How to Start a Beef Cow Farm

Raising beef cattle for profit can be a satisfying enterprise. However, there are a number of management skills that each beefiness producer should accept to be successful. Each livestock enterprise has different resources: land, labor, capital, feed, and management. To enhance beef cattle sustainably, yous must manage these resource.

In improver to managing resource, new producers must ask themselves, What do I need to get started? This question involves considerations for the blazon of animals a producer wishes to raise too equally where to discover these animals, how to select them, and what equipment will be needed for the functioning. Producers too need to consider how they will feed their animals and what wellness intendance practices they will use to keep the animals healthy. Savvy producers will let markets place the type of animals they should enhance in order to generate a turn a profit. This fact sheet may be used as a guide for beef cattle producers just getting started in the industry to acquire:

How to decide what type of animal you should raise
Nearly the dissimilar breeds and how to select the right 1 for you
Where to purchase your animals
What to look for as the ideal characteristics
What equipment you'll need to raise your animals
How to brood and heighten your beef cattle
What to feed and how to care for your animals' health
What it takes to market your animals

What Type of Animals Should I Raise?

The first thing to decide when starting a new beef cattle enterprise is what blazon of animals to raise. This decision should directly reverberate the markets a producer has available to sell beef cattle and consider the resources available on the subcontract and the producer's private goals.

Beef cattle may be used to produce meat or generate seedstock (breeding animals). The intended markets may dictate what breed or breeds are best suited for the operation. Some producers cull to brood females to produce calves to sell for breeding stock or marketplace animals. Other producers may adopt to purchase weaned animals, also known as feeders, to raise to market weight.

Producers should start by determining if they wish to enhance purebred or commercial stock. A purebred operation typically raises animals of one breed. Often a purebred operation will accept all registered animals that can also be sold through purebred sales. A commercial functioning may take unregistered purebred animals, or they may have crossbred animals. Crossbred animals take the benefit of hybrid vigor, which is simply the ability of crossbred offspring to increase in productivity over the average of the breeds that were part of the cross. This means that a crossbred calf could grow faster, or a crossbred female person could produce more milk for its offspring.

Selecting a Breed

Each livestock brood has different traits for which they are recognized. Brood associations can provide information on those traits and assistance you narrow your decision regarding what breed or breeds fit best with your performance. Beef cattle breeds are often divided into maternal (cow) and terminal (sire) breeds. Maternal breeds are typically moderately sized and recognized for their power to raise salubrious calves. Final breeds are generally a chip larger in their size and unremarkably used for meat production. In addition to these two classifications, composite breeds of cattle too exist.

Composite breeds are cattle breeds that are by and large made upward of maternal and final breeds and often combine genetics for specific environments or markets. While many producers employ both maternal and terminal breeds in their systems, blended breeds have been established and are recognized by their pedigree. Many breeds exist in the United States. The more common breeds are listed in the table beneath.

Maternal

Angus
Hereford
Shorthorn
Red Angus

Terminal

Charolais
Gelbvieh
Limousin
Simmental
Maine Anjou

Blended

SimAngus
Maintainer
Braford
Beefmaster
Limflex

Angus Photo credit: Michelle Kunjappu, PA Beefiness Producers Working Group

Hereford Photo credit: Michelle Kunjappu, PA Beefiness Producers Working Group

Photo credit: Michelle Kunjappu, PA Beef Producers Working Group

Photo credit: Dave Hartman, Penn State Extension

Where Tin can I Purchase Animals?

Animals can exist purchased through several dissimilar ways. Many sales are held beyond the state throughout the twelvemonth and may offering only i breed, a variety of breeds, or even crossbreds for sale. Some other option would be to locate reputable breeders and buy directly from their subcontract. A wide diversity of animals may be available at a local auction barn; notwithstanding, allow the buyer beware. Animals sold through this venue are more likely to take health problems.

Cull breeding males that volition complement the outstanding traits in your females and improve their weaknesses. E'er use the all-time bull you can afford to improve the genetics in your herd. The male has a slap-up influence on your herd because his offspring could remain in the herd for a number of years.

