starting out with mini cattle

[captchris]

hi i am new to this my wife and i rcently moved to our small place on the lake and would like to start a small ranch. chickens are our first start but want to move up to cattle i was looking at the mini cattle is it economical to raise for meat if we dont have much or any pasture

 

[wynedot55]

yes mini cattle can graze on alot less than fullsized cattle.if you dont have that much grass youll have to feed hay year round.how much land do you have.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Yes, mini cattle's feed need is less. Not only how much land do you have but, what are the growing conditions there? Where are you at? The rainfall, soil type, type of grass you have in your pastures, etc. can make a difference.

 

[captchris]

i dont think i have more than 1/2 an acrea i live in northwestern ontario rain fall veries from year to year and it is mostly bushy area

 

[Farmer Kitty]

You're going to need to supplement with hay. The average recommendation is 1 1/2 acres per cow. Having said that, the other conditions I mentioned before come into play. Then there is the fact that bush isn't good pasture. Depending on the bush they may eat it and then you could see about the grasses. Yes, mini cattle eat less but, you just don't have enough land in my opinion.

 

[wynedot55]

he is going to have to feed hay an some grain year round on 1/2 ac.

 

[Imissmygirls]

A goat would be more practical for you.
Having said that, I really don't like goats- but that's just me. Most people love them.

 

[Little Cow]

Hi there! The only concern I have is that you are on a lake. Runoff from various livestock practices could change the lake's ecosystem. Please check with your local agriculture/extension office to determine if you can have cattle that close to the lake and/or how to manage any organic runoff.

Dexters are great! Best of luck to you.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

A good buffer strip would help with the runoff.

 

[wynedot55]

buffer stripps are 30 to 40ft wide.an planted to a good growing grass.an that will usually catch an leech out a good bit of the run off.