How to Build a Cow Farm

People want to raise cows for many reasons. Some people raise them in large quantities for sale, others raise them for milk. Many people raise cows to show off at local fairs and other events. In the current economic situation, many people decide to raise cows for family use. Whether you raise just a few cows for your family’s needs or raise a whole herd for sale, there are a few basic things you need to know about cow farming, from buying land to choosing the right breed. .

Table of Contents

Steps

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Make a business plan. Do a SWOT analysis of yourself and the cattle industry you are about to enter. Think about the type of cow you want to raise (haven’t considered breeds) and the type of farm you want to run.

Remember to start with a small amount. Do not spend a lot of money in the first two years after buying or inheriting a farm. If repairs are needed, you should only fix fences and barns as items that need to be prioritized over other items such as upgrading lawns, houses, or fixing other amenities. Buy machines at auctions, not new ones. Buy only equipment and other supplies needed immediately, not on a whim. You will buy the things you want in the next 5 to 10 years as the business grows to a new level.
Try to create low priced products, as that is the surest way to make a profit and the best way to start if you don’t have a lot of money to start a business!

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Determine where to raise cows for the next 20-30 years or so. This is important because you need to find a place that you are familiar with or really like and are confident that you can raise livestock there.

Areas suitable for cattle rearing range from areas of North America such as Alberta, Canada to Uruguay in South America. Factors such as climate, seasonal variation, vegetation and topography will vary from region to region.

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Once you’ve decided where to start your ranch, look for land for sale. Remember that you may need some down payment, a loan, or a mortgage on the land you want to buy if you don’t have enough money to pay it off right away.

Land prices in densely populated or high-demand areas are often more expensive than elsewhere.
Try to buy ranches that already have facilities and fences to graze cattle instead of buying a farm that needs to be converted into a livestock facility.

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Learn more about your favorite place. Contact your local authority for more information on what the land was previously used for, soil type, vegetation, grazing density, and grass area (forage land) or yards. natural grass, market demand, etc. Go to the people who live in the area you plan to set up a livestock farm to talk to them.

Usually, you can get more information from your neighbors than from government agencies.

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Research and purchase the barns, equipment and machinery needed for the type of cow you choose to raise. Analyze your finances and operations to see what facilities, equipment and machinery you need (not want ). Fences, water systems, feeders are the most important items of the property to have. Tractors, hay processing equipment, trailers, care vehicles and other construction works are also important.

If you choose to raise dairy cows, you will need a lot of housing and milking equipment, in addition you will also need a barn for the calves and a barn for the cows when not milking.
- When choosing a milking equipment, you need to consider many things: the first is whether the cows you raise have ever been milked, and what type of milking equipment they are familiar with. It is best to choose the correct type of milking equipment as used before. If you plan to raise your own cows from a young age, you should research the different types of equipment to decide which is best suited for your situation.
When raising beef cattle, you usually only need a fence, barn, and water source, especially if you want to keep your cows grass-fed, unless you’re willing to spend the extra money on winter feed and forage. beef grain supplement, or if you want to fatten beef cattle.

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Decide what kind of cow you want to raise depending on your budget and goals. The most popular options are dairy and beef cattle. Remember that preparing and raising dairy cows is much more time-consuming and expensive than beef cattle and also requires more equipment as required by state regulations.

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Find out what breeds of cows you might have or want to keep. You need to decide the breed of cow you want to raise based on the goals you want to achieve in the development of the livestock farm rather than on a whim.

If you plan to raise beef cattle, start with breeds that are gentle and don’t require much care. Herefords, Red Ppls, Shorthorns, Galloways and British Whites are breeds known to be docile.
- If you absolutely want to raise Angus cattle to meet the market demand, be very careful in choosing the breed. Read the article on raising Black Angus cattle for more information.
If you want to raise dairy cows, the best and most popular breeds are Hpstein, Jersey and Brown Swiss. Guernseys and Ayrshires may also be suitable if you live in North America.

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Start with a few cows. Don’t be too eager; you should only buy enough cows to feed on your property for a year. Buy good cows, i.e. good build, temperament, fertility and feed conversion (among other things), avoid cows that are thin and lifeless. Heifers can be an option if you plan to wait 2 years to sell calves; Another option is nursing cows, as you can sell calves after a month or two, and wait a few more months before more calves are born. Cows that have calved are easier to care for than heifers.

