Cattle start up

5 posts
Tue, 09/03/2019 - 12:10 #1

Member for

5 years 2 months
grahamsie
Last seen: 09/03/2019 - 12:08
Joined: 09/03/2019 - 11:51

Cattle start up

Hi there
We have a paddock of 6 acres with currently three horses in it
I am wanting too add a couple of killers
There is excellent pasture and a dam with water year round
Questions
Breed recommended
Vet type work required we live in a tick area Qld Sunshine Coast
Number required my preference is two
Any infrastructure required crush or yard?
Animals for my consumption only and will be butchered on-site
Any advice welcome

Forums
Cattle
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Wed, 09/11/2019 - 10:56 #2
admin
Last seen: 11/13/2024 - 10:09
Joined: 02/28/2011 - 14:19

Hi Graham,

Welcome to the small farm forum and thanks for the question.

The basic infrastructure you will need to start off in cattle is a small set of cattle yards, a crush or head bale and loading ramp. If you have have no previous cattle experience I would start out with either weaner cattle (smaller animals not long weaned off mum) or a small cattle breed like lowlines or herefords until you build on your experience and cattle handling ability.

Neighbours are always a good source of local knowledge and are often happy to assist someone new to the area. When it comes to animal health your local rural store or veterinarian will be the best resources for information and products.

We have a range of books suitable to someone looking at starting out in cattle which provide a wealth of information, see the links below for my picks

- beef-ag-guide-getting-started-beef
- beef-agskills-practical-guide

I have also posted your question to our Facebook discussion group below and there have been a number of replies and suggestions regarding your questions.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FarmStyle/

Regards,

Charlie

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Thu, 09/12/2019 - 12:20 #3
ihoddi
Last seen: 01/16/2021 - 16:21
Joined: 09/12/2019 - 12:07

Thank you for the opportunity to join the farm style forum. 3 years ago I deep ripped my two and a half acre paddock and planted a diversity of legumes grasses and forbs. Last autumn I added more woolly vetch, rye and brassicas like daikon radish turnip and kale. I am currently feeding 8 cows on this two and a half acres. They consist of 1 cow who is feeding her own calf and a couple of others, 5 weaners and 2 steers The weaners are fully weaned. It is touch and go with not a blade of green grass in the surrounding paddocks but in my irrigated and improved pasture which I strip feed every few days I am still managing to get good growth. Of course the weaners are eating more now but the warmer spring weather is also bringing on the summer grasses like Rhodes and panic and bluegrass. I have no idea what I will do if the consumption outpaces the growth of the pasture but I am amazed at what nature can do when my motto of diversity, management n observation is applied. There is still no sign of rain for hundreds of kilometres but here in South East Queensland we are hoping for maybe some late spring rains to spark the land back into production. Now I continue to see the amazing success of my few acres. I will take some pics and upload. I should mention that I have never used fertiliser insecticide fungicide or herbicide. And the only supplemental feed is a lick block for the cattle. From what I can understand it's the microbial life in the soil that's doing the work.

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Sat, 09/14/2019 - 09:04 #5
Albertgotdonkey
Last seen: 02/11/2020 - 07:45
Joined: 03/20/2019 - 11:41

Thanks for that very informing read.
Love the sound of deep ripping it would really benefit the soil no doubt especially if one day it does rain.
Legumes will add nitrogen and its so obvious when walking pasture to see the dark green patches around clover.
Hope to read more of your 2 and a half acre farming venture

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Thu, 09/12/2019 - 12:30 #4
ihoddi
Last seen: 01/16/2021 - 16:21
Joined: 09/12/2019 - 12:07

A contribution to the worming and by extension tick treatment discussion: Last weekend I injected turpentine gum into my cattle... 5 mils for the three or four month old weaners - under the skin only. Soon I will do my eight goats which are foraging in the hilly extremely dry and increasingly barren surrounding paddock. Last year I injected 3 mils of turpentine gum under their skin and they did not get a single tick all year and I live in a paralysis tick area. Neither have I injected with a worming agent. The fact that they can move freely and possibly the effect of the turpentine gum is at play I think.

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