How Many Cows Can One Acre of Land Raise? A Detailed Explanation of Cattle-Raising Precautions
Cattle are raised in many rural areas, and since ancient times they have been farmers' good helpers and good friends. So how many cows can one acre of land raise? What do you need to pay attention to when raising cattle?
1. How many cows can one acre of land raise?
One acre of forage grass can raise about 15-20 head. Because the economic benefits of raising cattle are relatively high, the number of farmers raising cattle in small scattered numbers has increased noticeably at present. If scattered idle land can be used, it is appropriate to plant some forage grass suitable for feeding. Although one acre of land can raise this many cattle, you must pay attention to the supply of timber and sow the seeds of forage grass, so that sustainable development can be better.
2. Precautions for raising cattle
1. Environmental protection issues. The breeding industry now pays more and more attention to environmental protection issues, and many places have been designated as prohibited breeding zones and restricted breeding zones. Before building a cattle farm, it is best to consult the local animal husbandry department and environmental protection department about whether building a cattle farm is allowed, as well as the construction standards and environmental protection facility requirements, and then carry out construction according to the requirements to avoid the risk of demolition after it is built.
2. Cattle purchasing issues. Many places do not have sufficient cattle sources, so cattle farmers need to go elsewhere to buy calves. However, going out to buy cattle carries relatively large risks. First, there is the problem of being cheated. Some cattle dealers and cattle intermediaries lure cattle farmers into buying cattle through low-price advertising. When the cattle are actually purchased, not only is the price much higher than the advertised price, but they also pass off small cattle as large ones and inferior ones as good ones. Cattle farmers spend a high price but find it difficult to buy good cattle. Second, there is the problem of stress reactions. Cattle are especially prone to problems after long-distance transport, environmental changes, and changes in feeding management, and may even suffer large numbers of injuries and deaths, bringing relatively large economic losses to cattle farmers. When purchasing cattle, cattle farmers must choose somewhat larger healthy calves, and after they arrive, strengthen prevention and feeding transition. As long as no major problems appear in the first month, raising them later will be relatively smooth.
3. Feed issues. Cattle have large bodies and fast growth rates, and their demand for feed is also relatively large. One fattening cow needs to consume at least 5100 jin of roughage (dry matter) and 3000 jin of concentrate feed. Among these, concentrate feed is relatively easy to solve; you can directly buy raw materials such as corn and soybean meal and mix them yourself. Roughage, however, is relatively difficult to solve, because the crop harvest season lasts only a few days. If sufficient roughage cannot be collected after the season, it must be purchased, and buying roughage after the season doubles the price, so the benefits of raising cattle are greatly reduced.
4. Disease issues. Although cattle have relatively strong disease resistance, in recent years, affected by factors such as cross-regional transportation of live cattle, cattle diseases have also become more and more numerous. First, the three major infectious diseases of foot-and-mouth disease, bovine pleuropneumonia, and bovine pasteurellosis must be well prevented, and prevention mainly relies on vaccination. Second, digestive tract diseases of cattle must be well prevented, such as indigestion, pre-stomach atony, rumen bloat, omasum blockage, and so on. This is mainly related to feeding management. Finally, parasitic diseases must be well prevented, and deworming should be carried out 2~4 times each year. A combination of subcutaneous injection of ivermectin plus oral albendazole (or levamisole) can be used for deworming.
Although most rural areas raise cattle, these precautions for raising cattle must also be taken carefully, so that fat cattle can be raised healthily.