Managing Livestock

Managing Livestock on a Farm

Livestock management involves firstly choosing what animals to grow, secondly the stages of their life to be involved in, and thirdly the methods to use in caring for them.
All these questions can involve choosing from a multitude of options; with your choice normally being determined primarily by three things:

  1. The physical facilities which you have available
    (ie. Area of land, buildings, land quality-type of pasture, buildings, etc)
  2. Manpower, expertise and money available
    (eg. It is no good selecting a technically complex farming operation if you don't have
    the expertise to carry it out, or the money to employ suitable staff).
  3. The Market
    Select livestock which there is (and will continue to be) a demand for.


CHOOSING WHAT ANIMALS TO GROW
Some animals require more space than others. Some localities are better suited to some types of animals. You need to choose both the type of animal (eg. horses, poultry, alpaca, ostriches or cattle), and the breed (eg. Friesian, Angus or Brahman cattle).
It is important to select the right animal and number of head for the land size available.

STAGES OF THE LIFE CYCLE
Some farmers breed and rear young animals, others buy young animals and grow them on.
Some farmers grow animals for a particular product, while others may grow the same type of animal for a different product (eg. cattle may be grown for veal, for beef or for dairy).
Select the stage of development you wish to produce on your farm.

METHODS OF CARING FOR ANIMALS
This can involve such things as feeding, watering, grooming, control of pests or diseases, breeding & rearing young, providing shelter, managing periodical agistment.
Identification of resources, both natural and man-made, will have a great affect on determining the method of care.



 

 

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