# Newbie on board



## crzychicken (Feb 9, 2009)

Hello  I'm from the sister site BYC. This spring I want to add a cow to my farming adventure So I'm going to need Help!
I want to raise a cow for meat
Where do I get one ?
How much are they?
What kind are best for meat ?
What do they eat mostly? Grain Grass Hay
How much land do they need? 
how much feed do they eat
how long do you keep them for?
what kind of shelter do they need?
:bun

Family of 3, 23 chickens, 1 cat, 1dog,   2 pastures about 10 ac.of field
140 acs. total and I live in Massachusetts and just starting a small farm for my family.
Sorry for all the ques. but I'm very green at this.


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## Farmer Kitty (Feb 10, 2009)

> Where do I get one ?


Try a livestock auction barn, local farmers, watch the newspaper. 



> How much are they?


Varies by area of the country. Here they are bringing 20-80 dollars for 2-7 day old calves. I just heard that in California they are bringing 2 dollars. 



> What kind are best for meat ?


There are a variety of beef breeds (see the index in my sig there's a breed page) but, a cross breed in either dairy or beef will do well and will probably be cheaper to buy.



> What do they eat mostly? Grain Grass Hay


You have it correct.



> How much land do they need?


It depends on the quality of your pasture and how it grows but general rule of thumb is 1 to 1 1/2 acres.




> how long do you keep them for?


Varies but, generally a well fed animal is ready to butcher in roughly a year.



> what kind of shelter do they need?


Something to get in out of the weather where it's dry and draft free.

Ask all the questions you need. That is why we are here.


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## m.holloway (Feb 10, 2009)

hay, cazychicken. welcome to the herd. you have come to the right place. this group will help you in any way they can. i'm new too in the cow stuff, and always  have question. i have 2 but they are pets. if i ever get them to bred i will make that one for the food chain if it's a bull. mine are a 1yr and 4 month. they are in 4h and just being shown for showship for my grandson and my girlfreind son. i have 2 hens and 1 rooster. also member of chicken land. i have 5 acres oh i do plan to get 12 more hens at the end of feb. and have a garden. try to live of the land stuff. anyway this group has help me alot with my cows!!!!!!you'll love them!!!


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## wynedot55 (Feb 10, 2009)

crzychicken said:
			
		

> Hello  I'm from the sister site BYC. This spring I want to add a cow to my farming adventure So I'm going to need Help!
> I want to raise a cow for meat
> Where do I get one ?
> How much are they?
> ...


1.you can look in your local paper.you can also ask at the feedstores.an you can go to the sale barn.
2.price depends on if they sale by the head or pound.you want a 300lb calf thats on feed.
3 hereford angus or crossbreed.
4.they eat grain an grass in the summer.an grain an hay in winter.
5.you can raise 2 steers on 3 or 4acs.
6.they eat 1.5 to 2% of their bw.so a 300lb would eat 4 to 6lbs of feed a day or more.an 10 to 15lbs of hay a day in winter.
7.you keep them till you think they weigh 1000 to 1200lbs.so a 300lb calf needs tobe on feed 8 to 12 months.
8.they can stay in a shed or a barn if they have access to 1.


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## WildRoseBeef (Feb 11, 2009)

crzychicken said:
			
		

> Hello  I'm from the sister site BYC. This spring I want to add a cow to my farming adventure So I'm going to need Help!
> I want to raise a cow for meat
> 1. Where do I get one ?
> 2. How much are they?
> ...


1. You'd want to get more than one since they are herd animls. Like WD and kitty said, the local salebarn or newspaper would be one of the best places to buy one.  Be ware, though, if you're going to go through the sale barn barn to have a friend along with you that knows what to look for in cattle bought through the salebarn so that you don't end up with a sick or crazy animal.

2. Your prices are different there than they are elsewhere in the country.  Look up on the web prices for cattle in Massachusetts; a google search would suffice.

3. Crossbred steers are the best for meat over straight-bred: for instance, a Hereford-Angus cross steer, or a Simmental-Angus cross steer, for example, will give you good beef. 

4.  You've got it right.  Make sure they've got access to good quality hay, somewhat like horse-hay but it can be a bit coarser than horse-hay; a legume-grass mix hay is the best.  The same can be said for your pastures, a legume-grass mix pasture will give you some good gains on your cattle.  But don't feed so much grain that they get too fat too quick.  At a young age (as weanlings) they should be fed to grow, not to get fat.  It is at the last stage, when they get 1000 lbs should you boost up the amount of grain to be fed before they are slaughtered.

5. Talk to your local extension agent to get proper stocking rates for your pastures.  It almost sounds like you have a couple fair-size pastures to raise a couple steers on...

6. They will eat around 2% of their body weight per day, which is, for a 550 lb steer, 11 lbs per day.  They will eat more than that in grass though, I would think about double that amount.  In their grower phase, they should only be fed grain a third of a five-gallon pail a day, then half a 5-gal. when they reach appr. 800 lbs, then a 3/4 5-gal. when they're +1000 lbs.   During winter, straw is important to have out for them to keep them warm; cattle gain and feel better and will be your friends when they've got a warm place to sleep every night.

