3 Tips on Feeding Cattle

One of the secrets to raising quality livestock is to ensure that you are feeding your animals appropriately. It’s not as simple as you would think; and it’s definitely not as easy as just giving your cattle hay and grain. If you want good livestock that you can sell for a hefty profit, you have to abide by a few things.

Tips for the Newbie Rancher

There’s a stark difference between owning a ranch and running one, which is not unlike owning a car and actually knowing how to drive and maintain it. For those who are new to the ranching business and considering purchasing ranch land in Colorado, here are a few tips.

How to Get Good at Ranch Work

Ranching is one of America’s best-loved traditions. Working at a ranch is sure to conjure up images of the Wild West, grazing cattle, pastures, and cowboys. Despite these pleasurable images, make no mistake: ranch work involves many duties, is physically demanding, and requires long hours. If you think you’re up to the task, then here are some suggestions on how to get good at ranch work:

Tips for Starting a Cattle Ranch

Cattle ranches typically raise livestock for beef production. Some ranches though, focus on cow calf enterprises. Usually, cattle ranches sell calves when they are 6 months old and weigh around 500 pounds. Some ranches are stocker or feeder enterprises which purchase calves and grow them until they reach 700 to 900 pounds. A market beef operation, meanwhile, feeds and grows a stocker or feeder cattle to a market weight of around 1,200 pounds.

Tips on Breeding Cattle for Beginner Ranchers

It is no secret that purchasing ranch property is a great investment, especially with the way the US beef industry has been performing recently. In order to keep a cattle ranch profitable, sustainable cattle development through proper breeding techniques is important. As such, here are a few breeding tips for Oregon ranchers who would be taking their first few steps towards a profitable business.

US Beef Industry Keeps Growing

When it comes to beef, only a few other types can compete with the appeal of top quality beef produced in the United States. In support of that claim, the US beef industry exported $5.51 billion on 1.13 million metric tons of beef to other countries, with Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea as the top US beef export markets. While these are already staggering amounts, analysts have claimed that the 2012 figures exceed 2011’s annuals by 2%; and 2013 is projected to see an increase as well.