Cattle breeding. Sample diagram of a business plan for cow breeding

Animals will bring considerable income, since milk can be used to make butter, cheese and other fermented milk products, freeze meat, sell it fresh, or cover a stew. Another option for generating income is raising and reselling young animals. The first step of a novice farmer is a thorough analysis of the slightest nuances of the future business.

Before understanding how to breed cows, it is necessary to understand the ultimate goals of this action.

Analysis of the conditions of the region of residence (are there fields for grazing).
Economic factor (competitors and product market).
Features of keeping cows in winter and summer.
Clarification of the final goal (obtaining meat, milk or complex products). Selection of appropriate breeds.
Environmental factor (where to sell manure).

Cows are distinguished by their large size, good appetite (they consume a lot of feed) and demanding conditions in their place of residence, but all these aspects are quickly covered by finished products.

What are the specifics of the case?

Life expectancy of 1 cow is more than 25 years. It takes at least 5 years for a calf to grow into a full-fledged and healthy animal. The average weight of cows living in households is 600 kg, on farms – 400 kg.

What features should be taken into account? In the first place are the rules of care in different seasons. Throughout the year, animals need to create optimal living conditions (maintain temperature, humidity). It is necessary to feed and milk the cattle, observing the regime. A paddock should be equipped for walking, but it is preferable to take the cows out to pasture (meadows, fields) in the warm season.

One of the important aspects for raising cows is to know the main diseases and first aid methods.

Suitable site

How much land does 1 cow need? The area required for sowing grain is 0.60 hectares, perennial grasses are 0.60 hectares, silage crops are 0.20 hectares, vegetables are 0.06 hectares. On average, 1 cow accounts for 1 hectare of land.

When taking into account the supply of hay for the winter, another 1 hectare is added. So, 1 cattle will require up to 2 hectares of water meadow. If the field is not fertile, this figure may increase further.

We are equipping the building

The best option for maintenance is an old farm. Building a building from scratch is not an economically viable option. An alternative is to rent a ready-made barn.

The premises should be located away from residential buildings and water sources. According to sanitary standards, the minimum distance to a house is 15 meters, to wells - 20 meters. It is preferable that it be located next to the garden (manure disposal).

If you decide to build a barn yourself, pay attention to the materials. Brick or foam concrete are suitable for construction - they retain heat well. It is advisable to make the floor from cement - it is durable and hygienic. Wood is not recommended, as the material absorbs odors and rots quickly.

Stall organization

If there are a large number of animals, it is necessary to equip stalls. For comfortable keeping of 1 cow, 2 sq.m. is enough. Be sure to make a slope for waste drainage. The stall should have a separate door for cleaning (located on the opposite side of the feeder).

If you want to receive large volumes of milk, consider the water supply and purchase milking systems. It is more profitable to buy a special device than to regularly pay milkmaids.

A useful addition to a barn is a loft. This is a convenient place to store hay. It will also allow for additional insulation of the ceiling.

Choosing good cattle

The first rule is that the breed must meet the designated purpose of the business (meat, dairy). When purchasing, find out about the productive qualities of the parents. It is recommended to purchase purebred breeds, since crossbred individuals lose important characteristics. Pay attention to your body type:

elongated head;
bulging eyes;
there is no vegetation on the ears;
wide depressions between the ribs (a sign of developed alimentary and pulmonary systems);
long and thin tail;
developed rump and wide rear (for good calving);
elastic skin;
loose udder;
length of juices up to 8 cm.

Purchase of young animals

The purchase of calves is carried out with an identical goal: compliance of the breed with business goals. Young animals of the dairy breed are distinguished by long legs and a bony body structure, with a light head. The tail of such calves is long (to the middle or below the hock).

Beef calves are characterized by short legs, a heavy head, a small tail and a “knocked down” body type. To obtain meat, farmers recommend buying bulls, since they gain weight more quickly, and their meat is less fatty.

Common factors for young animals of any type are a moist nose, shiny coat and no symptoms of stomach upset (signs of health).

Common types

Black-and-white (large cattle, cup-shaped udder, high milk yield).
Kholmogorskaya. Individuals have a small udder, but produce more than 8,000 liters of milk per year.
Yaroslavl breed. Its distinctive features are weak muscles, low weight, and high milk yield (6000 liters per year).

In addition, farmers involved in the production of dairy products often choose the Red Steppe breed of cows. You can read more about this breed.

Which meat breeds should you pay attention to? In first place is Ukrainian meat. Up to 65% meat and skin are sold. Cows are unpretentious to food and quickly gain weight. Also on the list are the Aberdeen Angus (60% meat) and the elite Charolais breed (for bacon).

Cows are herd animals; there should be several of them on the farm. In the summer, cows need to be sent to walking areas. In winter, cows can live in a warm room with constant light. For them, daily walking is recommended even in the cold season (cancelled when the thermometer reaches -15).

