Running a livestock farm can be a full-time job, especially in the peak season. It takes a lot of work to manage a farm, and you will have to take on many responsibilities that you cannot underestimate. No farm is the same as another, so this article will only cover the general aspects of how to manage one. Therefore this is only a guide, due to the general aspects that are covered. Either way, this article should give you an idea of what it takes to successfully run a farm.
Note: the following steps don't have to be done in order, each of them has the same importance
Steps
Step 1. Keep a record
This means recording health, breeding, calving, culling, weaning, purchases and sales using forms, tables, or computer programs such as CattleMax or CowProfit $ for each animal on your farm, as well as for expenses for buy machinery, food, fodder, repairs, fences, etc. Record anything noteworthy, the same day, to avoid forgetting about it.
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The most important thing for your farm to record is your finances. The success of your operations depends on them and they will allow you to understand if you are making profits or if you are accumulating losses. Calculating cash flow helps you understand what to expect for the next fiscal year.
Remember that monetizing something doesn't mean it's affordable
Step 2. Repair and maintain fences and buildings
Buildings usually require far less attention than fences, but when something requires repair, it should be done as soon as possible. Perimeter and pasture fences should be checked regularly, particularly before livestock are put inside and after they have been removed.
- Repair loose or broken wires and posts, remove trees that could fall on fences. It is highly recommended to repair fences damaged by cattle that have tried to escape (or enter), especially if a bull tries to go out looking for females in heat at a nearby farm.
- Pay attention to local laws regarding animal escapes. Under many jurisdictions, you may be held liable for damage done to cattle that have strayed. This is also why it is important to promptly repair damage to fences.
Step 3. Maintain machinery
The machines you use for every operation on your farm, whether for hay or for storage and / or grain production, must be maintained to operate regularly when needed. It is recommended to check them regularly, even in the seasons when they are not used.
It doesn't matter how many cars you have. You can have only one quad and one hay trailer, or tractors, harrows, combine harvesters, shredders, balers, grain trailers, augers, etc., each piece must be inspected, oiled, greased, repaired, it must be in perfect order before be used in the fields
Step 4. Manage the pasture
The soil, the vegetation, the topography of your fields determine the feeding of the cattle, grazing or with forage. Pay attention to forage storage, load capacity, rest periods of the fields and the impact of animals on pasture.
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Pay attention to the game on your farm. Some wild species may be rare or endangered, they may have limited areas for mating, nesting, births, foraging for food. To preserve these species you will need to manage your land and livestock so as not to ruin the habitat of these animals while encouraging them to return to the area through these good practices.
Join a wildlife conservation association to better protect these species and your livestock. Government loans or contributions from philanthropic associations may be available in some jurisdictions
- Know the different grazing practices available to you and use them according to your needs and goals, vegetation, soil and topography. It won't hurt to look for courses to attend from time to time so that you are always up to date.
- Make the most of government grants for land maintenance and improvement. Look for waste recycling programs rather than throwing everything in landfill. You can save a lot of money by recycling nutrients in the soil and vegetation, instead of buying artificial fertilizers.
Step 5. Manage livestock feeding
Forage only when needed, such as during dry spells or in winter. Cows usually only need hay, but you can also give them silage or add grain.
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Know that for most American and European farms, winter feeding is the biggest expense of the farm. It is a determining factor for the company, so it requires very careful management and particular attention not to waste anything.
Try to take advantage of winter grazing if you are in an area with cold and long winters, with 4-6 months of snow per year. To try to lower your feed costs during the winter, you can graze your cattle on shredded fodder or harvest leftovers
Step 6. Manage your forage and grain production
You need to know when is the best time to sow, spray (if necessary), reap. When it comes to hay, you just have to worry about cutting, raking and baling.
- As mentioned earlier, each farm is different from the other, which means that the periods to carry out each processing will vary depending on the part of the country (or the world) you are in.
