The demand for grass-fed beef continues to grow as both restaurants and end consumers are putting much more consideration into the source of their beef. It’s also an environmentally responsible approach that leads to a healthier ecological balance. For some, it’s a return to our origins as domesticators of animals for food. And this is great news for smaller to mid-size cattle farmers who have the right setup for raising grass-fed cattle. There are many different considerations to ponder when thinking about setting up a grass-fed operation. The rewards for doing it right are many as you can ultimately build upon the naturally efficient cycles between cattle and pasture.

There are many resources available both online and offline to answer the many questions you might have about how to get started in the business of building and maintaining a grass-fed beed operation. Here, we’ll take a quick look at two popular books on the subject, both of which are available from Amazon.com. These two books answer a lot of questions that both beginning and expert cattle farmers might have about the right approach to take.

Grass-Fed Cattle: How to Produce and Market Natural Beef

In this book by Juliues Ruechel, you’ll learn nearly everything you need to know about setting up and running a grass-fed beef business. It comes complete with 384 pages of detailed content. It provides solid background on why grass-fed works, starting with a detailed explanation of the cow’s digestive system and then quickly moves into the fundamentals of starting and sustaining a business around raising and selling grass-fed cattle. It is primarily geared towards small to mid-size operations. Several of the concepts and ideas outlined might not apply to large businesses. Regardless, it’s a solid read for anyone starting out in the business or contemplating a switch to grass-fed and organic beef production. It has a solid 5/5 rating from over 20 reviewers on Amazon.com.

The Complete Guide to Grass-Fed Cattle

Subtitled, How to Raise Your Cattle on Natural Grass for Fun and Profit, this book is more recent than the previous title. This book provides solid detail on exactly what and how to feed your cattle to achieve the optimum results for both beef and milk production. The book is aimed primarily at small operations looking to make a switch to grass-fed for both the short- and long-term economic benefits. It covers the basics and also goes into details such as food sources, soil testing, and proper cattle housing. The book includes several interviews with leading cattle farmers and other experts in the field. Although not as popular as the Ruechel book, it is well-reviewed on Amazon and offers quite a bit of detail on the process.

Beef cattle farming is not as complicated as you may think provided you have access to right kind of resources. Many of today’s top beef cattle farmers have been at it since years, and have perfected the art of marking money in this business. Actually, the traditional practices of cattle farming have been handed down successfully from one generation to the next since centuries.

Basic requirements for beef cattle farming

Beef cattle farming takes lots of resources. One of the most basic requirements for this farming is the cattle breed as your profitability depends on it. Secondly, you will have to consider the area where you will position your cattle. This area should be wide enough for your animals to graze and the consistent supply of food.

It is not possible for you to confine your cattle to barn all the time as they need a wide area for moving around. Just an acre or two would suffice and you can also have a good pasture in it. There is no need to have a big barn right in the beginning, as you just need a place for your beef cattle to settle.

You must ensure that area is properly fenced and is strong enough for holding your cattle. It is great if you can plant few trees on your pasture for some shade.

Breed

The process of choosing the perfect cattle breed is more challenging. You will have to consider many things when choosing your breed. You would want to have top quality beef to earn more profits, and you will have to consider its marketability aspects too.

If you want to become profitable, you will have to look at just that. With hundreds o breeds, you may want to start with small group of cows and a top quality bull, and once you get a hand of it, you can add even more.

Cattle health

You must ensure that cattle that you are raising is strong and healthy as your profits depend on them. The more you care for your cattle by providing them with proper feed, the better and healthier they would grow. Once they grow to the correct size, your buyers would know that they are buying the best beef stock and would pay the price you want.
You should ensure that your cattle do not fall sick as any epidemic could wipe out the whole herd and may leave you in financial mess. So, get your cattle checked and vaccinated on regular basis as they will grow strong and healthy. You will be able to sell that at hefty price at the auctions.

Adequate food and water

Aside from ensuring adequate food supply for your cattle, you will also have to ensure sufficient supply of clean water. A single cattle needs about twelve gallons of water every day. You may have to buy cattle trough or make a pond in your farm. In any case, it is important for you to maintain cleanliness of water.

Beef cattle farming is definitely enjoyable, but you should be aware of the work that goes into starting your own beef cattle farm. Therefore, make sure that you know of not only the benefits of beef cattle farming, but also the possible challenges that may come your way. This will not only ensure you long term success, but will also skyrocket your profits from this lucrative business.

Just finished reading a book called, The Farming Game. The author makes a good case about how we can return to our roots and go back to the land. Better yet, there’s actually a way to make money doing it. That’s welcome news to anyone who’s struggling through the process of making ends meet in the farming or ranching business. This book is a little more geared to crops than cattle, but a good read nonetheless. Check it out here:

The Farming Game