Remember that cows are fastidious animals: dampness and heat cause problems with milk and slow down weight gain. The optimal temperature in the barn is no higher than 20 degrees.

It is important to protect the building from drafts. For ventilation, it is recommended to make a pipe from boards (dimensions 15 by 15 cm) and bring it above the ridge. A system of opening windows should be considered (openings should be higher than 1.2 m from the floor level).

Nutritional Features

The diet should include hay, feed and various baits(seasonal vegetables, seeds, grass). A cow needs from 9 to 14 kg of hay per day. Remember, if an animal eats low-quality hay, the milk will taste bitter.

It is useful to include flax and sunflower cake and oats in the diet. Also, the products should replenish the supply of carbohydrates - it is necessary to give the cows fodder beets, carrots, potatoes, and corn silage. Farmers recommend adding urea (carbamide) to the feed to enrich the stomach.

About reproduction

Sexual age of heifers is 8 months, physiological maturity occurs at 18 months. Live weight by this period reaches 300 kg. Female cows have a sexual cycle that repeats every 21 days.

For proper insemination, mating must be done 10-12 hours before feeding. The duration of pregnancy is 285 days. In the second half of the term, fetal movements are observed in the right side of the abdomen. In the last month of pregnancy, you need to stop milking the cow (give physiological rest).

It is important to provide pregnant cows with a balanced diet. Their diet should include hay, succulent feed, concentrates and mineral supplements (chalk, salt, flour).

Signs that labor has begun - the cow looks at her belly, moos loudly, and stomps her hooves. The owner needs to treat the paws, tail and genitals with potassium permanganate and wipe with a towel. Cows usually do not need other human assistance when calving.

For business

The first action of a novice businessman is to find out the presence of competitors. You need to open a farm far from identical points. Another aspect is identifying demand, analyzing and establishing sales points.

You can supply products to markets, stores, and factories. To expand your business, it is advisable to find a sales market in neighboring cities.

Decor

If your farm has 2-3 cows, business registration is not needed. If livestock breeding is planned on a farm scale, registration is necessary (in the future, it is necessary to obtain certificates of product quality). Also, official registration will help you take out a preferential government loan if your own funds are not enough to develop your business.

Employees

It is recommended to involve residents of the village in which the farm is located. In the list of main vacancies:

vet;
accountant;
manager responsible for sales;
handyman-cleaner;
milkmaid (if there are no milking machines).

At the initial stages, the farm owner can serve as a manager and accountant.

Costs and income

The total amount for opening such a business is no less than 650,000 rubles. Costs will include equipment (construction) of a barn, purchase of cattle, registration of activities and payments to employees.

Additional expenses may be necessary to optimize the business: purchasing devices for feeding feed, water or waste removal, constructing a building for a slaughterhouse.

On average, with a livestock size of 10-15 individuals per month, you can get up to 2 thousand liters of milk and 200 kg of meat. Sales of milk will bring up to 1,000,000 rubles, meat – more than 1,200,000 rubles. Additional income will come from the sale of manure. The investment will fully pay off within 10-12 months after opening the business..

How to write a business plan?

Next, you will learn how to make a business plan for raising cows for meat or dairy cattle for a farming business.
A business plan is a clear and consistent presentation of ideas, strategies, possible risks and results. It is necessary to define the areas of activity, as well as:

rational choice of territory;
defining initial objectives;
organization of the technological process;
customer base;
calculations of expenses and profits.

It is better to think through and draw up a business plan with the involvement of specialists (experienced farmers, lawyers). It is important to accurately define goals and identify all possible problems to minimize their impact on the process.

Breeding cows is a profitable business, since food products will always be in demand on the market. When opening your own business, you need to choose the right location and buy suitable breeds of cows. In the future, proper care will bring success to the business and profit to the owner.

Video on the topic

You can also find out how to start a farm business raising cows in this video:

Is it profitable to keep a cow? Many novice farmers think about this. Moreover, some expect to breed animals as a business. What a cattle breeder needs to find out in order to make money from such agricultural activities, we will consider further.

Before creating a business with cows, each farmer is recommended to study more deeply what the entire process of raising horned animals consists of. In the case of cow breeding, several basic points stand out:

feeding the cow and keeping it in a stall;
regular walking and grazing of animals on pasture;
making hay for the winter;
milk collection;
breeding and raising offspring (both dairy cows and bulls);
conducting a timely veterinary examination, as well as vaccination against the most common ailments.

Knowing how to make a detailed business plan can give you a good start in developing your own business. However, first, write down the main points for raising cattle and then determine what expenses will be needed for this or that process.

