How many acres do I need ?

[Healthy Skeptic]

To raise 2 grass fed cows?

 

[jhm47]

From the information you have given---It's impossible to make any kind of an educated guess. We'd need to know what breed, where you're located, what your annual rainfall is, the predominant kind of grass in your pasture, how large you want the cattle to be when harvested, etc. I'd suggest that you talk to an extension agent in your area. Good luck!

 

[Healthy Skeptic]

 

[Latestarter]

Another member recently started a thread asking for the same info... www.backyardherds.com/threads/land-x-cow.32938/
The answer to your question isn't a simple one, sorry. As @jhm47 stated, there's a lot that goes into determining that answer, and normally it's asked in the opposite direction... If you want to keep cows, then you need to determine the carrying capacity of your property to find out how many cows it can feed. It could be anywhere from 5 acres per cow to 25 acres per cow or more.

 

[TAH]

It could be anywhere from 5 acres per cow to 25 acres per cow or more.

It is a acre per cow. I have found lots of farms that doe 2 cows per acre. There is a farm that has 2 goats 2 cows 2 sheep 2 pigs and 50 chickens all on a half acre. He always has fresh pasture for his animals.

 

[Healthy Skeptic]

TAH thanks. I figured 2 Acres would be enough after talking to some farmers but just wanted to doublecheck here.

 

[cjc]

I agree with the above. We raise our cattle grass fed (sort of) we have a ton of rainfall, grass grows quickly. On 10 acres I currently have 9. BUT! There is never enough grass as during the winter the grass dies and during the summer the grass burns up in the hottest month. Right now with our 9 cows we cannot avoid providing round bales to them on 10 acres. I also feed them grain. 1 round bale will last 2-3 days with 9 cows. 6 of those being yearlings.

Our neighbor buys cows that are almost slaughter ready in May and slaughters in early August. With his 5 acres his 3 cows do fine on just grass for those months and the odd bale of hay. We are in BC, Canada which is a very green place and we have yet to ever raise a cow on grass and grass alone.

 

[Latestarter]

It is a acre per cow. I have found lots of farms that doe 2 cows per acre. There is a farm that has 2 goats 2 cows 2 sheep 2 pigs and 50 chickens all on a half acre. He always has fresh pasture for his animals.

Your first statement may be true on your land (with no supplemental feeding???). That doesn't mean it's true 25 miles from you. There are places in the southwest where it takes almost 50 acres per cow... open ranged, with no additional feed provided. You can raise a cow in your garage if you want to provide all feed.

As to the last part of your statement, there is no way that many animals could be raised on 1/2 acre of grass (No house/barn/outbuildings?) without providing virtually all feed required. As for doing so and still having "fresh pasture". Sorry, there's just no way. 1/2 acre is ~102 feet x 200 feet... Just doing paddocks and run-in shelters for those animals would eat up 1/2 that space. If they were let out to feed in that area, it would be a dirt lot in less than a month... probably 2 weeks.

 

[TAH]

Latestarter I hope this explains what I was saying.
There are farmers that raise grass cows for beef only on 1 acre per cow. If they had to do anywhere from 5-50 acres per cow each farmer would only have 5-6 cows. Yes the guy that raises the 2 cows 2 goats 2 sheep 2 pigs and 50 chickens does supplement some feed. He has the pasture in paddocks. The pasture is split into 6 paddocks. He runs the cows goats and sheep thru one, then he puts the chickens to eat all the bugs and spread the manure around, next goes in the the manure form the barn into the pasture then the pigs go in and mix it together, then they spread grass seed and give it a 3 week rest and then the grass is tall and green again. And the the process starts all over again with the next paddocks.

 

[TAH]

Latestarter Here is a website that is helpful.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/home...ing-grass-fed-beef-zmaz80mjzraw.aspx?PageId=1