- Note that some farms only do one cycle of processing a year, others have to do three, while others manage to do without harvesting the hay and are able to graze the cattle all year round, especially in warm and temperate areas.
Step 7. Keep up to date with vaccinations and deworming
The vaccinations required in your area will differ from those in other areas, so it is best to check with your local veterinarian for the best vaccines for your pets.
Step 8. Prepare and manage the birth season
You need to have everything ready for when you have the birth season planned. Check for cows that may be ready to give birth, and get the necessary tools to assist them in case of calving difficulties.
Many farms prefer to have the heifers of the cows give birth earlier, as heifers usually need more attention during calving than cows
Step 9. Manage cows and calves after calving
You will need to keep an eye on the calves to see if they show signs of diseases such as grazes and pneumonia, broken limbs or feet due to trampling, or if the cows decide not to accept their calf or to steal another, any calf predators, etc.
Step 10. Do the necessary treatments to the calves
After giving birth you will need to tag and vaccinate the calves and neuter the males you do not want to breed as potential stallions. Branding should be done on average around two to three months of age.
In the time of branding you cannot do everything alone or with your closest family members. In traditional farms, branding is a moment of socializing, and it should always be so. Gather your neighbors, family and friends, telling them that you are ready to brand calves and that you need help. They'll likely be more than happy to help you, but be sure to return the favor
Step 11. Prepare and manage the breeding season
Your bulls, whether recently bought or already part of your herd, are worth at least half the herd. Their seed needs to be checked a week or two before mating season begins. The sperm check will reveal the quantity and quality produced, as well as the mobility, morphology and percentage of good spermatozoa. You may also need to divide the herd into several mating groups, especially if you have several bulls of the same size and age. This will reduce competition between the bulls and the injuries they may inflict on themselves.
- The division, however, is at your discretion. Having separate pastures for mating means doing more work than letting the bulls work in one pasture with all the heads.
- The heifers should be mated about a week before the rest of the herd, so that their calving begins earlier than the other cows.
- Usually an adult bull can easily inseminate 30 to 40 cows, especially if they are in a larger environment. If the pasture is smaller, more than 50 can be inseminated. Younger bulls may only inseminate 30 cows or heifers maximum.
- Not all farms use natural insemination. Artificial insemination is also gaining momentum among steers, and is an option for your herd.
Step 12. Manage the fattening and finishing operations
Some farms practice one or the other, others both, still others neither. It depends on you and your possibilities. For each of these operations you will have to produce or buy additional forage, allocate a portion of your land, have other machinery, and manage your herd differently than you would without these operations.
Remember to think in terms of the growth of your animals and not the pounds gained for each calf you weaned
Step 13. Select and manage new heifers to breed
Your cows won't live forever. They will have to be shot down, or they may suddenly die for whatever reason. The new heifers will be the new breeding stock. They will need to be selected on the basis of various traits which include, but are not limited to, maternal ability, growth, calving ease, weight per calf weaned.
- You should handle heifers like you do cows, not like the rest of the fattening cattle. They must reproduce, not become beef steers.
- If you raise purebred heifers to sell, raise them with the same care as you raise your own breeding heifers.
Step 14. Decide on culls in your herd
Some heifers, cows or bulls need to be slaughtered and sold. The culls are intended to eliminate unwanted animals from the herd to improve it. Livestock can be culled due to: bad behavior, weak physical structure, maternal problems (heifers or cows reject calf, or have poor suckling ability), poor feeding ability, health problems (Johnes disease, chronic heaviness), lack of teeth, fertility (cows / heifers are not inseminated or have vaginal prolapses, bulls fail semen tests), injuries (bull has a broken penis, cows have a lameness that cannot be cured with antibiotics), etc.
Step 15. Wean the calves
There are several ways to wean a calf from a cow / heifer, from weaning with treatments to weaning directly on the truck, the latter more stressful for both the cow and the calf.
