20/01/2022
How to start a Cattle Ranching Farm
Before entering the cattle business, though, you should consider your resources, the land available and your level of interest and skill. You should know why you want to rear cattle, and be able to set yourself goals to achieve the most constant economic return or personal satisfaction.
Although it is not that difficult, It actually takes plenty of knowledge about animals, deep research and practical experience for becoming a successful cattle farmer.
SELECT FARM LOCATION
✍Selecting a good location for your farm is very important. It will be good if there are good transportation and other required facilities available in the selected area. You can either use your existing land or purchase from a vendor. In case of purchasing land, it will cost you more.
✍Land prices generally tend to increase in areas where there is a higher population, or land is in higher demand than in other areas. It is also a good idea to purchase an existing or abandoned farm or ranch.
BUILD SHELTER
✍Shelter is a must for keeping your animals safe. You will need to build multiple buildings and milking parlor with stanchions if you want to raise dairy cattle.
✍A calf bard and a barn for holding cows is also necessary. On the other hand, beef cattle require less housing facilities. They will be good if you can just keep them safe inside.
✍No matter what kind of farm you start, you need a good barn to keep your cows when they’re not out to pasture. For calves, you have to have a calf barn and a calving facility. If you’re beginning a dairy farm, you will also need a milking parlor with stanchions. Beef cattle don’t require much in the way of extra facilities beyond well-supplied barns.
FOOD AND WATER
✍To maintain high yielding and disease-resistant breeds, they must be provided with an adequate water supply and nutrient-rich fodder regularly according to their needs. In cattle farming, two factors are considered regarding the food of cattle. The food that is provided must keep the animal health as well as it should meet the farming requirement. Hence, the animal feed includes roughage (high fibre content) and concentrates (high proteins and nutrient content).
✍Each cow needs about 1 and half to 2 acres (0.61 to 0.81 ha) of pasture space per cow calf pair. This amount of space provides enough roughage for a year. If you leave too many cows in a pasture, they eat all of the grass. To prevent this, farmers rotate the cows to different fields. As long as you’re careful not to strain your resources, your fields will continue to produce roughage.
✍Hay is most of their diet, but they also benefit from foods like corn and grains that provide more protein. The easiest way to do this is to make hay by seeding a pasture with grass and alfalfa. Harvest it with a hay baler.
✍You need plenty of clean water to keep your cows hydrated and your pastures green. Install irrigation systems as needed to compensate for dry environments. For your cows, have water troughs available. Make sure you are able to reach them with a hose, refilling them when necessary. Having ponds or reservoirs on your property also helps. Depending on the land you start on, you may need to install plumbing or irrigation systems. Hire a contractor to direct water to your fields and barns.
GROWING/FEEDING
✍In a weaner operation, you acquire calves after weaning at 10 to 15 months of age. They can then be fed and marketed in less than a year from the time of purchase.
✍Thus, the investment on each calf is returned within a comparatively short time. This type of operation may not require much land, but you will need adequate facilities to keep the animals comfortable and under control.
✍On the other hand, calves cost less in winter. Depending on the cost of winter feed, this may be the best time to buy cattle for the following pasture season.
✍Working with calves requires a good deal of patience, as they are easily excited and stressed. Discuss a health programme with your vet.
DISEASE MANAGEMENT
✍Animals are not an exception to disease. They also suffer from numerous diseases. This may affect the health as well as productivity of animals; even cause their death. Parasites, bacteria, and viruses are the major villains here. These microbes infect the cattle externally as well as internally. Vaccination is the one solution for the protection against bacterial and viral infections.
✍Maintaining a healthy cattle herd is vital for strong, productive calves and heifers. In the first 30 days of a calf’s life, it’s crucial to watch their behavior for any diarrhea symptoms as these can lead to deadly calf scours.
✍Cattle produce a lot of waste. Although the manure may be used for land fertilization in some cases, you still must collect the manure and dispose of it in some way. This is an extremely dirty business, with manure carrying at least 40 diseases that can pass to humans
KEEP RECORDS
✍You should always keep good records of finances, breeding, calving, vaccinations, purchases, sales and assets in your operation.
✍Financial records are the most important records, because these records determine whether your operation is giving you net income or loss. Hope you have learned a lot about how to start a cattle farm business. Best of luck!!
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