Be conscious of selecting and keeping good productive females that volition produce and wean 1 calf per year without assistance and maintain their body condition without becoming overly thin or fat.

Selection Principles

There are two methods to select livestock: fauna functioning and visual appraisal. Animals should get-go exist selected on performance (e.yard., how well calves abound or how much calves weigh at weaning), and and so the higher-performing animals should be evaluated visually.

Operation selection principles evaluate measurable traits such equally birth weight, weaning weight, yearling weight, or meat yield and quality.

Producers who evaluate growth traits should adjust weaning weights to account for the sexual practice of the calf, age of the dam, birth weight, and weaning weight. Weaning weights are typically adjusted to 205 days of historic period.

Progressive cattle producers with registered animals can enroll their herd in breeding association databases to obtain expected progeny differences (EPDs). These EPDs use genetic linkages to assess genetic merit for growth, carcass, and maternal traits. EPDs allow producers to evaluate brute genetics without ecology influences.

Commercial producers can utilize performance data when selecting a new bull. More information on expected progeny differences tin be found by contacting breed associations.

Visual animal appraisal evaluates aspects such as structural definiteness, muscling, body capacity, and brood grapheme. Evaluating structural correctness allows producers to place animals with defects that are non apparent through performance evaluation.

Purebred producers who heighten registered stock should become familiar with breed characteristics associated with the brood they raise, such every bit:

ear length and shape
color and distribution of color
polled condition
defects that disqualify animals from registration

These depicted bulls exhibit the ideal characteristics of breeding males .

Angus bull. Photo credit: Michelle Kunjappu, PA Beef Producers Working Group

Hereford bull. Photo credit: Michelle Kunjappu, PA Beef Producers Working Group

Equipment Needs

After the appropriate animals are called for the operation, the equipment necessary to maintain those animals must exist gathered. Beef cattle operations can exist low input simply nonetheless need a variety of equipment. Basic equipment includes feeders, h2o tubs or watering systems, and health care equipment. Considering safe is a concern when managing these large animals, beefiness cattle operations should also accept equipment for handling cattle.

Feeders

Feeders should be used to prevent animals from eating off the ground. Well-designed feeders volition also prevent animals from wasting feed by spilling it onto the footing. In that location are potential health concerns when cattle eat off the basis, including parasite infections; notwithstanding, feed costs represent the primary input cost on whatsoever beef cattle performance and equally such, feed waste material is a driving gene for feeders.

Feeders can be uncomplicated like racks to concord round bales. Photo credit: Bigstock.com

Many dissimilar sizes and styles of feeders are bachelor for beef cattle. Some feeders can adapt feeding both hay and grain, while others may exist designed to feed just hay or simply grain. Producers should exist sure that all animals have access to the feeder if feeding at specified time frames. If animals accept free-option access to the feeders throughout the day, smaller feeders can be used.

Feeders may also include simple troughs to agree supplemental protein, free energy, or minerals for grazing cattle. Photo credit: Michelle Kunjappu, PA Beefiness Producers Working Group

In confinement finishing systems, beef cattle may be fed a more complete mixed ration in a bunk. Photograph credit: Michelle Kunjappu, PA Beefiness Producers Working Grouping

Beefiness cattle of all classes should always take access to a good-quality mineral mix formulated for their production needs. Most producers provide beef cows and grazing cattle gratis-choice minerals when on pasture, while others limit-feed minerals daily in a grain mix.

Fenceline-style feeders allow producers access on one side to place feed and grain into the feeder while animals access their feed on the other side. Walkthrough feeders allow producers to walk downward the middle of the feeder. Grain tin can be placed in a trough on either or both sides and hay is shared in the primal walking area. Producers should be conscientious not to contaminate feeders with manure-covered footwear.

Larger operations often feed hay in the form of big round or foursquare bales. Many styles of hay feeders exist, merely the inverted-cone-fashion feeders are often recommended for beef cattle as they usually waste product the least amount feed waste material.

