Beef Cattle Farming: A Complete Guide to Success

Did you know cattle farmers possess around 10.59 hectares of land on average?

Most of the farmers are around 50 to 52 years old with approximately 7 to 8 family members. Each farmer has 18 to 20 cattle per herd. Isn’t that great?

Well, beef cattle farming is one of the most profitable agricultural aspects throughout the world. Cattle farming is not just culturally important, but also, provides food security, and earning opportunities. The manure works as an excellent organic fertilizer and results in carbon sequestration. 

Let’s have a quick introduction to beef cattle farming before we move ahead with the processes, requirements, and advantages. We will discuss whether you should start cattle farming or not & how you can get started with setting up the business. 

What is Beef Cattle Farming?

It is the raising process of cattle for meat consumption. It is a highly profitable farming endeavor. If you can practice sustainable farming practices, it can create a lot of employment opportunities in the locality. Not just the meat, with this farming process, you can also earn more by selling manure and other cattle-derived products. 

Overview of The Beef Production Cycle 

The process of beef cattle farming involves a lot of different stages. 

1. The first stage is Breeding. It is the production of muscular cattle breeds ideal for meat consumption.
2. The second stage involves the Rearing of the cattle. Farmers supply their feed, ensure water access, and take part in farm management.  
3. The Growing stage is the period when the cattle start to grow.
4. The Finishing stage is also known as the fattening stage. In this period, the cattle feed on nutritious grains to gain some weight.
5. The last stage is slaughtering. The abattoir employees or the slaughterhouse workers slaughter them and sell their meat to the market.  

3 Lifecycles of The Beef Cattle

The production of beef cattle is categorized into 3 cycles. Let’s have a look at the different cycles of beef cattle farming. 

Cow-Calf Stage

In this stage, the cow gives birth to a bull calf or a female, called a heifer. After six to nine months, the calves can feed on other stuff apart from their mother’s milk. They weigh around 2 to 3 kg. At this period, they usually graze on pasture or grasslands. Farmers raise the bull calves for either meat production or future breeding. 

Backgrounding

This stage of beef cattle farming comes after the weaning journey comes to an end. Farmers send the cattle to stockers or backgrounders. In this period, the cattle feed on grasses continuously. Also, they consume vitamin & mineral supplements. This is the right time for them to get maximum nutrition.

Feedlot Operation

This stage is crucial for additional weight gain so that they can supply enough meat to the market. Farmers usually send them to feed yards or farms. There the cattle can feed on grains, renewable feed sources like grasses, and roughage for the next 4 to 6 months. 

They start to weigh around 544 to 589 kgs in just 14-15 months. After that, the farmers send them to the packing plant where the experts perform the quality checks. The slaughterhouse workers slaughter them and transport their meat to the retail owners and restaurants. 

3 Stages of Beef Cattle Farming

Now comes the real question.

Have you ever wondered how the cattle farming industry works? What are the processes involved? Here we will have a detailed discussion so that you know how the entire system works. 

Calving & Breeding

The farm owners use selective breeds for farming. A diseased cattle can only provide leaner meat & it does not meet the market demands. They often purchase dual-purpose breeds to provide the market with milk and meat. 

The cattle mate naturally in most cases of beef cattle farming. Farmers release a bull into a herd and after 55 days, they can confirm the calving. At first calving, cows generally take 10 more days to re-breed. However, artificial insemination is a great alternative to this. Usually, calving takes place in summer.   

Cattle Maintenance

Maintaining the health of the cattle is crucial for the farmers. They grow rapidly in a low-stress environment. The cattle can avoid multiple health issues with a timely supply of proper medication, nourishment, humane handling, comfort, and safety.

They consume around 1.4 to 4% of their own body weights daily. Farmers should offer quality feed like fresh grasses, nutrient-rich grains, silage, haylage, corn, etc. A 453 kg cattle will drink around 41 liters to 82 liters of water daily depending on the temperature. Farmers should protect them from excessive heat and monitor their health conditions to avoid severe diseases. 

