feeders are a good start to your business. Just make sure that you watch out for those who sell cattle that are already sick or ailing. After buying your first set of cattle, there are five factors you need to think about: shelter, water, pasture, hay and feed. For shelter, do not go all out for expensive barns on the onset. A simple windbreaker will do in protecting your cattle until you rake in the profit to build bigger shelters for them. For water, make sure that your cattle get plenty. Each cow drinks about 12 gallons of water daily, so keep that in mind when buying or building water troughs. For pasture, this is where you should mostly invest. Good pasture on your cattle will make it sure that you will not lose any money on them. For hay, this is the component that would make the cattle good for beef. Alfalfa is considered to be the best for beef cattle. For feed, corn is the best in fattening up your cattle. Ask your local feed mill or co-op to help you out with the mix for your cattle's feed to ensure their health and growth. How to raise cattle for profit comes easy if you follow these simple tips. Everyone with the capability should always be on the look out for good business opportunities, and cattle raising is a very good one if you know how to raise cattle for profit.

What's Next? 1 - => Cattle Farming Facebook Page 2 - => Livestock Farming Free eBook 3 - => Cattle Farming Website Best Regards, Gerard Dawn.