Water

Water is possibly the most of import food because information technology impacts feed consumption. Poor-quality water or non plenty water can decrease feed intake and result in decreased creature operation. Producers tin supply water using anything from buckets to troughs to automatic watering systems. As with feeders, many dissimilar styles are available. The key is that h2o should be fresh, clean, and bachelor at all times.

Automated frost-free waterers may be used on pasture or in confinement for cattle. Photo credit: Betty Cameron, Bedford County Sheep Producer

Permanent jump improvements can provide a yr-round water supply for beefiness cattle on pasture. This system has additional crushed rock around it to prevent excess mud accumulation in the expanse. Photo credit: Melanie Barkley, Penn State Extension

Simplistic float tank trough systems tin can be easily moved depending on cattle location. Photo credit: Melanie Barkley, Penn Land Extension

Pasture Systems

Many beefiness cattle, particularly mature cows and bulls, graze pastures throughout the spring, summer, and autumn. Producers should pay close attention to pasture height in an effort to maximize forage utilization. Pastures should exist subdivided to provide an acceptable amount of forage for the grazing time, often four to v days. Animals should be moved to a new department of pasture by the fourth dimension forage has been grazed down to 4 inches in height. Rotating pastures ensures the nutrients from manure are spread out and that cattle utilize bachelor resources efficiently. Continuous grazing can crusade forage stand harm in overused or high-traffic areas and encourages weed growth in other less-desirable areas of the pasture.

A skilful-quality perimeter fence contains livestock inside the pasture and keeps predators out. Many producers adopt high-tensile fencing with some wires electrified. Subdivision fencing divides larger fields into smaller areas to better manage forage growth. Subdivision fencing for beef cattle can often be a single strand of polywire with step-in posts to reduce input costs. Most cattle will respect i strand if it is electrified.

Pastures should besides provide admission to water. This ranges from temporary systems that motion with the animals to permanent systems. Many producers choose to install cloak-and-dagger systems that can be accessed throughout a pasture system to reduce the labor of hauling h2o. Depending on the organisation and region, it may be necessary to access electricity to heat waterers in common cold months.

Wellness Care Equipment

Routine health care employs practices to prevent disease. Common practices include tagging, vaccinating, dehorning, castrating, and deworming. These practices require basic equipment such as tags and tagging pliers, syringes and needles, elastrator bands, a ring expander tool, and a drench syringe or drench gun. Tagging is considered a health care piece of equipment because tagging is important to identify treated animals.

Producers may also wish to dehorn their cattle to preclude horn growth. This is often performed with an electric dehorner shortly later the horn buds break through the peel. Dehorning prevents future injury to other animals and handlers.

Hoof trimming is some other wellness intendance equipment particular. Hoof trimming is not considered routinely necessary in most beef cattle operations. In improver, most beef cattle must exist put in a tilt tabular array in club to accept their hooves trimmed for the rubber of both the trimmer and the fauna. Therefore, many beginning cattle producers will contact a professional person should hoof intendance exist necessary.

A bander tin be used to castrate young males. Photo credit: Michelle Kunjappu, PA Beefiness Producers Working Grouping

Other Types of Equipment

Larger equipment may be used past beef cattle operations to allow producers to handle or manage animals more efficiently. Producers tin employ a calibration to monitor animal growth performance at weaning and other times throughout the year. A calibration should as well exist used to counterbalance animals to summate the correct dosage for medication treatments. Three types of scales are often used by livestock producers: axle, dial, and digital.

Equipment for beef cattle production should include these items necessary to maintain herd health, like this deluge for deworming animals. Photo credit: Dr. Tara Felix, Penn Country Extension

Most feeder calves and finished cattle are bought and sold on a weight footing. Therefore, because the economics in beefiness systems are based on pounds of calf to sell or weight of finished cattle, scales are an important function of cattle operations. Scales can also assist monitor weights at disquisitional times throughout the yr, such as breeding, weaning, and so on. All scales should be tested to ensure accuracy. Simple scales can be placed in line in a handling organisation.