How to calculate costs and calculate risks

Breeding cows as a business is a profitable activity, as many experts say. However, in order to appreciate good results, you, as a farmer, need to understand that the main focus is on choosing a productive breed, as well as creating all the necessary conditions for its cultivation. And such a process requires a lot of effort and financial investment. Therefore, the second most important point is the need to calculate expected costs. At the same time, do not forget to take into account possible risks (diseases, low productivity of cows, etc.).

Premises and equipment

Raising cows for milk and meat will bear fruit if you take the barn equipment seriously. It is advisable to install the cow in a brick building with heat-insulating walls. Be sure to apply plaster and whitewash to the surface. This way there will be plenty of light in the barn. Another important point: the presence of wooden floors, and even on a slight slope. Follow these rules, and clearing your barn of manure will be much easier.

As for the feeder, it is also advisable to make it wooden, and its capacity is important. This container must hold at least 7 kg of hay - take this requirement into account when constructing the feeder. Since your cow will spend a lot of time in the stall, especially in winter, you need to consider having a ventilation pipe in the roof.

The floor should be covered with straw or sawdust.

In general, a dry microclimate and warmth must be maintained in the barn. Remember that harmful gases (ammonia and hydrogen sulfide) accumulate here in large quantities. Their formation can be prevented by timely cleaning of the barn and regular change of bedding on the floor.

Purchase of livestock and feed

Raising calves at home for meat will be a profitable activity for you if you approach the organization of the process with all seriousness. Of course, the purchase of livestock is of great importance: you need to purchase a cow from special farms. As for feed, the cost of purchasing it will be significant, but you can’t do without it.

The most expensive are concentrates, that is, grain and bran. In general, this usually costs farmers up to 12 thousand rubles a year. If you need to purchase hay, be prepared to estimate about 4 thousand rubles for an annual supply. You need to spend money separately on succulent food. In general, the amount of estimated financial expenses for one feeding per year can reach 18.5 thousand rubles.

Sales of products

Breeding calves as a full-fledged business is unthinkable without you identifying the main ways to earn money. Here everything depends solely on you. You can search for suppliers and collaborate with various enterprises. Some beginning farmers prefer to earn money by selling dairy products on their own, selling them on the market. Find out for yourself in advance where you will put the cow's milk, and you will be able to assess the profitability of your business. This is the only way you will be properly prepared for this lesson.

How to register your business

A private farm will generate full-fledged income if, at the stage of purchasing livestock and determining key expenses, you think about the need for official registration. You won't get far without this. What is required of you is to collect the necessary package of documents. As a rule, beginners in this business are recommended to open an individual business.

As for taxes, it is best to choose a simplified taxation system. It is not difficult to make a business plan to take into account all the costs. However, your efforts will be in vain if all this is not registered at the state level.

Is breeding profitable?

Many beginners wonder whether it is even profitable to keep a cow on the property. Say what you will, but based on expert reviews, in recent years there has been a significant reduction in the number of cows in the country. However, in fact, all this happens because of the labor-intensive process of caring for animals, and not because of unprofitability. Agree, you will have to devote a lot of time to the cow. Regular grazing, feeding, milking twice a day, veterinary checkups and keeping the barn clean will all take a lot of your energy.

An important area of commercial and private agricultural activity is cattle breeding. This process, with the right approach, can become an effective and profitable business. But what is needed for this? Let's look at the basics of organizing activities for breeding cows to produce milk and meat.

Basics

The process of breeding cattle (cattle) - activities for the cultivation and maintenance of farm animals of the Bull subfamily. The purpose of the activity is to obtain meat, milk, hide and wool, use animals as draft power, as well as breeding work.

The total number of cattle on the planet is about 1.5 billion animals. In modern cattle breeding there are about 300 breeds of cattle. About 50 breeds are used in Russia.

Number of cattle in Russia and distribution by type of farm (data for 2016):

As can be seen from the population data, breeding and keeping cows is effective both as a business and as a private rearing activity at home to produce milk and meat.

Cattle breeds

Agricultural and farming organizations may focus on obtaining meat or milk. In Russia, mixed farms predominate, where priority is given to the breeding of meat and dairy breeds.

This approach allows you to quickly respond to market changes and effectively implement a flexible policy when selling dairy and meat products.

