How To Raise Cattle - Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Begin Rearing Cattle

Some people see rancher and cowboy lifestyles in
the romanticized hue - what with tens and dozens
of movies created around ranch life. However,
while ranch life can get rather picturesque, it
is still a business. So before you begin finding
out ways about how to raise cattle for a profit,
you have to consider a few things. And everybody
knows every business needs real work. Here are a
few questions that you need to answer before you
go ahead and start buying books on how to raise
cattle.

1) Cattle

Before you even start learning how to raise
cattle and cattle handling, keep in mind that
the herd that you are going to acquire depends
on your purpose. Do you want to raise cattle for
meat, for dairy or for breeding? Consumers'
tastes vary depending on the taste of your
cattle products. Some consumers want grass-fed
beef, other's want corn-fed or barley-fed meat.
You need to provide plant proteins as dietary
supplements for your cattle as well; more so if
you plan to raise dairy cattle since they would
need grains on their diet to increase milk
production. You can look up resources online
regarding consumer preferences. Find out which
market you could work on.

When learning how to raise cattle and cattle
handling, you also have to look up for
information regarding selection and breeding.
Some cows become ill; some are made of tough
stuff. Also, you might be giving your cattle the
right food, but they might not always get to the
weight that you want for them. This is because
immunity and weight is part of any living
organism's blueprint - also called DNA. You do
not need to know in-depth genetics. You just
need to know the basics (e.g. breed the healthy
ones).

2) Land

How much are you willing to invest? There are
online resources about how to raise cattle which
state that raising grass-fed cattle is cheaper in
the long run, since you would not need to worry
about constantly buying huge amounts of feeds.
However, for you to make cattle grow on
foraging, you need to have a large tract of
land, for pasture; and land never comes cheap,
so you might have to do with a smaller area, and
then raise cattle by a steady supply of grains.

You also have to consider the climate in your
area. Do you get enough rainfall? If you don't,
there could be a problem in your water supply in
the future. Is there a creek nearby? Where can
you install a watering hole? These are just some
questions that you need to get answers for.

3) The Economics

After you learn about rearing cattle, you also
have to know how you can sell them for a profit.
You can sell cattle to direct buyers or to
corporations, but you have to know who they are,
where they are and the price they pay. There are
farming and ranching community forums online
that can help you out. You can also ask other
ranchers.

Surely, raising cattle has its perks - no more
traffic, or a hovering boss, but it is still a
job. Everyday, there is a rather lengthy to-do
list, checking the cattle - head counts,
maintenance, repairs, feeding, etc. However, to
the serious farmer who finds the ranching
lifestyle rewarding, it is all worth it.

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Looking for more tips on raising calves and
cattle? Visit the how to raise cattle cattle
handling website today to discover everything
you need to know and how easy it is to raise
your own cattles. Separate yourself from the
usual cattle owners and avoid costly mistakes.
Go to: http://www.howtoraisecattle.com

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