Saturday, July 2, 2011

Raising Beef Cattle - 5 Things You Should Pay Attention First Before Starting to Raise Cattle

Those interested in growing and raising beef
cattle on their acreage can find this very
rewarding. Be informed, however, so that you do
not become involved in an enterprise that you
have little knowledge of or that is not
economical.

Hence, before you roll up your sleeves and run
out and by a whole passel of cattle, there are a
few things you should consider first.

1) Location

One of the first things to consider is if the
location is compatible with the community. Is
the property zoned for large animal space? How
many animals can you have? How will neighbors
react to the project?

2) The Human Resource

You and your family may gain a lot of
satisfaction from learning how to raise cattle.
Children can benefit from the added
responsibility and families can be strengthened
as they work together. Nevertheless, the project
will demand a commitment of time. Even when
cattle are on pasture they need to be observed
daily to make sure that they have adequate feed
and water and to assure that they are healthy

3) Facilities

Yep, you read that right. You can't raise beef
cows in a barn - they need room to graze. To be
exact, a cow needs about two acres of good
pasture. In some areas, such as out west where
the pasture is really more like dessert, a cow
will need as much as 40 acres. So the first
thing you should think about is how many cows
you can have dependent on the amount of estate
you have. If you get too many cows on your land,
you'll have to buy hay for them even during the
summertime.

4) Health Management

Cattle are susceptible to a variety of diseases.
Good planning and management, along with use of
common vaccines and pharmaceuticals will usually
enable your cattle to avoid most disease
problems. Find a local veterinarian who includes
cattle in their practice and consult with that
practitioner about a herd health program, based
on your type of enterprise, prior to your
obtaining any cattle.

5) Sources

As with any purchase it is important that you
get value for your money. If you are not sure
about how to purchase a beef animal then it
would be best to work with someone who is
ethical and understands this side of the
business. This could include a family member,
friend, neighbor, local farmer or County Agent.
The idea is to not go into a purchase with
little or no information or background.

Cattle can be bought directly from beef
producers with the price dependent on local
market conditions. The local market is founded
primarily in commodity markets many miles away
from where you are staying. These are then
modified for each specific region of the country
based on transportation costs to markets and
local conditions. These local conditions could
be such variables as abundance of feedstuffs,
moisture conditions and supply and demand.
Markets will change through the seasons and from
year to year.


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Raising beef cattle can improve quality of life
and provide great satisfaction and
responsibility for families. Explore your
options and then decide. If you would like more
tips on how to raise cattle, please visit:
http://www.howtoraisecattle.com

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