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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Fachliteratur
- Sprache: Englisch
The tools you need to raise and care for beef cattle Beef cattle farming is a business that continues to grow in the United States and around the world, and it will only grow larger as the demand for beef continues to increase. Raising Beef Cattle For Dummies provides you with an introduction to all aspects of raising beef cattle. Packed with expert tips from experienced farmers, it gives any level of cattle-raiser the tools needed to increase the quantity and quality of your farm's output and maintain a healthy herd. Raising Beef Cattle For Dummies is the go-to resource for aspiring cattle farmers. With important information on health, handling, and breeding, and detailed coverage of equipment and supplies, it is teeming with useful information that anyone interested in raising cattle should have. * Advice on which beef cattle breeds to rear * The prevention and treatment of common diseases * Caring for pregnant heifers and calving procedures * Dietary specifications dependent on breed * Guidance on humane management * Creating an open and safe pasture habitat If you're an aspiring cattle farmer looking to begin raising cattle or an established raiser interested in expanding your herd, Raising Beef Cattle For Dummies has you covered.
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Seitenzahl: 568
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012
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Raising Beef Cattle For Dummies®
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Table of Contents
Raising Beef Cattle For Dummies®
by Nikki Royer and Scott Royer
Raising Beef Cattle For Dummies®
Published byJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
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Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Not all content that is available in standard print versions of this book may appear or be packaged in all book formats. If you have purchased a version of this book that did not include media that is referenced by or accompanies a standard print version, you may request this media by visiting http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit us at www.wiley.com.
Library of Congress Control Number is available from the Publisher upon request.
ISBN 978-0-470-93061-8 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-08911-8 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-08912-5 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-08913-2 (ebk)
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
About the Authors
Scott and Nikki Royer raise cattle, sheep, pigs, and chickens on their diversified family farm in Indiana. In addition to raising the calves from their own cow herd, the Royers also purchase and finish feeder cattle from other producers. Nikki has been involved with raising cattle her entire life, showing her first calf at the age of six. For many years she and her family exhibited champion cattle across the country. Both Scott and Nikki are graduates of Purdue University School of Agriculture. Scott worked in the animal feed business and as an animal health research scientist before becoming a full-time livestock producer in 2001. After receiving a master’s degree in Meat Science, Nikki was a sales representative until joining Scott to raise cattle and kids on the farm that her family started in 1874.
Scott and Nikki’s mission at their farm is to provide delicious, nutritious food that’s raised sustainably in a low-stress pasture environment. In 2010, they direct marketed over 45,000 pounds of meat through farmer’s markets, on-farm sales, and the Internet.
Dedication
Nikki Royer: I dedicate this book to my dad, Knic Overpeck, who was an amazing cattleman.
Author’s Acknowledgments
Nikki Royer: Thanks to my husband Scott for being the best spouse and partner I could ever hope to have. To the rest of my family, thank you for your patience during this project. I would like to acknowledge Stephanie for the recommendation and Jennifer Moore, Jessica Smith, David Lutton, and Erin Calligan Mooney for guiding the creation of this book.
Publisher’s Acknowledgments
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002.
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions, Editorial, and Vertical Websites
Project Editor: Jennifer Moore
Acquisitions Editor: Erin Calligan Mooney
Copy Editor: Jessica Smith
Assistant Editor: David Lutton
Editorial Program Coordinator: Joe Niesen
Technical Editor: Mark Castor
Editorial Manager: Carmen Krikorian
Senior Editorial Manager: Jennifer Ehrlich
Editorial Assistants: Alexa Koschier, Rachelle Amick
Art Coordinator: Alicia B. South
Cover Photo: © iStockphoto.com Michael Gray
Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)
Composition Services
Project Coordinator: Patrick Redmond
Layout and Graphics: Jennifer Creasey, Melanee Habig, Joyce Haughey
Proofreaders: Rebecca Denoncour, Melanie Hoffman, Jessica Kramer, Lauren Mandelbaum, Dwight Ramsey
Indexer: Christine Karpeles
Illustrator: Barbara Frake
Special Help: Christine Pingleton
Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies
Kathleen Nebenhaus, Vice President and Executive Publisher
Kristin Ferguson-Wagstaffe, Product Development Director
Ensley Eikenburg, Associate Publisher, Travel
Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel
Publishing for Technology Dummies
Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher
Composition Services
Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services
Introduction
We’ve had the honor and pleasure of caring for and working with cattle for more than three decades. In the past few years, we’ve been delighted to see more folks joining the cattle raising tradition as new herds pop up across the country. We’ve seen it all. Some folks want to raise an animal or two to keep their own freezers stocked with beef. Others are looking to make a little extra money by growing cattle on extra grass instead of having to mow it. And still others are butchering their animals and selling the meat directly to customers. Regardless of your reason for raising cattle, taking care of these amazing creatures is a great educational experience that the whole family can be involved in.
