# cost to raise cattle?



## watchdogps (Aug 15, 2011)

I was wondering if anyone could give me some rough estimates of how much it would cost to raise a single cow? Actually, since I know there will be a difference, how much would it cost to raise a single meat breed to slaughter? How much would it cost to maintain a dairy cow for a year? I don't want start up or purchase included, more trying to get a feel for the costs involved over time. I am in Ohio and they would be primarily grass fed.


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## freemotion (Aug 15, 2011)

It really depends on a number of factors....how much pasture you have and the quality of the pasture, if it is divided into paddocks that you can rotate, how much hay you will need to purchase and the quality and price, whether it is a drought year or a very wet year, etc.

I really want a cow but won't be getting one since I only have two acres of pasture and the quality isn't so great.  I have to buy hay for more than half the year, and live in a major horse area....so hay is expensive due to demand.

When I was a kid our dairy cow ate a bale a day in the winter.  The bales were smallish.  We paid 45 cents a bale off the field.....imagine that!

If you can buy grain directly from the farmer, whole, and get a grinder you can shave off a lot of cost that way, too.


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## theawesomefowl (Aug 15, 2011)

I REALLY want cattle too...but I'm afraid with would be too expensive. My pasture is a clover-y lawn and a recently bushogged weed patch (why I picked sheep and a goat), and hay for me could be anywhere from 2.00 to 3.50 (for richer hay) per bale.....d'you guys think it would be worth it  financially for me to raise a beef calf? I'd get a weaned one, feed it hay and a bit of grain the first winter, then it could eat grass all the next spring, summer and winter.


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## redtailgal (Aug 15, 2011)

.


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## watchdogps (Aug 16, 2011)

Well, I feel confident that pasture will not be a problem. We may have the opportunity to use our nieghbors land, and they had 20 head on it until recently. They retired and sold theirs but said we may use the land and barns in exchange for maintaining them.


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Aug 16, 2011)

watchdogps said:
			
		

> Well, I feel confident that pasture will not be a problem. We may have the opportunity to use our nieghbors land, and they had 20 head on it until recently. They retired and sold theirs but said we may use the land and barns in exchange for maintaining them.


That sounds like an awesome deal if you have a good relationship with your neighbors.  For us personally, having cows isn't really "cost effective".  We figured the first one that went into the freezer cost about the same as if we would have purchased meat at the store.  The difference is, you know where the meat is coming from, you know what went into it and you can cut it or have it cut your way!  I would be no help in telling you what the cost would be for you.  Totally different region, totally different set up.  But I can tell you that if I had a neighbor that was going to let me use his fields and barn.  I would be at least trying it out for a year to see if it works for you and then go from there.  Keep us in the loop - it's exciting stuff!


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