Cows! Cows! I want some cows!

[TheCluckyClucker]

@Baymule Are you also on BYC?

 

[Baymule]

@Baymule Are you also on BYC?

I started years ago on BYC, then came over to BYH, TEG and SS.

 

[Jennbramlett]

What if I wanted to raise one cow for meat.
How many acres would I need

 

[Alaskan]

What if I wanted to raise one cow for meat.
How many acres would I need

Depend where you are in the world.

Some areas are 40 acres for a single cow... some are 3.

 

[Jennbramlett]

Depend where you are in the world.

Some areas are 40 acres for a single cow... some are 3.

South GA
I have 2.5 acres fenced in for 5 goats, and some chickens
Thought about buying a calve to raise for slaughter

 

[Alaskan]

South GA
I have 2.5 acres fenced in for 5 goats, and some chickens
Thought about buying a calve to raise for slaughter

I have no idea how pasture is in south Georgia, but I would guess loads of parasites in all that heat and wet.

I would suggest you find your local extension agent and ask them to look up your property on the soils map, and tell you the carrying capacity of your land.

The local extension agent should have lots of free info. Some times they will even make free house calls where they walk your land, te you want plants you have, and help you figure out a management plan.

 

[farmerjan]

If you already have 5 goats on that property, you will not be able to feed an animal for butcher also. We figure about 5-6 head sheep equals 1 head of cattle. Goats will eat some stuff the cow won't eat, but between both of them 2.5 acres won't feed both. If you are supplementing with hay then you ought to be fine. Here in Va we figure 2-3 acres per cow during the grazing season... May through Oct... for just grass/grazing. Sometimes we get by with April through Nov if we have had a decent amount of rain. This year it was dry early and pastures were not great, but then we got rain later in Aug/Sept and we still have some grazing at 2 pastures. They will be coming home in another 2 weeks. I don't know your growing season, and what types of grass.... I think you get more rain than us on average, and your growing season starts sooner, but you get alot hotter in the summer and so some of your grasses will stop growing... and if you have hot weather grasses, they won't grow until the weather gets alot warmer than Mar/Apr..... I think raising one steer for meat is a great idea, but you will want to be able to maybe rotate it so it will have more growing grass... like allowing 1/2 acre or so at a time..... and the grass in the other sections can regrow... it would be wise to do that with the goats too as it helps to keep the parasite load lower.

I totally agree with what @Alaskan said about contacting the local extension agency for your county or area. They will have the knowledge to tell you who/what/where/ and when about the carrying capacity of your particular place.