There are various reasons why a person might want to raise
cattle. Some raise large herds to sell, others, in the case of dairy, raise
them to sell their milk. Many raise cattle to show in fairs and other local
events. In today's economy, many families are deciding to raise cattle for
their personal use. Whether you want to have a few head for your family's needs
or raise a herd to sell, there are a few basics about how to raise cattle; from
purchasing land to selecting the cattle you want to raise.
Steps
1)Make a business plan. Do a SWOT
analysis of yourself and the cattle industry you will be entering. Plan what
kind of cows you want without looking at any breeds, and what kind of farm you
wish to operate.
·
Keep in mind to start small. Don't spend your money in the
first 2 years after buying or inheriting the farm or ranch. If things need
repairs, repair only the fencing or facilities that are top priority over other
things, such as renovating the barn or the house, or redoing the handling
facilities to what you plan on doing. Buy machinery at an auction, not brand
new. Buy the equipment and other items that you need right now, not what you
want. You will get what you want over the next 5 to 10 years as you grow your
new operation.
· Try and aim for being a low-cost
producer, as that is the surest way to make money, and the best way to start if
you don't have much to begin with!
2)Locate the area where you want to raise
cattle for the next 10 to 30 or more years. This is important because you need to find a location that
you are used to or really like and are confident you can raise your animals in.
- Location can range from as far north as Alberta, Canada, to as far south as Uruguay, South America. Factors such as climate, seasonal variances, markets, vegetation and topography differ for every location that you may choose.
3)Once you've made a decision where you want to start up, find land that is up for sale. Keep in mind that you may need to invest in a down-payment, a loan, or a mortgage for the land you wish to buy, if you do not have enough money to pay it off within the year you buy it.
- Land prices tend to increase in areas where there is a higher population, or land is in higher demand than in other areas.
Also note it
is highly recommended to buy a farm or ranch that already has the facilities
and fencing laid out for cattle than buying a farm that needs to be
converted into the one of your dreams.
4)Find out more about this land location you are interested in. Contact the local county extension office of the area you are interested in to get more information on soil type, vegetation, stocking rates and carrying capacity for pastures (tame grassland) or rangelands (native grassland), cattle market demands, etc. Also visit the neighbors that are in the area you wish to start farming/ranching in, and talk with them.
4)Find out more about this land location you are interested in. Contact the local county extension office of the area you are interested in to get more information on soil type, vegetation, stocking rates and carrying capacity for pastures (tame grassland) or rangelands (native grassland), cattle market demands, etc. Also visit the neighbors that are in the area you wish to start farming/ranching in, and talk with them.
- Often the neighbors will provide you with more
information than what a government agency office can give you.
5)Research then purchase the type of
facilities, equipment and machinery necessary for the type of cattle you have
chosen to raise. Analyze your operation and your
financial situation to see what you need (not what you want)
for current facilities, equipment and machinery. Fencing, watering facilities,
feed bunks/troughs or bale feeders is priority above all other assets needed. A
tractor, haying equipment, trailer, handling facilities and other buildings are
also important.
- If you have chosen a dairy operation, you will need
multiple buildings and a milking parlour with stanchions to be able to run
your operation, in addition to calving facilities, a calf barn, and a barn
to hold cows when they're not being milked.
- When deciding upon the type of stanchion to use for
milking, there are several items to consider: first, have the cows been
milked before and what are they used to? It is best to keep the same type
of stanchion. If you will be raising them yourself, research the
different types to determine what would work best in your situation.
- With beef cattle, quite often fencing, some sheds and water sources are all you need, especially if you are wanting to raise a grass-based beef operation, be it finishing beefers on grass or a cow-calf operation. The exceptions are if you are willing to spend extra money on winter feeding costs and supplementing your cows with grain, or if you are wanting to run a feedlot.
6)Determine the type of cattle you want to raise
according to your budget and goals. The most popular choices are dairy
or beef. Keep in mind that starting up with and raising dairy cattle is much
more time consuming and costly than with beef cattle, and there will be more
equipment requirements for dairy than beef as mandated by government
regulations.
7)Research the various breeds that you can or wish to raise. Determine the type of breeds you want according to your goals for your farm or ranch are, not what you like and what you are willing to do to work around the fall-backs of a particular breed.
7)Research the various breeds that you can or wish to raise. Determine the type of breeds you want according to your goals for your farm or ranch are, not what you like and what you are willing to do to work around the fall-backs of a particular breed.
- If you are into beef production start with a breed that
is known for good temperament and is not labour intensive. Herefords, Red Polls, Shorthorns, Galloways and British White are such breeds
that are renowned for their docility.
- If you are insistent of raising Angus cattle because of what the
markets in your area are demanding, please be very careful in
selecting the type of cattle you want. See How to Raise Black Angus Cattle for
further information.
- If you are into dairy production though, the most best and most popular breeds for dairy are Holstein, Jersey and Brown Swiss. Guernseys and Ayrshires may also be popular for you if you are not located in North America.