In this book, we share some of our hard-earned knowledge and ideas so you can better care for your cattle right now instead of relying solely on the tough lessons taught at the “school of experience.” So whether you’re looking to raise livestock for the first time, thinking about adding cattle to your current farm-animal mix, or seeking answers to some questions about the cattle you already own, this book is for you.
About This Book
So many bits and pieces of information regarding raising cattle float around, particularly online, so it can be hard to figure out what is essential and what is mere window dressing. In this book, we bring all the essential aspects of cattle production together.
We cover the gamut of the wonders and responsibilities that await you in the bovine world. We give you basic information on how to find the best cattle, including descriptions of breeds, types of cattle, and places to buy them. And we provide you with all you need to know to get started housing and feeding your herd.
Of course, you also want to keep your animals healthy and content, so we provide you with a preventive health plan and clue you in to the possible illnesses your cattle may encounter and how to treat them. We also delve into many other aspects of cattle production: taking care of pregnant cows and baby calves, showing your animals, marketing your beef, and many more.
We provide modern, research-based information that applies to and works in the real world. Many of the tips and techniques we talk about come from our own personal experience.
The best part is that you don’t have to read this book from cover to cover to get started on your cattle journey. Pick a page, any page, and then start reading. This book is set up in a modular fashion so you can jump around to suit your particular needs. Dabble in whatever chapters you need right now. However, if you want to get an all-encompassing overview of the aspects of raising cattle, you’re more than welcome to read each and every word we write in order from front cover to back.
Conventions Used in This Book
We’ve adopted the following conventions throughout this book to make the material easy to access and understand:
New or unfamiliar terms appear in italics and are accompanied by a concise definition.
Bold indicates the action to take in numbered steps and highlights the key words in bulleted lists.
Web addresses are set in monofont so you can easily spot them.
When this book was printed, some web addresses may have needed to break across two lines of text. If that happened, rest assured that we haven’t put in any extra characters (such as hyphens) to indicate the break. So when using one of these web addresses, just type in exactly what you see in this book, pretending as though the line break doesn’t exist.
What You’re Not to Read
All the pages in this book are chock-full of good info, but you don’t have to read every line to understand the topic at hand (unless you just want to). For instance, text preceded by the Technical Stuff icon gives you in-depth background information that isn’t necessary but that is nonetheless interesting. You won’t be arrested for cattle neglect if you skip this material. The same holds true for the gray-shaded sidebars, which contain fun and fascinating (at least we hope!) but nonessential information.
Foolish Assumptions
Because a book that contains everything there is to know about cattle would probably weigh as much as a mature cow (around 1,100 pounds, in case you’re wondering), we made some assumptions about you, the reader, and what you would want to know. Here are the assumptions we made about you:
You have some general experience taking care of animals, but you aren’t an expert on cattle and need some basic information.
You want to take proper care of your cattle so they stay healthy and content.
You realize raising cattle isn’t an inexpensive endeavor, and you don’t mind spending a little (or a lot) of money so you can do it right the first time.
You want to raise cattle for their meat rather than for their milk (if you need help understanding the difference between beef and dairy cattle, flip to Chapter 2).