7. If you purchase 550 lb or 600 lb steers (would rather do this than getting 300 lb steers IMHO because of less risk of sickness) when they're 6 months old, I would keep them for 14 months.  When my folks and I raised stockers, we kept them for about 12 months, then sold them to the feedlot.  At 12 months on the farm (at which they were 18 months old at the time and approximately averaging 1000 lbs) they already showed good muscling and readiness to be put on the finisher diet before slaughter. 

8. A shed will do them good, or a shelter-belt of trees. If you got trees out in the pasture and its stormy out, they'll be where the trees are sheltering them against the wind and weather.


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## Imissmygirls (Feb 12, 2009)

Lots of good advice already given here...but I'd be careful if it's your first bovine and you start looking at 300-600 pounds. Yes, there is less likely sickness but are you ready to handle a LARGE animal? Remember a newborn bovine is already the size of a LARGE dog!  Do you have a secure fence around that pasture? Do you have a secure spot to confine it if/when it becomes necessary?  300-600 pound steers ( and if you want a beefer, you want a steer, not a bull) that haven't been ever tied or confined is not going to cooperate easily!!
Personally, I'd go for a baby or two and make sure they are tamed well as they grow. Make sure to name them Mr Beef and Hamburgler so you don't forget why you have them.
If you have solid fence/confinement, then go for the big ones!  With 10 acres of pasture you could pasture as many as 5-7 yearlings for the summer, then butcher your choice and sell the rest for finishing in the fall. It's a good excuse to visit the local auction house and see how it's run.
Try finding a local mentor. You are going to need one sooner or later.


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## WildRoseBeef (Feb 12, 2009)

Imissmygirls said:
			
		

> Lots of good advice already given here...but I'd be careful if it's your first bovine and you start looking at 300-600 pounds. Yes, there is less likely sickness but are you ready to handle a LARGE animal? Remember a newborn bovine is already the size of a LARGE dog!  Do you have a secure fence around that pasture? Do you have a secure spot to confine it if/when it becomes necessary?  300-600 pound steers ( and if you want a beefer, you want a steer, not a bull) that haven't been ever tied or confined is not going to cooperate easily!!
> Personally, I'd go for a baby or two and make sure they are tamed well as they grow. Make sure to name them Mr Beef and Hamburgler so you don't forget why you have them.
> If you have solid fence/confinement, then go for the big ones!  With 10 acres of pasture you could pasture as many as 5-7 yearlings for the summer, then butcher your choice and sell the rest for finishing in the fall. It's a good excuse to visit the local auction house and see how it's run.
> Try finding a local mentor. You are going to need one sooner or later.


Good points. A solid holding corral is important too when they first come home so they settle down a bit before going out to pasture.  A waterer is also important to have because they need a good water source 24/7/365.  So is something as simple as a head-gate adjoining to the holding corral in case some ill steer needs to be treated.


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## crzychicken (Feb 12, 2009)

Lots of great advice and believe me I need it we have an old barn with the wooden stands in it some of the fenceing is still up from when my grandparents farmed over 60 years ago but I will need to patch things up, their is also a small pond. Do baby cows need shots ? my neighbor says she likes Jersey because they are small and they don't give alot of milk or need alot of grain and the meat is tender and taste good but you don't get alot of meat she said about 250lbs or so she just breed one with a not sure what you all call them but we call them oreo cookie cow whick I know is completly wrong I think it a belted somthing like galloway maybe? 
Thanks for the advice and keep it coming I'm real green on the cow thing I'm about to jump into.


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## WildRoseBeef (Feb 12, 2009)

Calves need would need their shots if they haven't gotten them already and/or if they've been transported from a fair distance.

I personally don't care for Jerseys for meat because they take more care and pampering than a beef calf especially if they're young.  But that's just my personal opinion.

Yes, it would be Belted Galloway...there's also a breed called Dutch Belted which are a rarer breed of dual-purpose cattle.

I would definately start looking for a mentor if you want to get some cattle, even if its just for your own freezer.


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## Farmer Kitty (Feb 13, 2009)

What vaccines are you looking at? We vaccinate for scours and pneumonia for all the calves. There's a bangs (sp?) vaccine too for calves that will be for milking. Some areas require it and others are voluntary. There is a whole range of vaccines and depending on your situtation to what you may or may not need.


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## Imissmygirls (Feb 13, 2009)

I wouldn't bother raising a jersey for beef even if I got him for free ( we'd ship the bull calves. Just isn't worth it.) On the other hand, I am told that a jersey/Angus cross is the tenderest, best meat available. I don't know that from experience, tho. We didn't have the luxury of lots of cows so that we could spare one to breed beef.
I would look for a holstein/beef cross at the local auction house.
Friends have Milking Shorthorns and they do well for a dual-purpose breed.
Are you planning on milking one someday?


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## kstaven (Feb 14, 2009)

We butchered 2 jersey angus crosses last year and the meat is excellent!


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