How To Raise Beef Cattle On A Small Farm
Raising beef cattle is an appealing prospect for many small acreage farmers. Who wouldn’t want to produce their own high-quality, grass-fed beef? The good news is that you don’t need hundreds of acres to raise cattle. With some planning and preparation, you can be successful raising beef on just a few acres.
Determine How Many Cattle Your Land Can Support
The first step is calculating how many cows your land can support. Generally, you’ll need 1-2 acres per cow-calf pair. However, the exact amount depends on factors like:
- Pasture quality – Better pastures provide more forage
- Length of grazing season – Cattle will need more land in climates with short grazing seasons
- Breed of cattle – Some breeds are more efficient grazers and have lower nutritional requirements
Use a stocking rate calculator to get an estimate based on your specific conditions It’s better to be conservative at first as overgrazing leads to pasture degradation
Provide Adequate Fencing and Shelter
Before bringing home cattle, make sure perimeter fencing is secure. Barbed wire or electric fencing work best for containing cattle. Strong corner posts and proper brace assemblies are critical. Check for potential weak spots and make repairs.
Within the perimeter, divide the pasture into paddocks with electric cross fencing. This allows you to rotate grazing and improve pasture utilization. Provide a basic three-sided shelter in each paddock for shade and protection from wind.
Ensure Adequate Water Supply
Cattle need frequent access to clean drinking water. Plan on providing 10-15 gallons per animal per day during hot weather. Install livestock water tanks or troughs in each paddock. Make sure they are easy to clean and won’t freeze solid in winter. Having a backup water source like a pond is wise in case of drought.
Provide Supplemental Feed
While pasture should provide the bulk of cattle nutrition, you’ll likely need to offer supplemental hay and possibly grain, especially in winter. Large round bales are the most cost-effective hay option for small herds. Store them under cover to prevent spoilage. Feeders with slanted sides reduce waste. Only offer as much hay as cattle will consume in a day to avoid trampling.
Build Handling Facilities
Even with a couple animals, you’ll need a way to safely contain them for tasks like medical treatment. A small corral connects to the paddocks so you can move cattle in. A squeeze chute or headgate secures animals for vet procedures. Having good facilities reduces stress for both you and livestock.
Select The Right Cattle Breed
Consider local conditions and your target market when choosing a breed. British breeds like Angus and Hereford do well on grass and have good dispositions. Dual purpose breeds like Dexter provide both meat and milk. Fast-growing continental breeds reach finished weight quickly. Buy cattle from health-tested, certified disease-free herds.
Follow Best Grazing Practices
The key to productive pastures is controlled rotational grazing. Divide paddocks based on the number of days it takes cattle to graze a section, known as paddock residency time. Use polywire to allocate new sections as needed. Avoid overgrazing by leaving at least 4 inches of residual forage height. Let grazed sections rest and regrow for maximum recovery.
Prepare For Winter Feeding
As pasture growth slows in late fall, begin supplementing with hay. Familiarize cattle with hay feeders early on. Move feeders frequently and scatter leftover hay to spread nutrients. Supply trace mineral salt free choice year-round for balanced nutrition. Monitor cattle condition and increase supplementation as needed to maintain healthy body condition through winter.
Butcher at the Right Time
Finishing cattle to slaughter weight requires 18-24 months total. Most beef animals are butchered in the fall when pasture quality declines. Schedule slaughter when cattle reach sufficient finish but before cold weather sets in. Aim for 1,200-1,300 lbs for steers and 1,000-1,100 lbs for heifers. Letting meat hang for 14+ days improves tenderness.
With attention to grazing management, nutrition and animal husbandry, it’s feasible to raise a few head of quality beef cattle on a small property. Following sustainable practices also allows the land to remain productive over the long term. Homegrown beef tastes superior and helps ensure food security for your family.
Our Cows Ate Us Out of House and Home
Unfortunately, even on five acres of good pasture, five cows ate us out of house and home. The research we did on raising cattle said to allow a half acre per cow.
Either we had cows with a serious eating disorder or that little tidbit was false. It turned out that raising cattle wasn’t exactly the way we pictured it.
We were buying two five foot rolls of hay a week in the winter and going through a bag of feed every other day and still barely keeping up.
Then the calves started coming. They were cute and fun to watch playing in the field but between all the cows and calves, we had virtually no grass left in the pastures.
We were back to subsidizing with expensive hay and feed and you might even need $5000 lending for pay debt & bills. And, with only four calves in a good year, the financial gain wasn’t anywhere near enough to justify the cost. We currently have one cow that provides us with a calf a year for our freezer.
The bull, while very fat and happy was the worst of the lot. Once he serviced the cows, his work was done for at least a year. Economics dictated that it wasn’t cost effective to keep him around. We sold him and made arrangements with neighbors (with more cattle and land than we had) to use their bulls when we needed.
