Many people are turning to ranching as a way of making a living. Raising cattle can be a great way to earn a lot of money while supporting your family. You can raise all kinds of livestock such as chickens, ducks, cows, rabbits, sheep, goats, pigs, and horses, but you need to know how to take care of them before you start.
A beginning rancher must first identify what he wants to accomplish with his ranch. You have to determine what type of livestock will be suitable for your land and how much you are willing to invest in your project. It’s another thing to ask and make sure the law allows you to raise cattle in your area.
If you’re not sure what type of cattle you want to raise below, we’ll cover in detail two types of cattle you may want to consider raising first.
sheep:
Sheep can be kept for various reasons, some keep sheep for an agricultural landscape, others keep sheep as pets, and most people keep sheep for profit. Whatever your reason for raising sheep, there are guidelines you must follow to raise healthy and productive sheep.
Sheep need a house for some shelter. There are several types of sheep stalls, such as traditional barns and metal buildings, but these can be quite expensive. If your budget is tight, you can go for a hoop house which works well. Your sheep house will protect your sheep from harsh weather and predators.
Your sheep need to be well fed. When you feed your sheep, you should use feeders to prevent the spread of disease and waste. Feeders should be cleaned before and after feeding. Your sheep can be fed hay in litters or you can purchase feed from your local farmer’s store. Don’t forget to give your sheep plenty of clean water every day.
goats:
Farmers often raise goats to produce fiber, meat, milk, and butter. A male goat is called a ‘buck’ and a female is called a ‘doe’. When raising them you have to take care of them and give them shelter.
Goats can eat almost anything that looks green. When raising goats, it’s best to grow some green grass for them to eat and make sure no poisonous plants grow on the pasture that can kill the goats. Water must be available for them to drink daily.
Although goats are susceptible to extreme weather conditions, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t build a shelter for them. The goat shelter can be simple with some roof. It can be divided into sections where they sleep, where they feed, and where they can be milked or slaughtered.