Step 16. Sell the excess items
Including animals to be slaughtered, weaned calves, heifers and steers that have completed the fattening phase, or cattle that have completed the finishing process and are destined for slaughter. You will have to decide whether to sell your livestock through private negotiations or auctions. In any case, the cattle are sold by weight.
An exception is the sale of thoroughbred bulls or heifers to other breeders
Step 17. Manage your herd
It is not enough to mate and give birth to cows, you need to take care of them and keep them in good health, in good physical condition and make sure they get enough minerals and nutrients from the forage they eat.
Calculate the physical condition index of the cows after weaning the calves and check the pregnancy status to see if they have actually been inseminated or not
Step 18. Manage the bulls
As with the cows in the previous step, your bulls also need to be in good health to be ready to breed next season. They need a sufficient diet to recover after the mating season and to maintain their fertility.
Step 19. Dispose of dead animals
As previously stated, your livestock will not live forever. Cows, calves, bulls, steers and heifers occasionally die in the various stages of farming, and it is your responsibility to dispose of the carcasses in accordance with current legislation.
Step 20. Take care of your horses and herding dogs
If on your farm you like to do things the old-fashioned way, using horses and sheepdogs, you will need to take care of them so that they are always in good condition to work with livestock. Even if they are working animals, you shouldn't treat them like they're not part of the family.
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Even if you decide to work your livestock in a traditional way, remember that many farms, including traditional ones, cannot do without some facilities to facilitate the work.
The structures for handling livestock are used to move the animals from the pasture to the sorting pens, to the processing corridors, to the storage pens, to the chutes. If you are loading them to take them elsewhere or to send them to the auction, they will be moved through several chutes to the loading ramp on the truck
Step 21. Repeat all the operations the following year, even if one year is never the same as the other
Like farmers, ranchers also always work by adapting to changes in the environment and climate, and are strongly influenced by these changes. Weather conditions, climate, land are just some of the factors that you cannot change in your farm, but that you have to manage. The season of birth, breeding, breeds in your herd, when to sell and when to wean are all subject to change at your discretion. But you cannot change the markets, the time and the preferences of the consumers. Your management decisions can change, you need to be flexible and ready to get the best out of what you have.
A business plan, likewise, must be flexible. If you don't have one yet, it would be a good idea to do so, so that you can clearly establish your goals and understand where you are
Step 22. Make time for yourself and your family if and when you can
Being a breeder is a lifestyle, undoubtedly, like any profession, but it doesn't have to be the only thought in your life. Don't forget to take some time for yourself and your family when you can, even if it's just a few hours or a couple of days. Taking a break will help clear your mind about things to do and give you the opportunity to rest.
Arrange with a nearby breeder so that you can mutually care for the other's farm for short periods of time. So you can have the opportunity to take a break from time to time
Advice
- Note that the steps listed above are not to be done in this exact order. An operational farm works according to the seasons, reproductive schedules and the objectives of the farmer.
- Be responsible, keep your feet on the ground and be consistent in your daily work. Enjoy your work, this is the main rule. If you don't love what you do, you won't last long. Being a breeder is not for everyone.
- You decide how to conduct your breeding. You can decide how many and which operations to deal with and how to do it.
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If you want to be a breeder, you need to know how to handle animals. You will not be a great breeder if you do not know how to manage your animals or evaluate the behavior of a cow, a bull, a heifer, a beef.
It is also imperative to know the difference between a bull, a cow, a heifer and a beef. It is quite embarrassing not to know these things, even for a helper
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Always be flexible and open to change because you never know what awaits you in the future.
Keep an eye on the sky, your animals and the markets. Learn to understand your beasts and the ground under your feet
Warnings
- Keep in mind that being a farmer is not a job for everyone. It is not for the faint of heart, for those who prefer to be indoors, for those who never want to change or for those who want to do a little bit of everything.
- Always be careful when working with livestock or machinery. Accidents can always happen, and always keep Murphy's Law in mind: "If something can go wrong, it will."
