Q&A for How to Start a Cattle Farm

As long as you have land, feed and water to do so, sure. You'll also need to come up with a plan what to do with those cows and how they're going to work for you and pay for themselves as well.

Around 20 gallons. It depends on climate conditions and breed, as well as animal size.

Start with getting land, then fences, and a watering system in place. Try to buy a place that has all that already, though the fencing may need up-grading. Facilities are good to, really important if you are trying to start-up a dairy operation. Dairy operations can run you well over a few hundred thousand dollars a year. A basic start-up with a few beef calves will be less, but the main costs will be in your time and effort to manage so that you reduce your costs and create less work for yourself. Many say the only way to get into cattle is by winning the lottery. Land prices can be the biggest deal-breaker. Once you get the land then you can go from there, if you have the income.

A cow is a mature bovine that is already ready for mating, as long as she's not pregnant. A heifer, though, is generally ready to breed by the time she's 15 months old.

Check with your local county office for any bylaws on raising cattle.

Roughage like grass, alfalfa, and hay are an important component of a cow's diet. Grains are also important as an energy source. Cows need about 24 pounds of food per day, most of that hay.

Dairy cattle breeds like Holstein, Jersey, Brown Swiss, Ayrshire, Guernsey, etc.

That is a tricky question, as it matters where the grassland is. As a general rule, a cow needs 4% of its weight in forage each day.

Each cow needs about 20 to 30 square feet. If you don't have room to roam near the barn, increase it to 35 to 50 square feet.

Dairy cow, beef cow, beef steer, heifer, even bottle calves. Pretty much anything except a bull. Ideally, you should consider raising more than one, because cattle are social animals and don't like being kept alone. Human company is not enough.

No, not really, as the cow is likely to become lonely and stressed and it's not a farm until you have a few cows. You would need to buy in more cattle in the end to get new bloodlines and a bull cow to create a proper cattle farm.

Estimate that you will need between $5,000 to $25,000. This figure can change a lot from the actual total depending on how you operate. Start small and find ways to cut costs as you expand.

There usually is plenty of money out there for aspiring farmers. Check with local farming organizations and your government's agriculture department. Also, go to small business organizations. Many of these places can direct you to loans at reduced rates as well.

No. It's not uncommon for cows to carry their calves for this long. The average gestation period of 285 days is just an average; it doesn't state that a cow should be calving exactly or close to that period. Some breeds have longer gestation periods than others, so it should be no worry if a cow is carrying her calf for that long. It's best to let Nature take its course. However, it is even better that you check with your veterinarian for any potential problems that may arise for the cow. They can even induce labor for the cow to get her to calve out.

For hot temperature places like the Punjab and Sindh, try the Australian drought master, Bhagnari or crossed breeds like the Bhagnari master, or Saiwalian cows. For the cold regions of Pakistan, try the Frisian and drought master, as these are the most suitable.

No, you cannot. You must raise your own funds if you wish to start a cattle operation.

Any breed is good. Management and preference determine breed or crossbreeds. How are you selling cattle? What is your targeted market? How are you raising them? Where? What do you like most about Herefords and what do you like most about Angus? Do you want to raise them as purebred, or can you raise commercial cattle that are Hereford-Angus crossbreeds? Many options exist at your fingertips, it's highly recommended to explore all of them.

There is no best breed. It all depends on what purpose you have for these cattle. Check with various local farmers/herders in the area to get their input and advice on what best breeds would be best for you.

In Canadian money, one cow can cost anywhere from $800 to over $500,000. It all depends if she is a commercial cow or a registered purebred.

Grass that stands nice and tall and has plenty of leaf on the stem, and that has a lot of good yield that is easily picked up by the scythe, swather or hay-bine. Not only is does it look good, but it has good nutritional value for your animals. That's good hay-grass. What type depends on where you live. In North America, grass like smooth brome grass, orchard grass, timothy grass, reed canary grass, bermuda grass, and bahia grass are good.

Cattle farms are everywhere in the U.S. The Midwest and Texas are famous for them. You can find success anywhere across the plains, all the way to California. The most suitable climates are generally found in the plains regions, such as Texas, Nebraska, California, and Oklahoma.

For North American dairies, orchard grass is a high-quality grass for feed production. Timothy is also used, but it's not as good as orchard grass. Corn and barley are also grasses (domestic) that are grown and harvested as silage for cows. For calcium, these need to be countered with legumes like alfalfa and clover.

This depends what breeds are available and where you actually live. Galloways are good cattle for cold regions, as are Scottish Highlands. But most beef breeds, except those of the Zebu or Brahman type are able to withstand cold regions with some shelter and feed (Brahmans raised in the cold winters of Alberta, Canada, for instance, always need access to shelter and plenty of straw bedding to keep warm), and bedding, are well adapted to cold climates, some better than others. The British breeds (Hereford, Angus, Shorthorn) tend to be a little tougher than most continentals (like Simmental) with regards to "roughing it" on lesser quality feed.

Yes, there's nothing wrong with having both cattle and poultry. Poultry are good to have in a grazing system because they will pick through the cow dung for insects and help spread it out around the pasture.

Talk to your veterinarian. There is more than one vaccine often needed for your animals, and it all depends on your location.

No such thing as "best breed." It depends on where you live and what your personal preferences. Angus can be calving-ease if you know what to look for. Less common, and less conventional breeds like Red Poll, Galloway, Texas Longhorn, Devon, and Murray Grey are all good calving-ease breeds. Research which is best suited for the area you live in.

It all depends on the breeding. Angus cattle should be started later (as in around 12 to 16 months) because they are early-maturing and tend to put on fat quicker when younger, whereas later-maturing cattle like Charolais can be started when they're around 8 months of age, though they also tend to go through a "backgrounding" period for 6 to 10 months before heading to the feedlot for fattening.

No, not at all. Find a breed with Bos indicus influence, like Nellore or Bonsmara or Brangus or Brahma. Angus are more suited to cooler, drier climates, not the tropics.

Location in proximity to urban areas, as residents there are sensitive to the smell that comes from feedlots. Hired labour. Pen layouts for ease of access and movement of cattle from when they come off the truck to when they get back on, and everything in between. Feed: how to get it, how much land you need to raise it. How big a feedlot, who do you source from, where do you sell finished animals to, and many other things.

Yes, but be prepared to have extra feed on hand in case pastures get short. Also, find out more about using planned rotational grazing to give your pastures adequate rest.