8)Start off with a handful of cows. Don't go whole-hog and buy as many cows as you can stock on the land you bought for a whole year. Buy good cows, ones that have great conformation, temperament, mothering ability and forage convertibility (among other things), and avoid those that look thin and are close to breaking-down. Heifers may be an option if you wish to wait for 2 years until you sell their calves; 3-fers/3-in-1's or bred cow with calf at side is another option, since you can sell the calf in a month or two, and wait for another few months before the cow calves out. Experienced cows tend to be easier to manage and handle than heifers.
- Avoid buying a bull if you only have 4 or 5 females; buy a bull only if you have at least 10 cows, or do not wish to use AI (artificial insemination) any longer. If you have only 2 or 5 cows, AI is the cheapest and best (but not always the most effective) option for breeding all your cows. If you don't want to use AI, then rent a bull or find another cattle producer that will agree to keep your cows for a couple months to have his bull breed them for you.
9)Determine the amount of pasture that will be required for the breed of cattle that you have selected. Decide whether the land you already own is sufficient or if you will need to purchase or rent additional pasture.
- Determine whether you will be growing hay for the
cattle yourself or purchasing it. Make sure that you use only the highest
quality hay that you can afford.
- Keep in mind that feed costs
comprise almost 26% of the cost of raising cattle. Having sufficient
acreage in the summer months for the cattle to graze on reduces those
costs immensely, as does raising higher quality hay. Also keep in mind
your plans for grazing, such as winter grazing if you don't want to get
caught up in buying or making hay all the time. Winter grazing plans
differ from area to area, so be aware of your options.
10)Start keeping good records of finances, breeding/calving, health/vaccinations, purchases/sales, and assets in your operation. The most important records are your financial records, because these records determine whether your operation is giving you net income or loss. In Canada, it is mandatory that you have records of all the animals on your farm in addition to RFID tag information for each and every animal that is bought, sold or born on your farm.
11)Most of all, have fun! It's a stressful and demanding lifestyle, but you will forever be learning lots and be kept busy with feeding and maintaining the health of your cowherd.
Tips
- PLAN, plan plan! Plan what kind of cattle you are
looking for without looking at ANY breeds, what kind of farm or
ranch you want and how you want to operate it, and write about your
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, from what you are
capable of doing to the cattle industry as a whole.
- Start small. Start off with only a few cows or heifers,
then build your herd from there once you've gotten more experience with
the cattle you currently have.
- Don't keep any calves from your first-calf heifers.
They will be less thrifty and not as good as calves that are kept from
older cows.
- Avoid getting a bull as much as possible. AI has been
invented for the purpose of avoiding the costs and dangers of caring for
and looking after a bull.
- Test your feed for nutritional value. Know the times
when your cows will be at their peak nutritional needs and when they will
be at their lowest.
- Fences, water, and feed are priority, and should be
done/bought before you buy your cattle. Use the types of waterers that are
best for your area: for example, areas where winter predominates for 4 to
6 months of the year, automatic waterers with heating elements in the bowl
are the best for wintering cows.
- Be sure that cattle have access to water at all times.
In winter, check water several times per day for icing over.
- Buy more hay than what you will need. There's no such
thing as having too much hay.
- There is no best breed to own. Buy the breed you are most attracted to or you believe will give you the most in terms of profit. Angus may be
good if you live in areas where markets demand Angus and Angus-crossbred
cattle. Brahman may be best if you live in areas where heat, humidity and
insects are a common occurrence.
- Keep in mind the standards set by organizations such
as the FFA (Future Farmers of America) when selecting and purchasing
cattle. Look for the healthiest animals in the group if you are buying
private-treaty (one-on-one buyer to seller), or the healthiest and
best-behaved groups of cattle at an auction mart. Consider such things as
conformation, alertness, balance and desirable characteristics specific
to the breed[s] of your choice.
- Buy what you need, not what you want.
- Ask questions, and have the local large animal
veterinarian on speed-dial in case any health concerns or emergencies come
up that you cannot handle on your own.
- Talk with the local vet about herd health programs and
incentives for your cowherd. This should be done right after you've bought
your animals.
- Keep good records, from breeding
and calving to
health and financial records.
- Try to keep your operation as low-cost as possible; try
to implement a year-round grazing program, if possible, to keep the cows
out of the drylot and keep them on pasture all year.
- Visit local yard sales for used equipment. Check the bulletin boards in feed stores and other area stores for good deals.
Warnings
- Avoid sick, emaciated, and all-around unhealthy
animals.
- Cattle are much faster and stronger than you are. Cows
can be very dangerous when protecting a new calf; bulls can be
unpredictable when you are getting complacent around them.
- NEVER get complacent nor trust a bull.
- Always keep your eye out for trouble when working with
cows and bulls.
- Don't dive into something you think you can't do.
- Remember Murphy's Law: Anything that can happen, will.
- Don't spend all your money in the first 2 years getting
the newest equipment or the most expensive handling facilities. You will
go broke sooner than you think.
- Try to keep out of debt as much as possible.
- Raising cattle is not a 9-5 week-day-only job. It's a
24/7/365 day job. Cows will never know when your birthday is or when
Christmas is, and nor will they care.
- Raising cattle can be a tough, rough, tiring job at
times. It's stressful, there will be blood, sweat and tears, and there
will be times when you regret even starting up raising cattle.
Reference:click here
Cattle Farm, Cattle Farm Business, How to Start a Cattle Farm Business
ReplyDelete