Cattle Ranching For Beginners

        For both large and small Cattle Ranching projects once you have an operation established raising beef cattle for profit can be both enjoyable and satisfying. In the beginning you will need to know or learn a few management skills that beef cattle producers may need to be successful.

     All beef cattle farming and ranching operations will not have the exact same resources but all will include Investment Money, Available Labor, Feed Available, Amount of Land and Management. To build an operation that is successful and sustainable in cattle ranching you will need to manage all available resources to maximize any chance for positive results.

Where to Look for Helpful Information.
     In today's high tech environment the first place to research might be the Internet. Start by entering your questions in the search engines and go from there.

     Today as in the past there is a lot of information available on raising beef cattle through books and magazines. But unlike days gone by you can find a lot of these books and magazines available on the Internet and/or available for purchase at discount prices from places like Amazon.

     Local information is available in most areas through a County Agent or Cooperative Extension service. You can usually find copies of printed information available by visiting your local Cooperative Extension Office in person. I recommend a personal visit as opposed to telephone, it shows more genuine interest.

     To improve your working knowledge of cattle ranching as well as promoting the type or breed of cattle on your ranch you should join a local beef producer's organization and visit with other local ranchers. You will find most beef cattle ranchers are more than happy to share their knowledge. You will want to visit as many of their operations as possible for ideas on handling, management, and their breeds and type of animals. And never forget one of the most important sources is your veterinarian. It will always be beneficial to discuss health concerns and management suggestions with your vet.

What Kind of Beef Cattle Enterprise Should I Choose?
     In most cases the primary sole source of income from a new cattle ranching operation will come from the calves produced each year. This makes it very important to choose accordingly and acquire cows of a type known for producing a calf every 12 months. You should always keep this in mind when you are selecting for new additions or culling. Always try to keep good productive cows that will produce a calf every year without assistance, maintain their body condition without becoming overly thin or fat, and raise a calf with an average weaning weight that meets your goals.

Breeds of Beef Cattle
     Beef cattle are generally described as maternal breeds or terminal breeds. Maternal breeds are known for milk production and mothering ability while terminal breeds are known for growth and meat producing ability.
 
     Some breeds are also known as dual purpose breeds because they combine muscling for meat production with excellent maternal characteristics. Crossbreeding can help you combine the best attributes of two or more breeds into one package. Choose traits that are important to you and then seek a breed or a crossbred that exhibits those traits.

Type of Cattle Ranching Operation
     Before you get started in the beef cattle business, you will need to ask yourself what type of operation you would like to run. Some of the typical options are cow/calf, backgrounding feeder  calves, or feedlot. The cow/calf producer keeps a herd of cows to produce calves. The backgrounder buys weaned calves and turns them out on pastures until they reach 800 to 900 pounds. The feedlot operator purchases weaned calves or backgrounded calves and feeds them to market weight.