9 Easy Ways to Raise Cattle

If you intend to raise cattle, you should be concerned about the raising methods, breed, type, and class of cattle. You must know about the caring methods and perfect management of cattle. In the comparison of cattle, beef need literally less care.

But if you are going to raise cattle for any purpose, you must see this article to be very helpful in every situation. Follow the steps mentioned below.

1. Conclude the Purpose 

Firstly, you must be sure about the purpose of your cattle farm. It would be best to conclude your thought about commercial milk production or beef production because raising milk or beef production methods is different. There are other more purposes for raising cattle such as pet or companion. Once you are sure about the destination, proceed next step.

2. Bring Cattle

Once you finalize the purpose of raising cattle, purchase cattle from the market or any existing farm. While purchasing, choose cows of the best quality to help you a lot in a dairy cow farming business. And if you want to raise cattle for beef, bring bulls or heifers.

3. Foods and Pasture management

The essential part of cattle raising is quality feeding. Without enough feeds and pasture land, cattle would not exist for long. They need healthy food and enough pasture to graze on so, think before purchasing cattle.

The general feed of cattle is hay, grain, silage, and grass, but all these feeds are provided according to the types of cattle you are raising. Feed type is also determined according to your goals and the raising location.

In addition, Silage and grain are required for cattle in order to maximize fats. And only grass and hay can be given to a beef cow-calf to raise them correctly. Dairy cows won’t be healthy if you only feed them at their resistance; you should allow them to graze. However, you need to ensure the adequate stoking rate of pasture land and grass on it for minimum overgrazing. If not, you should manage crops, hay, and silage for their proper feed. It will support you financially if you produce a feed of your own.

4. Conscious about the Shelter

The better rising of cattle requires an adequate shelter consisting of all the required facilities. There should be facilities of every bedding type, resting types, and other ready materials inside the home. And it should be away from all types of predators. Then only you can moderately raise cattle.

5. Herd Health Program 

If you are a cattle raiser, you should maintain a good herd health program. It is most important in the situation when you purchase cattle and bring them into your herd. It is because new cattle might infect your existing herd as new cattle might come with numerous diseases.

Herd health program includes vaccinating, de-worming, and de-living, but this is not enough. It would be best if you prevented the unwanted health conditions too. And the required program will succeed if you ensure vaccine and medicine on time and inform any vet of your area for a better recommendation.

6. Keep Records 

Every record regarding cattle farm operation should be recorded correctly. The record can be kept either on a simple paper or through highly detailed computerized worksheets. And the record includes health, breeding, financial and calving records.

7. Capital Source

If you are planning to raise cattle, initiate with a handsome amount of capital. Capital can be arranged either from your own or as a loan from your friends or banks. I highly recommend a bank loan in the starting. You can contact any of the banks near your residence to know more about the procedures.

8. Marketing your Products

Before starting any farming or production business, research its market first. It would help if you were well-known about the time, place, and way to market or sell the produced products before raising cattle. You should reach the animals or products in the nearest market, and advertised them physically or digitally. If you use digital marketing methods, your products will sell directly from your farm.

9. Dealing with Dead Stock 

It is not sure about the loos and profit after the initiation of business. While raising cattle, you might be dealing with the dead bodies of cattle, so know how to deal with the dead stock. You need to research and know about the local livestock disposal laws to dispose of a dead animal’s body. It will help you if you need them in the future.

All the steps mentioned above are beneficial while raising cattle.