Handling arrangement equipment allows producers to more efficiently handle animals. Information technology functions by gathering animals into a grouping pen and then funneling them into the chute. Animals walk single file downward the chute, where they are held for routine health care or sorting. Gates at both ends of the system contain the animals while producers perform tasks. Gates tin function by sliding back and along or up and down like a guillotine.

A head catch in the chute restrains the cattle for necessary procedures, while ensuring the safety of both the cattle and the human handlers. Photograph credit: Dr. Tara Felix, Penn State Extension

If the beef cattle operation intends to use implants to increase growth performance of market place animals, a handling system should be used. In addition, if the operation desires to breed using artificial insemination, a handling organisation is a must.

An alley allows the beef cattle producers to move several cattle at a time, making cattle treatment easier and more than efficient. Photo credit: Dr. Tara Felix, Penn State Extension

Reproduction and Breeding Seasons

Gestation length for beef cattle is about nine months, varying slightly among breeds and sires. However, the typical gestation length for virtually cows ranges from 282 to 288 days.

Cattle volition bike throughout the yr. Notwithstanding, managing a defined breeding season volition help improve the efficiency of the cow herd and marketability of the calves. Most productive cattle operations maintain a single breeding flavour. While many operations breed animals to calve in the spring when conditions is warming up, some may choose to calve in the autumn to take advantage of a less saturated calf market. Purebred cattle used for seedstock are often bred to calve early in the year, January or February, so that those animals tin enter the breeding herd at heavier weights.

Estrus cycles and age at puberty vary slightly among breeds. If breeding heifers (females that have not calved before), they should weigh at least 65 to 70 percent of their mature weight by the first of the convenance flavour with a target of 85 percent of their mature weight at calving. Generally, information technology is expected that heifers will see this weight and exist gear up to breed between 11 and 15 months of age. It is besides appropriate to breed heifers one cycle ahead of mature cows so that they have additional time to rebreed the following season.

Some producers will have this a footstep farther and synchronize their females then that they are sure to brood the heifers at the desired time and the balance of the cows come into heat, or cycle, at the same time about a month later. This synchronization is necessary for an efficient and constructive artificial insemination process and is nigh often achieved with the employ of a CIDR, although feed condiment protocols exist for heifers. The CIDR contains hormones and is inserted vaginally into the females. Many protocols are available for synchronization and kickoff producers are advised to piece of work with their veterinarian to establish their own on-farm protocol.

In most instances, cattle give nativity outdoors and, thus, calving season is timed to start when weather warms up and grass is available on pasture. Even so, some producers adopt to breed earlier in the breeding season in social club to marketplace at specific times in the summer or fall. In other situations, producers may breed before so that calves are older and heavier while on pasture.

Producers wishing to calve earlier may need to business firm animals in a barn, such as a bank barn, depending on the climate. Calving indoors can help forestall ears from freezing and ensure dogie viability in colder temperatures.

Signs of Impending Calving

As a cow nears her time to give birth, she exhibits several signs that the birthing procedure volition begin. Shortly before calving, the udder will brainstorm to tighten. This tightening is the udder filling with colostrum. Colostrum is the outset milk and it contains antibodies that help protect newborn calves from disease.

When the moo-cow is ready to give birth, the muscles effectually her hips will begin to relax and may announced as if they are sinking. The vulva changes colour and is most credible with lighter peel colors. For example, a calorie-free pinkish color will change to a darker pinkish color. Mayhap more noticeably, the vulva will slap-up. The udder volition feel full and tight at this signal. The cow will too refuse feed and move away from the herd.

The first sign that the female person is in labor is the appearance of the water bag. Within a brusque menstruation of time, the front anxiety and nose of the newborn should appear. This volition progress every bit the female person pushes to expel the newborn. Once the calf is built-in, the mother should begin licking to dry off the newborn and encourage the calf to stand and nurse.