Lessons learned:
- Small pastures can easily be cleared out by just a few cows, and you will have to supplement with expensive amounts of feed and hay. If you plan on raising cattle on small acreage, count on spending extra funds on additional feed and hay.
- Instead of buying your own bull, consider using another farmer’s bulls for breeding.
Raising Cattle on Small Acreage
When we decided to buy a homestead in rural Tennessee, we wanted a more peaceful, quiet existence. We didn’t necessarily want to be isolated from people, but we wanted a place far enough out to have some relative privacy. However, on our budget, we were worried about raising cattle on small acreage.
One reason we bought a farm was to be able to raise animals for eventual consumption. Raising cattle was high on our list, so we set about doing our research on raising beef cows.
Having a fresh supply of grass fed beef would be a huge asset, right? We researched acreage allotments, feed choices, fencing options, breeds, etc.
One thing we ruled out early was worrying about buying registered stock. Registered cattle not only cost much more than we were willing to spend, but often suffered medical and other issues that were not conducive to survival purposes.
We bought four black angus-mixed heifers and one small bull calf, and our cattle raising journey began.
Managing a Small Cattle Herd
FAQ
Can you raise cattle on 3 acres?
How Much Land Does a Cow Need? You need about 1 acre per cow, or about 1.5 to 2 acres per cow/calf pair, to feed them for 12 months.Dec 7, 2022
How to raise beef cows for beginners?
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Arrowquiphttps://arrowquip.com10 Tips to Maximize Your Profit Raising Beef Cattle | ArrowquipHere are ten strategies to consider: * Choose the right cattle breed. * Care for Your Land and Forage. * Protect and prioritize animal health. * Maintain and m…
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Tractor Supplyhttps://www.tractorsupply.comHow to Start A Cow Farm: A Beginner’s Guide to Cattle FarmingMay 18, 2023 — Before buying animals, building a budget and considering the expenses of raising beef cattle is important. Costs can include: … The most successfu…
What is the 30 month rule for cattle?
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Purpose:The 30-month rule is primarily designed to protect the human food chain from BSE. It prevents the use of older cattle, which are more likely to have developed BSE, in food production.
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The 30-month age is determined by observing the eruption of the second pair of permanent incisors (teeth) in the cattle’s mouth.
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SRMs include parts like the skull, brain, eyes, tonsils, and spinal cord of cattle 30 months and older, and the small intestine of cattle of any age.
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Control Measures:The 30-month rule ensures that SRMs are properly managed and removed from the food supply. This includes ensuring that SRMs from cattle over 30 months of age are handled appropriately, either by removal or by being directed into a separate stream, such as a rendering plant, according to the USDA.
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Custom Exemptions:Some custom exempt operations are allowed to process cattle over 30 months of age, but they must comply with specific regulations regarding SRM removal and handling.
What are three disadvantages of raising beef cattle?
- Water pollution and usage. Disposal of cattle production waste without proper treatment leads to the pollution of water resources. …
- Industrial pollution. As the global cattle industry has expanded, the beef slaughter and leather industries have grown vigorously. …
- Soil degradation. …
- Climate change.
Can you raise cattle on a few acres?
You can certainly raise cattle on a few acres. You’ll have to learn your land laws, prepare and plan for your cows to arrive, choose the right breed and plan out the next 3 to 5 years. Worried you don’t have sufficient acreage for raising cattle? Rest assured, you don’t need hundreds of acres of pasture to start raising cattle. 1.
How to raise beef cattle on a small cattle farm?
When raising beef cattle on a small cattle farm, it’s enough to provide just the basic facilities. You should provide a good quality trough if you will be feeding grain to your cattle, as well as various supplements. A commercially made feeder will help reduce waste when feeding hay to your cows in a confined space.
How many cattle can you raise a year?
Even if your farm is less than 10 acres, you can raise a couple of beef cows to feed your family throughout the year. Raising cattle is a way that many people choose to feed their family wholesome food that is raised according to their ethical and health standards. Raising a couple of cattle can feed your family and then some for the year.
How many acres do you need to raise beef cattle?
Raising beef cattle can be rewarding in so many ways. Whether you plan to raise beef cows to support your family’s T-bone steak habit or to sell to a larger market, you might assume that you need hundreds of acres to do so effectively. However, that’s not the case.
How many cows can you raise on a small farm?
According to the USDA estimates, it takes about 1.5 to 2 acres to supply enough pasture for a cow-calf pair for a year. While you’ll only be able to raise 2 to 3 cows at most in your small space, the experience will allow you to leap-frog into a bigger farm in 3 to 5 years’ time. You can certainly raise cattle on a few acres.
How much land do you need to raise cattle?
To raise cattle you will need some land, in our area the standard acreage is 1.5 acres per head. Your local extension office or state agronomy guide will have the numbers for your area. You can look into renting more land, keeping a few feeder cattle just for the growing season or supplementing your cattle with hay.