What cattle?

Rachel's Hobby Farm

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We are wanting to start a small hobby farm at our new house. I am wanting to raise Highland, Guernsey, and maybe Miniature Panda Cow. We are getting cattle to teach the horses to rope, etc. and for 4H. So, here come the questions... how big of an area do you need for lets say about 10 cows, 1 bull and 9 cows? What do they eat? I also need to know about breeding and raising them. Also, how to pick "show quality" or breeding cattle.


Thank you! :)
 

goodhors

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Have to say I would NOT be roping my registered cattle, quality 4-H animals. This would be especially true with untrained rope horses!

You would be better off teaching roping to horses with mechanical devices, like a dragged bale with a head stuck in it. Maybe an ATV with a head to chase when horse gets better. Using mechanical "cattle" to chase, dragger controls how the device works, speed of run, so you can build confidence in the horse with successes. No uncontrolled calf/steer turning around to run right back at him, get horse tangled in the rope. An accident or wreck with rope, could ruin a nice horse, hurt the rider.

When you are ready to actually rope livestock, you might want to check for local places that offer that, using their cattle.

Around here, the roping cattle/calves are changed out fairly often because the animals get used to being roped. They have weekly evening ropings, weekend competitions, so animals get "trained" fast. Some won't run, some won't hit the end of rope, so problems develop when the cattle don't cooperate. They use Corriente because they have horns on the steers, run pretty well. Owners hope to make up in cattle fees what they lose in meat prices because Corriente's are not big cattle. Running them doesn't put much meat on them either!

I would want a fair amount of acreage for 10 adult cattle, and you need to count the time cows have calves to be fed, then weaned and grazed until sold. If you have horses as well, you need more acres to allow them grazing as well.

Not sure where you are. Here in my location, we have pretty regular rain, pastures grow well, can manage a heavier grazing program, 1-2 to a managed acre. Managed means mowing and fertilizing as needed during the growing season for best grass growth. Other areas you may need a couple acres PER HEAD to keep the animal in good condition. Out West, many places consider it GOOD grazing to have one cow-calf pair on 50 acres! So there you need lots of acreage for a small amount of animals.
 

brentr

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You'll also want to consider separate quarters for your bull so you can manage your breeding schedule, unless you want calves year round. And dairy bulls can be notoriously dangerous once they get mature. If you are going to build some sort of tie stall barn vs. a run-in shed, that would reduce the acreage you'd need (but up your feed cost since they wouldn't be grazing).

I grew up on a dairy farm where we milked Guernseys. Love the breed! Can't say enough good things about them.
 

WildRoseBeef

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Where do you live? That's the first thing I'd like to know before I ever give out any suggestions of how much pasture your animals need.

As for what they eat, that also depends on where you live, because each different area has different species of grasses and legumes (as well as grains) that are available to be fed to your animals. Breed and the stage of reproduction your cows are in are also a large part of how and what you are to feed your animals. Cows typically need 50% more nutrition from the time they calve to 4 to 5 months after parturition. After ~3 months post-partum (which is their peak nutritional period), their nutritional requirements decrease. The lowest point of nutritional need is when they are not lactating and in their second gestation period. When the reach the third gestation, nutrition levels increase.

By nutrition levels I'm referring to the amount of energy and protein they require. But don't forget other just-as-important nutrients like vitamins, water and minerals that are needed 24/7/365. Your animals, including the bull, should have a source of loose mineral available to them at all times. Loose mineral should include selenium (ONLY if your area is selenium deficient!), copper, iron, cobalt, iodine, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, manganese, molybdenum, vitamins K, B, D, and E, and others I may have missed.

(It's almost midnight as I write this, so bear with me.)

As for breeding, gestation period, on average for all cows and heifers is ~285 days. Heifers should be ready to be bred by around 15 months of age, and bulls (if you are planning on keeping one back, which I highly don't recommend because of the implications and really tough selecting you have to do to get your ideal bull for your herd...that's a totally different topic in itself, btw) start being used for breeding by the time they are around 12 months of age. Average breeding and calving season should be around 60 to 80 days (preferably 45 to 60 if you want highly productive animals), and calves are typically weaned at around 5 to 6 months of age. Breeding season should not begin until around 45 days after the end (or is it start? :/ again, late night for me...) of calving season: this is because it gives your cows time to get back into normal cycling and to let the uterus involute (shrink back to normal size prior to conception).

As for picking show-quality animals, I suggest you check out this link:
http://www.wikihow.com/Judge-Conformation-in-Cattle

Great article on what to look for and how to select animals for great conformation.

I wrote a page on here about body condition scoring your cows on here too that you should consider implementing into your breeding program. You can find it here: http://www.backyardherds.com/web/viewblog.php?id=236-bcs-of-cows

Hope that covers most of your questions. :)
 

Rachel's Hobby Farm

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Thank you!:)
What do you breed for to get to Mini panda cow?
 

WildRoseBeef

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Rachel's Hobby Farm said:
Thank you!:)
What do you breed for to get to Mini panda cow?
That I wouldn't know. You would have to talk with a Mini Panda Cattle breeder about that. :)
 

Rachel's Hobby Farm

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brentr said:
You'll also want to consider separate quarters for your bull so you can manage your breeding schedule, unless you want calves year round. And dairy bulls can be notoriously dangerous once they get mature. If you are going to build some sort of tie stall barn vs. a run-in shed, that would reduce the acreage you'd need (but up your feed cost since they wouldn't be grazing).

I grew up on a dairy farm where we milked Guernseys. Love the breed! Can't say enough good things about them.
Yes, he will be by himself. What would be a good "diet" for a small herd of them? I am hoping to get at least 10 acres. :)
 

Rachel's Hobby Farm

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ETA: We are getting Mini Panda Cows! Does anyone on here raise them?
 

goodhors

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Nope, but I just saw a bunch of Panda-eyed full-sized Hereford calves. He had never heard of the miniature Panda type.

The new bull at this farm is really marking his calves. He has the Panda-eye markings and they are cute, but very red of course. More than half the calves in the spring crop have the eye markings and the cattleman was happy about it. Said the marks will help reduce eye problems with darker skin around the eyes, and they are CUTE!
 

herfrds

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All the pigment around the eye will do is keep them from getting skin cancer around their eyes.
Talked with a fellow Hereford breeder about it yesterday. We had a cow get cancer on her eye and she had full pigment around that eye so that blew that rumor all to heck.
 
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