Raising Dairy Cows - Important Factors to Learn Beforehand When You Raise A Cow For Hobby Or Profit

Raising dairy cows is not at all an easy task. Whether you raise a cow on a farm as a hobby or in order to gain more profit, there is a lot of information that you need to learn beforehand. Raising dairy cows does not need as much endeavor as raising other cattle. If you decide on starting a dairy cow farm, then you have to ask yourself a number of questions.

What type of fence and land do you require? Each cow needs a minimum of 1 to 1.5 acres of fine pasture. They would also require a very strong fence in order to hold them in. You may use a barb wire fence of five strands with one string of electric fence in the center. This keeps the cows where you wish for them to be.

Now that you have dealt with this important step in raising cattle especially dairy cow, it is time to begin talking about taking care of the cows. You have to maintain a source of fresh and clean water for the cows. They take in an amount of gallons per day. Thus, if you have plenty of this water, you will require something that can contain an adequate amount. During the summer and spring, the cows graze mainly on the pasture. They may require some kind of supplement in order to go together with it. You may also keep a medicated worming chunk as well as a mineral salt chunk in the pasture.

The winter season is the most difficult time for raising dairy cows. You will require keeping hay at hand for them all the time. You may also provide them with supplement or crushed corn in order to complete their nutrition. You will need to keep the water from icing up. Every cow will take up a minimum of fifteen pounds of hay per day. Thus, you will need plenty of hay. Be ready and purchase it beforehand in the summer season while everyone is slashing it.

It is a huge task to raise cows. Your prize from all the stress comes when you bring your calves to the selling barn and acquire that huge check. Once the dairy farm has been set up, it is important to consider the safety of the dairy cattle. Provide fences and gates which should separate and group the cattle from the other farm animals, since they are given different kinds of feeds.

Raising dairy cows can improve quality of life and provide great satisfaction and responsibility for families. Explore your options and then decide. If you would like more tips on raising cattle, do visit: www.howtoraisecattle.com