How This Book Is Organized
To keep this book easy to use, we’ve organized it in parts by general topics. The chapters help narrow the focus to a particular area of raising cattle, such as caring for a pregnant cow or tending to a calf. We think you’ll use this book as a go-to reference all the time. The following sections provide you with a preview of what you can expect from the parts in this book.
Part I: Getting to Know Beef Cattle
This part looks at the benefits and potential concerns associated with raising cattle. It also introduces the vocabulary that goes along with having cattle. We round out the part by covering some basic cattle welfare information and exploring the broad array of cattle breeds and their various characteristics.
Part II: Preparing to Bring Home the Beef
Taking the time to prepare your facilities and plan your feeding program can help make raising cattle more enjoyable and hopefully more profitable. The chapters in this part help you with the steps needed to prepare your pastures, fences, and corrals. We also take a look at what your cattle like (and need) to eat and drink. After you’ve prepared for bringing home some cattle, you’re ready to go find and buy the animals. We show you how to match your prospective cattle to your specific needs.
Part III: Cattle Handling, Health, and Breeding
In this part, you can find an overview of working with and handling cattle and tending to their preventive healthcare. We also provide information on common cattle diseases and injuries and their treatments. The part wraps up with time-tested recommendations for caring for cattle at different stages of the life cycle.
Part IV: Realizing Your Cattle Business Potential
Cattle are not only fun to raise, but they’re also often profitable as well. This part explores three options for your cattle business: using pastures and grazing, showing and selling cattle, and selling beef direct to customers.
Part V: The Part of Tens
This final part is a For Dummies hallmark. The Part of Tens gives you quick lists of tips. For our Part of Tens, we introduce ten cattle-raising mistakes to avoid and ten bovine behaviors to understand and translate. After all, your cattle will try to communicate with you!
Icons Used in This Book
Throughout the book, you’ll come across little pictures in the left margins. These pictures, called icons, can help you classify the information found beside them. Here are the icons we use in this book:
These bits of text include ideas or pointers that help you save time, money, or frustration (and maybe all three!).
The information beside this icon is important. You want to read this stuff closely so you can keep your cattle and yourself safe, content, and profitable.
When you see this icon, pay attention. This red flag highlights information that can help protect you and your cattle from dangerous situations.
If you like to know all the details, this icon is for you. But, if you just want the basics, feel free to skip these paragraphs.
Where to Go from Here
If you’re ready to get started down the path to bovine bliss, just determine what you need to know and head to the chapter that discusses that topic. You can flip from chapter to chapter without missing a beat. Or, if you prefer, start from the beginning to get an overview. The choice is yours.
Here are some suggestions of some specific bovine educational needs you may have:
Check out Chapter 4 for ideas on how to safely contain your cattle.
If you’re overwhelmed when it comes to planning the feed ration for your cattle, check out Chapter 5.
If your cattle seem ill, go to Chapter 10 for a review of common ailments and effective treatments.
Start with Chapter 14 if you’re preparing to exhibit cattle for the first time.
And don’t forget that the in-depth table of contents and index can help you find the information you need, and clear, eye-catching headings direct you right where you want to go. Best of luck with your bovine journey; we hope you enjoy working with cattle as much as we do!
Part I
Getting to Know Beef Cattle
In this part . . .
The chapters in this part help you make well-informed decisions about raising beef cattle. Chapter 1 takes a look at what’s involved in the big job of raising cattle. Chapter 2 gets you up to speed on the latest livestock language and terminology, including the anatomical terms you need to know. Chapter 3 explores the wide world of beef cattle breeds and types so you can find the best animal for you.
Chapter 1
The Rewards and Responsibilities of Raising Beef Cattle
In This Chapter
Surveying the benefits of owning beef cattle
Taking care of your cattle’s basic needs
Creating a budget for your finances and time
Putting together your advisory team
Contemplating safety and legal concerns
Raising cattle can be fun, educational, profitable, and downright entertaining. Cattle provide you and your family with wholesome food, and they can put a few extra dollars in your pocket as well. But before you get too wrapped up in all the different opportunities that come with raising cattle, you need to take a moment to look at the investments you need to make in order to properly care for your animals.
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
