Can my retired dad raise cattles on a 2-acre land?

Question

My dad is retired and little bored..... He had no experiences of raising cattles.... He had a house with 2 something acre land.... Can we build a shed to raise cattles.....? Is it easy?? If we only keep the cows in the shed and feed them,,, is it ok? 2 arce land is really not big enough to let them wander around and we dont want to invest on stuff lilke fences to keep them from getting out.... And also ... is it profitable..... Im not saying earning big bucks... just want to know if he can earn some allowance and meanwhile have some fun...

Answer 1

You need to be zoned for livestock to begin with. You can't have cows in a residential neighborhood.

They eat something like 100 pounds of food a day. Half or more of that comes out the other end, every day.

If they are milik cows they need to be milked every day, without exception.

They are living creatures dependant upon you to care for them. They must be fed - if they get sick you need a vet. They need to be clean but they aren't as fussy as horses.

You can buy a calf and raise it and make more money than you spent, but in order to make any real money you need more like 100+ of them.



>food crops for a local farmer market, or raise chickens for eggs,



Yes, people in my area have been raising chickens very successfully. For us (older suburbia) it's OK as long as you don't have a rooster.

Answer 2

No, he can not.

Aside from the fact that you can not raise beef cattle in a shed, it is not profitable to raise them year long on hay that must be purchased. One cow will eat about 6 tons of hay a year - which can cost you between $600-1200 depending on the cost of hay in your area.



There are also added costs of vet bills, shots, salt licks, transportation, grain etc which also eat into your profit. Plus you must have equipment like water troughs, feeding troughs, and a stancion. My dad was an old dairyman with 60 years experience with cattle, and even he couldn't break even raising beef cattle, despite having 20 acres of grazing land.



What your dad could do which IS more profitable and less work is to raise organic food crops for a local farmer market, or raise chickens for eggs, or breed small animals (goats, sheep, pigs etc) for 4-H groups, or raise hops to sell to local brew pubs.

Answer 3

Sounds like a real bad idea for many reasons, starting with not nearly enough land, and no knowledge of what it takes to raise cattle, and no fence.



I hope you're just a troll and this isn't a serious question.

Answer 4

Good, they are saying that its as a minimum one acre per horse for horses so i'd count on that in most cases any of that farm animals you listed can be suitable...Assuming it's, go with what suits you high-quality! Rabbits will also be enjoyable but are MESSY as are goats. Sheep are beautiful cool. Theyre quality to be around. Chickens are additionally a good alternative...They get rid of numerous insects and things of that nature. Hogs are fun and smart however can come to be stinky and messy if not taken care of correctly. Its all relative i think. Enjoy with whatever you pick!