Cattle Processing

This is the process before marketing the meat. The cattle can feed on nothing prior to 12 to 24 hours of slaughtering. However, they can sip on water. The slaughtering process can be divided into three steps. The first step involves limiting stress experienced by the cattle as it might lead to adverse meat quality. 

To stun the cattle, the butches use captive bolt pistols, non-penetrating bolts, or gunshots. It ensures that the cattle do not feel any pain during the slaughtering. 

During the slaughtering stage of beef cattle farming, the butchers hang the cattle by the back leg once they slit the throat. They also remove the hide and break the carcass down after removing the head from the body. They store the meat in the cooler for the next 1 or 2 days before cutting it further into pieces. 

How Does The After Process of Beef Cattle Farming Work?

A 450 kg cattle will weigh around 280 kg when the abattoir workers remove the feet, head, skin, offal, guts, and blood. To dry the water from the meat, they hand the carcass in a cold room for the next 1 to 4 weeks. 

The butcher then debones the meat and it weighs around 200 kg. The cuts with more fat within muscles will determine the price. 

Choosing The Right Breeds for Beef Cattle Farming

Key Factors to Consider for Breed Selection 

1. If you experience extreme climate changes, you need to select breeds that can sustain the environment. 
2. Also, market demand plays a crucial role in selecting the right breed. 
3. Make sure you can provide them with quality feed whenever needed.  

Selecting The Best Cattle Breed

There are two types of breeds for beef cattle farming. The size of the maternal breeds is moderate and they can give birth to healthy calves. The terminal breeds are larger in size and they only provide meat. Farmers often invest in composite breeds, a mixture of maternal & terminal breeds. 

Top Beef Cattle Breeds to Note

Some of the best maternal breeds include Angus, Shorthorn, Hereford, & Red Angus. Some of the popular terminal cattle breeds are Gelbvieh, Simmental, Limousin, Maine Anjou, & Charolais. A few popular composite breeds include Maintainer, Limflex, Braford, SimAngus, & Beefmaster.

Some popular dual-purpose breeds include Zebu from India and Fleckvieh from Switzerland. Some other continental breeds include Adaptaur and Brangus from Australia, Afrikaner cattle from South Africa, Alentejana from Portugal, and Ankole from Uganda. 

How Does Breed Choice Impact Beef Cattle Farming Productivity & Profitability?

Selecting the right cattle breed is crucial because it might impact the productivity rate and profitability. Investing in cows with high fertility, maternal ability, and growth rate will be beneficial for the business. Also, the cattle born will be healthy and it will gain weight easily. The more your cattle will weigh, the more profit you will get. 

Setting Up Your Beef Cattle Farm 

Land Requirements and Infrastructure Needs

Depending on the scale of beef cattle farming, your land size may vary. If you are planning to start farming in small scale, investing in 5 to 10 acres of land is good enough. It can accomodate around 20 to 50 cows. 

If you want to start your business on a medium scale, you can invest in 20 to 40 acres of land. It is usually enough for raising 100 to 200 cows. 

However, if you want a large-scale business, you might need to invest in 100 acres of land. It is ideal for extensive farming. 

Tips for Designing Pastures, Fencing, and Shelter 

Designing Pasture The Right Way

Having access to large pastures is important for the cattle in beef cattle farming. They will collect the essential nutrients mainly from there. Designing pasture the right way can make grazing easier and more comfortable for them.

The length of the pasture should be less than 4 times the width. Square pasture lands require less fencing. The square shape also helps the cattle to graze in an organized way. There should not be any long and narrow enclosures so that they can roam around freely.

The Right Fencing System

For fencing, barbed wire is the best choice. The wire is cheaper than other fencing materials. It is widely available. Also, it protects the cattle from scattering away. You can also use woven and high-tensile wire for a more strong fencing system. 

