Do you want to know how to raise cattle? continue reading this article; it is to be known that this is something very complex, since the way to do it will depend on many factors, among which we find the breeds, types and classes of cattle and also the person who is in charge of raising them.
As an example we tell you that dairy cows and cattle are raised in a different way, the former are raised for milk production, but not to raise their calves, while with cattle you have to have less management and let them raise your calf, which 95% of the time will surely be sold as beef.
In cattle raising there are many more ways to do it compared to dairy cows; Having this clear, we will say then, that here we will focus only on the general aspects of raising cattle, looking at it in a more superficial way, that is, this article becomes more of a guide than expected, but it does not we give instructions as such.
Instructions for raising cattle
- Before starting to raise cattle, it is important that you already have your farm and obviously that you have already selected the cattle that you are going to buy.
- Surely you created a plan to then be able to start the operation with your cattle; it is possible that some of your strategies do not work as expected and you may have to make some changes.
- It is very important, before acquiring your cattle, that you have how to feed them, if not, do not acquire your cattle yet. The food can be hay, grass, grain and silage, which will keep their quality for three days.
- Having healthy cattle is very important, so it is good that you do a health program; this is essential especially if you already have cattle and you are going to bring a new one, because you do not want the new herd to bring diseases to the existing one. If they are or will be raised in places where diseases can be frequent, do not leave this program aside.
- When you have cattle, you are dealing with living beings and therefore, in addition to diseases, many can die, so this will be something you will have to deal with; you must investigate the laws in your country to know how to proceed in order to dispose of the dead body of an animal.
- It is good that you are clear about whether you are going to work with livestock, where, how and when to market, whether for the purchase or sale of animals. The ways to sell your cattle are as follows: a direct deal, auction or barn sale, direct sales, scattered sales, and purebred sales.
- It is possible that you yourself want to be the producer of the food for your cattle and that you do not want to buy it, this could also be turned into a business through the sale of silage, hay and crops, and it could be a quite important business. See how many operations you are able to focus on, one or three at a time, of course it all depends on what type of cattle you are going to raise and the way to do it, either by lowering the cost with constant grazing or by traditional way, even the characteristics of the food must be of excellent quality.
- When you start doing your operations you must keep a record, try not to miss any details, you can do it manually or on a computer, the important thing is that you constantly have all your updated information.
- Study your financial condition, check the statements of the different bank accounts, the balances, the effective flows and in what state the income is, so you will realize if this is being profitable for you or if, on the contrary, it is giving you losses of money. It is important to clarify that if you are just starting out, it is normal for the statements to turn negative and show you that you are losing some money, but if a few years have passed and this continues, it is time to worry and review what is happening and see what improvements you can make.
- You won’t necessarily make a lot of money from raising cattle, so only do this if you really like this lifestyle, rather, if you find doing this activity more pleasurable than making money itself. Think very well before you start, if you really want to raise cattle, if you will end up loving this and that you will surely want to continue, it is something that involves a lot of responsibility.
Tips for raising cattle
- It is very important that you know the breed of your cattle, especially if you are going to sell it at an auction.
- You must be flexible in terms of handling procedures; you should not be rooted in something if what you want is to be able to go far.
- You should always be willing to learn new things every day.
