How to Raise a Cow for Beef
Beef cows, or cattle, generally under go mass production with high profits for the producers. Due to the speed of raising them, most meat cattle grow up on hormones and grains. In reality, cattle naturally are meant to graze and forage pasture grass and alfalfa, or hay, for their sustenance. Simply allowing a cow to roam freely on a couple acres of grassland produces leaner and healthier beef.
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Things You'll Need
- 2 acres of available grassland
- Source to purchase alfalfa as needed in colder climates
- 100 bales of straw
- Large 50-gallon water container (cow watering tank or even a makeshift drum works)
- Electric water warmer (veterinary supply outlets)
- Mineral lick block
- Salt lick block
- Barn or modified building providing shelter for cow in colder climates
Instructions
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Select a correct breed of cow for providing beef as meat. The two most common beef cow breeds are Angus and Hereford. Either makes for a fine meat animal.
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Prepare your cow's grazing area by setting up a water tank, filling it to near full and keeping it filled regularly so your cow can drink whenever it feels the need and without interruption. Place a salt lick and a mineral lick block near the water tank so the cow may supplement itself with these when coming for a drink.
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Purchase a calf at the nearest sale barn. Before going to the auction, inquire about shipment possibilities of any animals you buy and what the cost will be to have your calf shipped to your location. Choose the best transportation for your cow based on your financial situation.
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Unload the calf onto the grassland and allow the cow to graze and drink as needed. During the colder winter months when grazing isn't possible, feed your cow two or three bales of alfalfa daily and use an electric water warmer to keep the cow's water from freezing. Lay down 20 fresh straw bales as bedding for your cow once every month, cleaning out the old and replacing it. Straw bedding helps your cow stay warm as its own body heat is absorbed into the straw. No expensive heating should be needed, but be sure the location shelters the cow from direct snow and freezing winds.
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Ship the cow to have it slaughtered and packaged once it has reached around 1,000 pounds in weight. This is an average slaughter weight, and a very technical series of charts is provided in the references section of this article, if you would like to go the more technical route in making the determination based on height and frame characteristics of your cow.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure you have the funds available to keep your cow fed in alfalfa during the winter months. The price of alfalfa bales fluctuate greatly from season to season, so you will want to check with a commodities market specialist to get a good idea of where alfalfa prices will be heading via a forecast. A mature cow will eat about a half a bale of alfalfa per day. Budget according to prices in your area.
References
- Photo Credit cow. cow in farm/field image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com
