How to Start a Cattle Company

Find the right brand for your cattle company.

If you've always dreamed of owning a cattle ranch and have grown tired of the mundane 9 to 5, turn your dreams into a reality by starting your own cattle company. While experience helps, if you enjoy the outdoors and hard, sometimes backbreaking work, you can learn the rest. Start your cattle company by visiting some other farms and ranches to get an inside look at this unique way of life.

Things You'll Need

• Land
• Water
• Feed
• Grass
• Hay
• Cattle
• Fencing
• Employees
• Insurance
• Branding equipment
• Barn or structures for your cattle

Instructions

1. Conduct extensive research to learn which brand of cattle best suits your region and operation. Some cattle thrive in cold weather, for example, while others do not. Other considerations include calving ease, maturity rates, dehorning requirements, disease resistance, maternal traits and grazing requirements. Learn cross-breeding techniques in order to create a breed that can thrive in your region. Subscribe to online industry magazines such as Beefmagazine.com for advice, tips and the latest in industry news.

2. Seek assistance from the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service's Conservation Reserve Program, which offers financial assistance and advice to ranchers and farmers. Contact the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management for information on renting public land in which to allow your herd to graze and to determine whether such a deal will work for you.

3. Procure drought-resistant, suitable land large enough to accommodate your herd. Look for arable land, ponds or streams and trees for natural shelter. Outfit your perimeter with sturdy fencing and electric wire. Construct shelters for your cattle or a barn, a facility for prospective buyers, as well as loading and unloading facilities. Plant quality grass and trees as needed. Procure a water tank, salt lick and feed. A local feed mill can guide you on the best nutrition for your stock.

4. Purchase a livestock trailer to transport your cattle, branding equipment and a vehicle in which to check up on your cattle, such as an all-terrain vehicle or a horse. Then visit a local feed mill or farm co-op to find farmers with stock to sell. You can also place an ad in the paper or attend an auction to procure your herd; bring an experienced friend with you to the auction. Consider purchasing weaned calves or feeder cattle, a much cheaper option than full-grown cattle. To help you determine production cost and risk, make use of the North American Institute for Beef Economic Research (NAIBER) Cattle Profit Calculator (see Resources).

5. Hire strong, skilled, hardworking employees to assist in running your cattle operations, such as welding, branding, building, meeting with customers and caring for the cattle.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have horses, consider supplementing your income by offering horseback riding.

• To prevent theft, always lock your gates and trailers, and mark your equipment with a serial number or other identifying number.

• Purchase equipment and liability insurance; photograph and document expensive equipment.

References

• Back Woods Home: Raising Cattle
• Conservation Reserve Program

Resources

• The North American Institute for Beef Economic Research (NAIBER) Cattle Profit Calculator
• "Beef Magazine": Tips, Advice and Industry News for Ranchers
• Bureau of Land Management