The Importance of Well-Planned Shelters

The farmers should clean the sheds of the cattle shelters regularly. Maintaining proper hygiene is highly crucial for their healthy growth. Regular brushing is also important to remove the bugs and dirt particles from their bodies. 

There should be a proper ventilation system to avoid suffocation. The roof should be made of materials that are heat resistant. It should protect the cattle from excessive rain and cold. Also, a proper drainage system is essential inside the shelter to dispose of the manure in beef cattle farming.

Cost Considerations for Starting A Beef Cattle Farm

It will be good for you if you can draft a rough budget of the total investment cost. The initial construction of the farm can cost you around INR 5 to 10 Lakhs. In India, the best breed of cow like Sahiwal will cost you around INR 60K to 75K. 

Depending on the scale of businesses, your investment amount to purchase the livestock might vary. If you want to start a small-scale business, you can invest in 10 cows that will cost you around INR 6 to 7.5 Lakhs. If you want to start medium-scale businesses, the cost will be around INR 60 to 75 Lakhs. The more cows you will invest in, the more it will cost you. 

4 Essential Requirements for Beef Cattle Farming

Water

Access to clean water is essential for feed consumption. Poor water quality or lack of water might affect the healthy feed intake. Producers can provide the livestock with water in buckets and troughs. 

Also, they can arrange automatic watering systems. Automatic frost-free systems are beneficial for pastures. Permanent springs can also provide the livestock with a clean water supply throughout the year. 

Feeders

Feeders help the cattle to consume the feed properly without spilling it on the ground. Preventing them from eating off the ground can help in avoiding parasite infections. 

There are feeders available of all sizes and styles. Depending on the size, the farmers can serve both grain or hay in a feeder. They need to ensure that every animal can feed from the feeders at specific times. If they can not have a watch on it, the best way is to use smaller feeders. 

Walkthrough feeders will help producers walk down through the middle. They can serve the grains in troughs on both sides or one side. In the central walking area, they can place the hays. However, they should avoid walking through the middle with manure-contaminated footwear. Using the inverted cone-style feeder can reduce feed wastage in beef cattle farming. 

Pasture

Pasture height should be maintained properly for the maximum forage utilization. After 4 to 5 days of grazing, when the height of forages is reduced to 4 inches, farmers move the cattle to a new place. 

Rotational grazing helps in better nutrient absorption and forage damage. The producers should install high-tensile fencing with electrified wires. For easy water access, they can install an underground system. Sometimes, they need to warm up the water with electricity in the colder months. 

Healthcare

A routine healthcare system is crucial for disease prevention in beef cattle farming. The producers need to invest in tagging for identification, dehorning, vaccinating, hoof trimming, and deworming. They need different types of equipment to perform these activities like tags, tagging pliers, needles, syringes, etc. 

Also, they might need electric de-horners, drench guns, etc. To monitor their weight, the producers need a weighing scale. It is also useful in measuring the correct dosage of medicines. Handling systems like simple scales can help the farmers to handle the cattle efficiently. 

3 Major Cattle Health Issues to Take Care of in Beef Cattle Farming

Cattle Health and Disease Management

Cattes are prone to viral diseases. Ensuring proper health management is a crucial step in farming beef cattle. The farmers should immediately isolate the infected animals. They should give the rest of the cattle anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics for further disease prevention. 

Common Health Issues in Beef Cattle

Beef cattle might suffer from internal or external parasite infections. However, these are easy to cure. The producers need to inject broad-spectrum antiparasite medications. Internal parasites like worms & coccidia, and external parasites like flies, lice, and ticks can might affect the health of the cattle. The farmers need to consult the veterinarians for prevention & cure. 

Abortion diseases sometimes affect the reproductive performance of cows. Anaplasmosis results in severe anemia of the cows. They can also suffer from bloodborne diseases or Sexually Transmitted Diseases like trichomoniasis & chlamydia. 