A visible water pocketbook or feet bespeak impending calving. Photo credit: Dr. Tara Felix, Penn Land Extension

Typically, nigh beefiness cows calve on pasture and require little assist. If assistance is required, inexperienced producers should consult a veterinary or an experienced producer for assistance. Assist may be required if a calf has not been delivered within six hours of the h2o handbag appearing or if the cow is found straining and the water bag appears to have already been ruptured. Always use caution when trying to work with or around laboring cows or cows that accept recently delivered. Dams will defend their immature well against predators but may plow this aggression on an unsuspecting human trying to tag or examine a new calf too.

Pay close attention to newborns for the first couple days after birth. Mothers should exist attentive to newborns and willing to stand for newborns to nurse. Newborns should stretch when they stand and appear alert. Newborns that weep for their mother or rush to nurse as soon as they become up likely are not receiving enough milk. Weak calves may crave feeding with a tube. Consult a veterinary or an experienced producer for assistance.

A practiced beef cow should immediately tend to her calf without interference. Photo credit: Wendall Landis, Penn State Beef Barn Manager

Feeding and Diet

All animals require water, protein, carbohydrates and fats (to provide free energy), vitamins, and minerals in their daily diet. These may come from a variety of sources simply should be balanced to meet nutritional requirements. Nutrient requirements change throughout an animal's lifetime and reverberate its stage of product: growth, maintenance, breeding, pregnancy, or lactation (milk product).

Forages such every bit pasture and hay frequently meet requirements for mature animals, merely they may not encounter requirements for fast-growing animals. Therefore, additional protein or energy sources may demand to be added to the ration to see requirements of young, rapidly growing cattle.

Additional poly peptide requirements may be met with better quality hay or through sources such as soybeans, soybean meal, or distillers grains. Additional free energy requirements may exist met with a variety of grain sources, merely cattle are most usually fed corn because it is often the cheapest energy source.

In almost cases, pasture provides the most economical feed source for mature cows. Cattle should rotationally graze pastures to yield the all-time quality and quantity of grazing days. In general, animals should enter a pasture when forages are 6 to 10 inches tall. Animals should rotate out of a pasture by the fourth dimension the provender has been grazed downwardly to 4 inches. This not only provides loftier-quality feed for the animals but as well helps maintain healthy plants.

Grain supplements are most ofttimes used for growing cattle or in times of pasture shortage. Feeding grain to growing cattle increases weight proceeds. One common grain feeding exercise is creep feeding, the practice of supplying good-quality grain and/or hay to young calves while they are nursing. This boosts weight gains and body condition, or level of fatness.

Health Issues

A good indicator of good for you cattle is their body condition. Torso condition for beef cattle is scored on a nine-indicate calibration with one being emaciated and nine existence obese.

Breeding females should be maintained at an boilerplate body condition score of v to 6. Animals with decreasing torso condition scores, or that are losing weight, bespeak a potential wellness outcome.

The get-go step to keeping animals healthy is to preclude diseases from entering the farm. Implementing biosecurity practices can assistance continue diseases off the farm. Whatsoever new animal that arrives at the subcontract—and animals that leave the subcontract and render—should exist quarantined from other animals for three to four weeks. In add-on, changing shoes and clothing after visiting locations where you had contact with other cattle can help prevent bringing diseases to your farm. Visitors to the farm should exist asked to either disinfect their shoes or habiliment plastic disposable boots.

All producers should course a relationship with a veterinary. This veterinary-customer-patient relationship allows the veterinarian to become familiar with your farm direction practices and your animals and to more quickly address any wellness issues within your herd.

Internal and External Parasites

While most beef cattle systems do not experience product losses direct as a upshot of parasites, it is partly because they are very easy to treat and prevent in beefiness cattle. Broad-spectrum antiparasitics can be applied as a pour-on or an injectable production. Many beef cattle producers choose pour-on products because they are easy to apply and fairly effective.

Additional internal parasites that may impact beef cattle include worms and coccidia. External parasites that may affect beefiness cattle include flies, ticks, and lice. Consult your veterinary for more than data on private parasite species and their treatment.