Avoid buying bulls if you have only 4-5 cows; Only buy bulls if you have at least 10 cows left or don’t want to use artificial insemination anymore. If you only have 2-5 cows then artificial insemination is the cheapest and best breeding method (though not always the most effective). If you don’t want to use this method, you can either hire bulls to breed or negotiate with another rancher who will agree to keep your cows for a few months and let their bulls mate with yours.

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Determine the area to grow grass so that it is enough to feed the number of cows you have chosen. Calculate whether the area of land you have purchased is enough or if you need to rent more lawns.

Decide if you will make hay for the cows or buy hay. Make sure to use only the best quality hay you can afford.
Remember that feed costs account for about 26% of the cost of raising cattle. You can significantly reduce this cost if there is enough grass area for cows to graze during the summer months and increase the quality of the hay. You also need to remember to have a plan for grazing the cows, such as grazing them in the winter, if you don’t want to have to constantly buy or process hay. Winter grazing plans will vary from region to region, so you should consider your options.

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Carefully record costs, mating/breeding/reproduction time of cows, health check/vaccination schedules, product purchase/sale information. The most important are the financial records, as it will tell you whether your business is profitable or losing. Canadian law requires that you have a record of all farm animals, in addition to the information on the RFID tag for each pet purchased, sold or born on the farm.

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Mainly having to have fun! Life with cows will be stressful and demanding, but you will learn a lot and stay busy with feeding and keeping your cows healthy.

Advice

Should start with a small amount. You should first raise only a few heifers or heifers, and from there build up the herd as you gain more experience from the cows being raised.
Try to keep livestock costs as low as possible; graze year-round if possible, try to get cows out of captivity and graze year-round.
Carefully record everything from mating and breeding to cow health and financial records.
Talk to your local veterinarian about livestock wellness programs and incentives that may apply to your herd. This step should be done right after you buy the cow.
Fences, water and feed are the top priorities and must be done before buying cows. Use the most appropriate drinking trough for your area: an automatic drinker with a warming function, for example, works best when raising cows in areas with 4-6 months of winters.
- Make sure the cows always have water to drink. In winter in cold places, you should check several times a day to avoid freezing the water.
Buy some hay in abundance. Dried grass is never superfluous.
It is impossible to say which breed of cow is the best. You should buy the breed of cow that seems to be the most suitable or you think it will bring a high profit. The Angus breed may be suitable if you live in an area where there is a high demand for Angus beef and Angus crossbred cattle. The Brahman breed may be best if you live in a hot, humid area with a lot of insects.
- Pay attention to standards set by organizations such as the FFA (Future Farmers of America) when selecting and purchasing cows. Choose the healthiest of the herd if you’re buying directly from the seller, or buy the healthiest and best-behaved chick in the herd when buying at the auction market. Note factors such as build, agility, proportions and other good traits of the breed you choose.
Check the nutritional value of cow feed. Know about the times when cows have the highest and lowest nutritional needs.
Try to avoid buying bull bulls. The method of artificial insemination was invented for the purpose of reducing costs and avoiding danger in the care and care of bulls.
No calves are left in the first calves of heifers. These calves will not grow as well as calves from older cows.
Ask for the phone number of the major veterinary clinic in your area and save it on a speed dial list in case there’s an emergency you can’t handle yourself.
Shop for used equipment. Check information boards in forage stores and other stores to find bargains.

Warning

Always be aware of problems when working with cows and bulls. You need to be aware of the signs.
Raising cows is not an office hour job but a day and night job with no days off. Cattle never know what the holiday law is, when you need to go on vacation, even when the New Year holiday starts, they don’t even need to know.
Remember Murphy’s Law: Whatever bad can happen, it will happen.
Sometimes raising cows is a difficult, arduous and exhausting job. This job can be very stressful, you will have to sweat and tears, and sometimes even regret choosing this business.
Always be on the lookout for a bull, no matter how docile he may seem.
Don’t step into something you think or know you can’t handle.
Don’t spend all the money you have in the first two years buying the latest farm equipment or the most expensive maintenance facilities. You will burn out faster than you think. Try to avoid debt as much as possible.
The cows are much faster and stronger than you. Cows can become dangerous when protecting calves; Bulls can be very unpredictable if you don’t heed the warning signs or don’t know which ones to look out for. Bulls are often most dangerous when they are among the cows and during mating season, as they may see you as a potential rival who wants to take over their harem.
Avoid cows that are sick, skinny, and generally unhealthy when buying cows for the first time, even if you feel pity and want to “rescue” them. Those cows are sold for slaughter for a reason, and often the reason is incurable.

Steps

Advice

Warning

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