In order to learn proper techniques of working with animals I will begin with a small goat heard. The goats will improve the pasture and will give me experience working with animals. I will also begin with two Jersey steers. In 2 years time the steers will be ready for slaughter and I will also gain valuable experience working with cattle. Year 3, I will begin purchasing Long Horn Cattle for breeding. I plan on eventually having 19 breeder female Long Horns and 1 bull. The animals will be ready to breed at the age of 2 years. The first calves will follow and be ready to sell when the are 1 year of age. In 2016 to 2017 calves should be available to sell. Assuming 15 calves per year, the farm should generate at least $5000 per year in income in the early years.
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A large walk in freezer will be needed to store meat. With private beef sales the customers can not always come at the time of slaughter so meat has to be vacuum packed and stored at less than 20 degrees F.
The part projecting forward is a small garage. I thought a small tractor could be stored there. When we first started raising livestock, we kept the hay in there. I now use this small garage strictly for straw storage. It is about all the room I need for straw. I also have a goat stand for trimming goat hooves in this small garage. The doors on the barn are not really needed and are probably a waste of time and money. One could argue that you would want to isolate an animal in the barn using these doors but it is easier to isolate them in the coral which is what I do most of the time. The first 2 years will be needed to prepare the infrastructure necessary for a Longhorn Cattle operation. A high quality farm fence will be installed with an electric wire at the top and along the outside 12 inches from the ground to prevent predators from entering the pasture. There are coyotes and black bears in the vicinity that could kill young livestock. The cattle barn for shelter from the harsh West Virginia winters will be constructed. An agricultural well will be needed to ensure abundant water as the spring can run dry during summer draughts. A large walk in freezer will be needed to store meat. With private beef sales the customers can not always come at the time of slaughter so meat has to be vacuum packed and stored at less than 20 degrees F.
In order to learn proper techniques of working with animals I will begin with a small goat heard. The goats will improve the pasture and will give me experience working with animals. I will also begin with two Jersey steers. In 2 years time the steers will be ready for slaughter and I will also gain valuable experience working with cattle. Year 3, I will begin purchasing Long Horn Cattle for breeding. I plan on eventually having 19 breeder female Long Horns and 1 bull. The animals will be ready to breed at the age of 2 years. The first calves will follow and be ready to sell when the are 1 year of age. In 2016 to 2017 calves should be available to sell. Research Plan Review the internet to determine what is needed to succesfully raise Longhorn cattle. Visit 3 Longhorn ranches to dicuss the advantates and disadvantages of raising Longhorn cattle. Ask questions regarding how to look at the cows to determine which ones would be best for breeding. Find out what steps need to be taken to implement a succesful business plan to raise and sell Longhorn cattle and beef. The Existing Infrastructure Stickler Tree Farm, LLC is located in Preston County West Virginia at an altitude of approximately 2500 feet on Caddell Mountain just south of Route 7 between Terra Alta and Kingwood West Virginia. The farm is 221 acres in size and is mostly eastern hardwood forest. Approximately 10 acres of non-fenced pasture with a spring and pond are available. In addition there are 5 acres available for future hay production to produce haylage for winter rations. At this time there are no barns or farm fence. The only farm equipment is a small 20 horsepower tractor to small to move hay round bales. A good tractor garage with electricity and good lighting is available. There is enough room to store one 100 HP tractor, the existing 20 HP tractor, and a John Deere Gator. There is an existing John Deere Gator for pasture inspection, carrying animal feed, and moving injured livestock. The tractor garage is close to the pasture so electricity for the pasture fence is easily accessible.
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AuthorAndrew Stickler & Mitchell C. Stickler: the goal of this website is to assist those who are considering raising livestock for the first time. Archives
September 2020
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