Nothing quite compares to ride down for a repast that include bitch raise in your own pasture . Whether you ’re just getting start with kick upstairs cows or you ’ve done it for geezerhood , it ’s always enjoyable when you’re able to provide a deep-freeze full of fresh meat for your family to use in the month to come .
Know What You’re Looking For
Choosing the animal(s ) that you want to raise for meat can be challenging when you first get started . You wo n’t have your own herd to choose from . So you either have to go purchase a calf at a cut-rate sale barn or find somebody locally that you’re able to trust and corrupt it from them .
Some people prefer to set out with a young calf and rear it up . Others might require to get a 300 - 500 pound steer .
According to local rancher ( and my brother - in - law of nature ) , Kordell Krispense , buying bucket calves can be risky . They can be very prone to illness , despite whatever preventions you use .
Read more : checker out these 7 reason to get set about with beef or dairy Bos taurus !
Krispense has elevate many bucketful calf over the years and , while they can be a challenge , they can also supply a nifty experience for shaver to bring with . Although they ’ll have to keep up with the day-to-day eating , there ’s a lot of fun that can be had with some calf .
you could sometimes halter - break tranquil ones ( preparation to walk around while endure / being result with a halter and rope ) . These animals will enjoy playing around with kids while they ’re little . For some people it is worth the risk of illness , as a calf that has been handled from the beginning will generally be calmer and more soft .
This can be specially important to keep in judgement if you have a family or small kids that it will be around .
When it come to the breed of kine you want to raise , be observant to what form are already being raise in your country . There might be a intellect that people keep a absolute majority of just one or two different breeds . Find a local farmer or rancher and see if they have a second to visit with you .
Some people raise Angus cattle for squawk , as their meat is well marbled , making it more desirable . Our house tends to determine it too greasy for our taste . We loosely examine to have Holstein kine quick to butcher around the time our dates at the locker plant come up .
Jersey will raise leaner heart , as well , with a distinctly odoriferous gustatory perception .
Cattle Auctions
Buying cattle from a sale b can be challenging , even for an experienced buyer . The action at a sale b in general moves moderately quickly . Unless you ’ve been out walking through the pens beforehand and bang which group you ’re wait for , you will want to be able to make fair quick decisions when the animals are brought into the cut-rate sale annulus .
Unfortunately , one of the downsides of buy at a Bos taurus auction bridge is that , unless you already know the owner that the Bos taurus are make out from , you have no idea why they ’re being sold . You do n’t have intercourse what the rest of the herd looks like that they ’re coming out of , what they ’ve been exposed to , and so on .
It can be a bit of a gamble .
If you ’re just count to buy a few confidential information to put out on grass it can be one thing . But when bet to empower in a quality beast to finally eat your family , it ’s in force to be a slight more particular .
show more : Keep these 9 affair in mind when considering oxen for your farm .
Buying From an Individual
If you inhabit in any kind of a rural community , it should n’t be too hard to find someone that is selling beef cattle kine .
But folks that live in large cities probably wo n’t be able to put up beef cattle in their backyard . If this is you but you still require some refreshful kernel , look for online groups such as the Facebook groupShop Kansas Farms . Here , hoi polloi number a diverseness of topically - raise product for sale .
you could bribe a quartern of beef , some fresh chicken , eggs and so much more in one of these groups . Plus you get to partner with and support the Fannie Farmer !
As you face for someone to purchase your kine from , visit with mass and listen for any names that pop up over and over again in conversation . stress to discover someone that is honest and has a practiced reputation in business management as well as producing tone oxen .
Picking Out Your Cattle
When you finally go to meet the vender , yield attention to how they portray their beast . Do they come out to be upfront with you about the cows as a whole or are they try out to crowd things under the rug ?
front at the rest of the herd if potential and postulate yourself :
By looking at where your prospective new cattle are fall from , you could get a good idea of what problem you might be dealing with in the future .
While you do n’t take to buy show - caliber animals , search for ones that come along healthy with decent confirmation . If you ’re planning to keep them for for a while , you do n’t need ones that are game or already face poorly .
They should have some breadth between the front shoulders as well as the hindquarters , which will indicate good heftiness development . idealistic cattle should have a straight back ( no humpback ! ) and hooves that are free of snap or any abnormalities .
Hooves can be an indicator of other structural problems that the creature might have to face in the future .
Take your time when picking out your next beef cattle . Do n’t rush into it and be certain you have all of your formulation in position before bringing them home . In the end , you ’ll have not only the rewarding and educational experience of produce cattle but a freezer full of homegrown bitch , too !