Proper vaccination can prevent diseases like Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis & Bovine Viral Diarrhea. Also, purchasing cows and bulls from reputed farms can help you avoid venereal diseases. 

Cattle in beef cattle farming might also suffer from a highly contagious disease like hairy heel wart or digital dermatitis. It might cause lameness. Hoof trimming can be a solution to this and veterinaries might prescribe some antibiotics to cure this. Issues like cracked or curved hooves can be cured by providing the cattle with a mineral-rich diet. 

Vaccination & Deworming Schedules

The producers and the farmers should pay proper attention to vaccination & deworming on time. They should give vaccines for Foot & Mouth Disease to cattle of 4 months and above. Between 4 and 8 months of age, they should give vaccines to female calves for Brucellosis. Vaccines for Haemorrhagic Septicaemia & Black Quarter are essential for cattle of 6 months & above. Also, 

A Brief Guide to Intensive Vs. Extensive Beef Cattle Farming

Intensive farming requires smaller areas. However, it demands huge capital investment, labor, equipment & inputs for increased production. The farmers use the latest technologies for artificial insemination & genetic manipulation. They also compromise on maintaining animal welfare in this case. 

Extensive farming takes place on larger lands. The farmers mostly use organic feed and the cattle grow in the natural environment. It requires less human labor, and less capital, and involves less use of modernized techniques. 

5 Advantages of Beef Cattle Farming

Food Security

Beef cattle provide the markets with the essential meat supply. It ensures food security and is considered a good source of protein & nutrients. 

Employment

Farming of beef cattle is incomplete without human intervention. It involves human labor at different stages. Farming the livestock for meat production can create multiple employment opportunities and the local people can start earning. 

Fertilizer

The manure of the cattle works as an excellent organic fertilizer. The crop farmers can easily access the manure for increased crop production. Thus beef cattle farming can also be beneficial for other agro-businesses. 

Land Management

The grazing of cattle keeps the forages and pasture in shape. They return around 85% of the consumed nutrients back to the grassland. It helps in nutrient cycling and benefits the entire ecosystem. They also feed on weeds; thus aiding in natural weed control. 

Preventing Soil Erosion

Cattle farming can reduce the surface run-off amount, especially in hilly areas. It helps in preventing soil erosion. 

3 Environmental Impacts of Beef Cattle Farming

Waste 

Disposing of the waste produced by cattle or the carcass is crucial. Otherwise, it can contaminate water and air causing pollution. 

Climate Change

Cattle feed on large pasture lands. Continuous grazing on the same land might cause damage to the forage. Also, it might lead to loss of pasture lands resulting in an imbalance in the ecosystem. 

Damage to Resources

Beef cattle consume large amounts of feed most of which are grasses, hays, grains, etc. Also, they consume large amounts of water. Overuse of the non-renewable natural resources might cause permanent damage to the environment. 

Be Successful in Beef Cattle Farming with The Technological Advancements

Managing the cattle herd is now easier with the latest technologies. Producers can make the cows wear two-sided collars that come with a GPS tracking system. Cows generally get used to this within 5 days. Once a cow goes beyond the invisible fence determined by the GPS coordinates, the collar will guide her back through stimulation. 

Also, the software-integrated feeders can help you track the record of cattle feeding. Advanced water monitoring devices will help you to track the stocking of water tanks so that you can measure the average drinking ability of the cattle. Ear tag monitoring has revolutionized the way of tracking cattle health & performance through collecting their footsteps via GPS. 

Marketing and Selling Beef Cattle Globally

The global market has a high demand for quality beef. To earn the highest marginal profit from beef cattle farming, you need to consider a few things. The live auction market can help you get the best price for your cattle.  Having a good market alliance, private treaties, and graded sales can help you sell your cattle at the best price. 

Also, take part in video & internet auctions to sell your cattle online at profitable prices. Retained ownership will let you capture the genetic potential of the cattle entirely. It can earn you value-added profits. 

Frequently Asked Questions: