More Cow Talk

[dooleysm]

All this talk about cows, goats, sheep, llamas, etc. has got me thinking, always dangerous...

I've got the plans in my head for my 'mobile' chicken coop that probably won't get built until this winter or next spring. I've also got some extra land laying around that I'm not doing anything with. I kind of like the idea of fencing some off and raising some beef.

Now, I've never raised anything more exotic than a dog, so I have no idea what it'll take. I GPS'ed a chunk the other day, and I've got a nice 2/3 acre pasture right off the side of my barn. I could extend that out to probably 1.5 acres if I had to, but would rather not. Is 2/3 acre enough to raise a single cow/steer/whatever, or will I need more. I am just thinking along the lines of buying something in the spring and slaughtering it in the fall. Is this practical? Will that amount of land feed a single cow?

If I drag my chicken coop over to the cow pasture, will the chickens play nice with the cow? Will the cow protect them from coyotes, dogs, etc.?

Or am I just barking up the wrong tree here?

 

[dooleysm]

All this talk about cows, goats, sheep, llamas, etc. has got me thinking, always dangerous...

I've got the plans in my head for my 'mobile' chicken coop that probably won't get built until this winter or next spring. I've also got some extra land laying around that I'm not doing anything with. I kind of like the idea of fencing some off and raising some beef.

Now, I've never raised anything more exotic than a dog, so I have no idea what it'll take. I GPS'ed a chunk the other day, and I've got a nice 2/3 acre pasture right off the side of my barn. I could extend that out to probably 1.5 acres if I had to, but would rather not. Is 2/3 acre enough to raise a single cow/steer/whatever, or will I need more. I am just thinking along the lines of buying something in the spring and slaughtering it in the fall. Is this practical? Will that amount of land feed a single cow?

If I drag my chicken coop over to the cow pasture, will the chickens play nice with the cow? Will the cow protect them from coyotes, dogs, etc.?

Or am I just barking up the wrong tree here?

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Will that amount of land feed a single cow? )</font>

I think that depends entirely on the kind of grass; i.e., quality of pasture and what supplemental feed you provide. You can certainly do what you suggest by raising one steer to butcher, and you can ensure having good quality meat. As to whether it's worth it financially, I don't know; doubt it. It's been several years since my brother and a friend decided to raise two for the meat. My brother says if you count their work as being worth nothing, he figures they saved 2 cents a pound for their meat. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Of course it's been many many years ago, but my granddaddy kept his milk cow and raised her calf on less land than that.

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Will that amount of land feed a single cow? )</font>

I think that depends entirely on the kind of grass; i.e., quality of pasture and what supplemental feed you provide. You can certainly do what you suggest by raising one steer to butcher, and you can ensure having good quality meat. As to whether it's worth it financially, I don't know; doubt it. It's been several years since my brother and a friend decided to raise two for the meat. My brother says if you count their work as being worth nothing, he figures they saved 2 cents a pound for their meat. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Of course it's been many many years ago, but my granddaddy kept his milk cow and raised her calf on less land than that.

 

[Egon]

I think on straight grass it may take much more time to get feeder finshed out.

Egon

 

[Egon]

I think on straight grass it may take much more time to get feeder finshed out.

Egon

 

[texasjohn]

dooleysm, sounds like you are seeking adventure... well, you can sign up for that with either/both chickens and a cow brute.

You can do what you want... but your lack of prior experience will bite you at times. I kinda think that you should get started with chickens and move up from there if you wish. Smaller critters are easier to handle than larger ones.

On the bovine end, you would be talking about getting a weaned calf.. maybe 450 lbs... putting it in your pen/pasture and feeding it supplementally until it reaches about 1000 lbs. Grass alone won't do the trick. You will need to get a gentle one, because a wild one will not tame down and you will have trouble keeping it at home... or taking it to slaughter when the time comes. Even with a gentle one, there will be amazing challenges. Your 2/3 acre will suffer because of the tight confignment.... unless it is really special pasture, it will become more bare than covered with grass.. this is because there will be no time for the grass to rest... it will be grazed and stomped down. Cattle are herd animals, thus a couple of head would be better than one.

For many reasons, your best bet would be to get a 3-in-one package... a cow, her 6 mo old bull calf at side, and make sure she is again pregnant. This way they have company. The calf wants to stay with momma... you can feed the calf extra... and the cow some.... slaughter the calf when it is large enough, and the cow will have another calf before you need to hunt up a bull.. or sell her. In this case, make sure she is GENTLE and will come to the bucket and not be disturbed by people being all around her...

The cow will not protect chickens from coyotes.... unless it is an amazingly protective and nervous critter.. which you absolutely can't handle because of lack of pens, etc...

It will NOT save you any money to raise beef this way.. economies of scale are completely against you..... so, the plus for you is that you have the experience... and, that's priceless /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

My advice, find somebody in the area who has a few head... and make friends with them... help them work their cattle, vaccinate, load into a trailer... whatever... then decide if you want to do it for yourself. Your local Ag teacher( 4H or FFA) could likely connect you to somebody who has raised a show animal and you could see how they are set up to handle one animal, feed it, care for it and prepare it for show.

One word of caution... a 1000 lb animal goes where it wants to go... thus, it is possible to be injured... kicked, squished between cow and something hard... etc... it takes time to develop "cow sense" .... the art of convincing an animal to go where you want it to go... and make it think that it was its idea /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

You can do as you outline... but approach it only as a learning experience... and, remember, stock are very daily... need water, feed, etc... this can make vacations, etc. difficult to work in...

 

[texasjohn]

dooleysm, sounds like you are seeking adventure... well, you can sign up for that with either/both chickens and a cow brute.

You can do what you want... but your lack of prior experience will bite you at times. I kinda think that you should get started with chickens and move up from there if you wish. Smaller critters are easier to handle than larger ones.

On the bovine end, you would be talking about getting a weaned calf.. maybe 450 lbs... putting it in your pen/pasture and feeding it supplementally until it reaches about 1000 lbs. Grass alone won't do the trick. You will need to get a gentle one, because a wild one will not tame down and you will have trouble keeping it at home... or taking it to slaughter when the time comes. Even with a gentle one, there will be amazing challenges. Your 2/3 acre will suffer because of the tight confignment.... unless it is really special pasture, it will become more bare than covered with grass.. this is because there will be no time for the grass to rest... it will be grazed and stomped down. Cattle are herd animals, thus a couple of head would be better than one.

For many reasons, your best bet would be to get a 3-in-one package... a cow, her 6 mo old bull calf at side, and make sure she is again pregnant. This way they have company. The calf wants to stay with momma... you can feed the calf extra... and the cow some.... slaughter the calf when it is large enough, and the cow will have another calf before you need to hunt up a bull.. or sell her. In this case, make sure she is GENTLE and will come to the bucket and not be disturbed by people being all around her...

The cow will not protect chickens from coyotes.... unless it is an amazingly protective and nervous critter.. which you absolutely can't handle because of lack of pens, etc...

It will NOT save you any money to raise beef this way.. economies of scale are completely against you..... so, the plus for you is that you have the experience... and, that's priceless /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

My advice, find somebody in the area who has a few head... and make friends with them... help them work their cattle, vaccinate, load into a trailer... whatever... then decide if you want to do it for yourself. Your local Ag teacher( 4H or FFA) could likely connect you to somebody who has raised a show animal and you could see how they are set up to handle one animal, feed it, care for it and prepare it for show.

One word of caution... a 1000 lb animal goes where it wants to go... thus, it is possible to be injured... kicked, squished between cow and something hard... etc... it takes time to develop "cow sense" .... the art of convincing an animal to go where you want it to go... and make it think that it was its idea /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

You can do as you outline... but approach it only as a learning experience... and, remember, stock are very daily... need water, feed, etc... this can make vacations, etc. difficult to work in...