Cattle should exist treated for internal and external parasites to continue them salubrious. Photo credit: Melanie Barkley, Penn State Extension

Abortion Diseases

Perhaps more disquisitional than the parasites themselves are the impacts they may take on reproductive functioning. Several parasites that affect cattle can cause abortions. For example, anaplasmosis causes an anemia so severe that cattle may abort. It is well-nigh commonly spread past biting insects like ticks; however, because it is a bloodborne disease, humans may play a role in infecting cattle by reusing contaminated needles and castration and dehorning equipment.

There are other ballgame diseases that are caused by sexually transmitted diseases. These tin include chlamydia and trichomoniasis. Buying bulls and replacement females from reputable farms or brokers and asking about the history of venereal affliction tin can help preclude the spread of these disorders to your subcontract.

Several other diseases may also crusade abortions in cattle. Some of the mutual diseases that cause abortions can be prevented with a vaccine for viruses like bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR). Work with your veterinarian to establish a expert vaccination program for your beef cattle herd.

Foot Health

A major reason for implementing biosecurity measures is to prevent highly contagious, difficult-to-eradicate problems such as hairy heel wart, also known equally digital dermatitis. Many beef cattle producers are noting an increase in the prevalence of digital dermatitis in herds across the state. Digital dermatitis is difficult to eradicate and can cause severe lameness. If your herd becomes infected, it is time consuming and expensive to treat infected animals and eradicate the disease. Treatment requires hoof trimming and antibiotics, thus veterinary oversight is required.

In addition to digital dermatitis, foot health can be impacted past poor diet. Cracked hooves or curved (sometimes called spooned) hooves are oftentimes a sign of a mineral deficiency. E'er provide a good-quality mineral to beef cattle and feed according to the label instructions.

Marketing

A number of markets are bachelor for beef cattle. When choosing a market, you must decide whether your operation will focus on selling live animals or marketing meat. Many producers in the eastern United States focus on direct marketing of their beef cattle as freezer beefiness or retail beef cuts due to the admission to consumers. Alternatively, many larger producers may focus simply on selling finished cattle to a large meat packer.

Left: Many beef producers choose to sell beefiness by the side or the quarter. Photograph credit: Dr. Tara Felix, Penn State Extension

Right: Steaks are a popular consumer choice, but selling individual cuts requires a proper license. Photo credit: Dr. Tara Felix, Penn State Extension

Keep in mind that state laws prohibit a producer from selling meat unless the animal was processed in a USDA-inspected facility. Therefore, the producers often sell calves alive and the customer would make cutting arrangements with the processing facility. Many producers also provide the service of delivering the animals to a local processing facility.

Other options for beef cattle include marketing breeding stock, feeder calves to the feedlot, or marketplace animals for junior shows. Breeding stock are typically purebred animals and may be marketed directly from the farm and through a registered sale. Many states operate a balderdash test, allowing producers to pay to take their bulls adult alongside other young bulls and enter a larger sale at the finish of the test. Work with your local extension educator to determine the best markets for your operation.

Determination

Raising beef cattle tin be a rewarding farming enterprise. Very few beef cattle operations are identical to i another, allowing producers a variety of opportunities to develop a program that uniquely suits their lifestyle and farming enterprise. This brief introduction just touches on a few of the aspects to remember nigh when because a beef cattle enterprise. Earlier get-go your own enterprise, seek the communication of your extension educator or experienced beef cattle producers in your area.

For more information about beef cattle, visit Penn State Extension Beef Cattle

Many opportunities exist for beefiness cattle producers. This publication covers basic concepts related to raising these animals. New and showtime producers should seek farther information on non just basic production practices but also nutrition, reproduction, and health in social club to produce high-quality, healthy animals.

So Yous Desire to Raise Beef Cattle? This fact sheet may be used as a guide for beefiness cattle producers just getting started in the industry to learn:

How to determine what type of animal you should enhance
Nearly the different breeds and how to select the correct one for you
Where to purchase your animals
What to look for as the platonic characteristics
What equipment you'll need to enhance your animals
How to breed and heighten your beef cattle
What to feed and how to care for your animals' health
What information technology takes to marketplace your animals

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Source: https://extension.psu.edu/so-you-want-to-raise-beef-cattle-print