Cattle breed	Origin	Direction	Height (cm)	Weight, kg)	Peculiarities	Value
Hereford	England	meat	125	650-1350	They are hardy, strong, adapted to various climatic conditions, can withstand long journeys and being kept on pastures, and are well fed and fattened.	High-quality marbled meat, slaughter yield - 65% of the total weight, the best meat for steaks.
Aberdeen Angus	Scotland	meat	120-150	500-1000	Excellent feeding ability, adapted to being kept outdoors even in cold weather.	Excellent marbled meat for steaks, yield - 60%, milk production - 2 thousand kg per year.
Kholmogorskaya	Russia	dairy	130-132	400- 800	Adapted to regions with cold climates.	Milk productivity - 3.5-4 thousand kg of milk, fat content - 3.6-3.7%.
Ayrshire	Scotland	dairy	125	450-850	Adapted for breeding in northern regions, it is characterized by constant milk yield, easy adaptation to new conditions, and digests roughage well.	Milk productivity is about 8 thousand kg of milk with a fat content of 4%.
Yaroslavskaya	Russia	dairy	125-127	450-550	Tasty and high-quality milk, adaptability to harsh climates, resistance to diseases (leukemia).	Satisfactory meat qualities, slaughter yield - from 52 to 62%, average milk yield - about 3.2 thousand kg of milk with a fat content of 4.2%.
Simmentalskaya	Switzerland	meat and dairy	135-140	550-650	Adaptability to various climatic conditions, high weight gain throughout the entire growth period.	Optimal combination of meat and dairy qualities. Milk productivity - 3-3.5 thousand kg of milk.
Kostromskaya	Russia	dairy and meat	137-147	550-900	Hardy, have good health and high adaptability, live long and maintain milk yield until old age	Milk yield - 3.5-5 thousand kg of milk with a fat content of 3.8%.

Other quality cow breeds:

Dutch;
black-and-white;
red steppe;
Sychevskaya;
Swiss;
Kalmyk;
Bestuzhevskaya;
Charolais;
limousine;
Kazakh white-headed.

The characteristics of modern meat and dairy breeds make it possible to effectively breed cows throughout almost the entire territory of Russia. The main conditions are the quality of feed and conditions of detention.

Sanitary requirements

An important condition for cattle breeding is compliance with veterinary and sanitary rules.

The norms of veterinary and sanitary control are regulated at the legislative level, annually updated and clarified by orders of the Ministry of Agriculture and other regulations of the competent government bodies.

Primary requirements:

maintenance and grazing in strictly designated areas;
compliance with the rules for protecting cows from other domestic animals;
availability of ventilation;
regular cleaning and storage of manure in special places;
the presence of washing, veterinary and other separate premises necessary for the quality maintenance of cows;
compliance with the rules for sectional and group placement of cattle;
availability of walking areas;
organization of quality feeding;
regular disinsection (destruction of insects), decontamination (destruction of ticks) and deratization (destruction of rodents) of the barn premises;
the presence of quarantine zones in barns;
systematic vaccination on time and regular examination by a veterinarian.

Breeding as a business

Cattle breeding is one of the promising business areas in agriculture.

In conditions of growing demand for environmentally friendly, high-quality meat and dairy products, well-organized farming can become a stable source of growing profits. But high competition and risks require a balanced and thoughtful approach to organizing such a business.

Planning

The first step towards organizing a farm is drawing up a detailed business plan that will take into account all financial costs and profitability.

Directions of financial costs when organizing a farm:

territory rental;
construction or repair of cowsheds and other production facilities;
current utility costs;
purchase of young animals;
procurement and purchase of feed;
maintenance of animals and premises.

Organizational issues that also need to be resolved:

registration of a farmer organization;
attracting credit funds (if necessary);
coordination of contractual terms for the supply of feed, equipment, livestock;
obtaining all veterinary and sanitary permits.

Working out logistics is key. Choosing a farm location must take into account a number of factors.

Remoteness of food sources. It is better if it is directly from the manufacturer.
Development of transport infrastructure.
Availability of quality pastures and meadows.
Product sales objects, distance.

Another important aspect of planning is market analysis in the region. The purpose of this work is to determine the degree of demand for farm products, the shortage or surplus of local items, their quality and price.

The choice of cow breed is an equally important factor to consider when planning.

When selecting the optimal breeds, there are a number of key aspects to consider:

adaptability to local climatic conditions;
milk yield and live weight indicators;
demanding conditions of detention and diet.

The purchase of livestock should be carried out in large breeding farms, where the work of breeding purebred individuals is carried out at a professional level.

Organizing a barn

The barn must meet the requirements established in the relevant GOSTs. When arranging it, it is important to take into account the parameters and conditions that are set out in these documents.

Key Requirements

Ceiling height - at least 2.5 m.
For one cow at least 6 sq. m, with a calf - 10 sq. m. The animal should move calmly and lie down to rest.
Temperature range - from 10 to 18°C. In winter, the temperature should not drop below. There is a slight decrease - the rate of feeding for warming is increased, if the temperature drop is significant - it is necessary to take measures to insulate the premises.
Cattle produce ammonia and carbon dioxide. The barn must have an effective ventilation system. There should be no drafts.
Equipment of special drains for effective removal of manure and urine.
Ensuring that barns are illuminated for at least 14 hours a day.

Factors to consider when organizing a barn:

square;
electricity;
water supply;
heating;
ventilation;
feed supply and dosage system;
equipment for obtaining milk (if breeding dairy breeds);
manure removal complex.

A cowshed for 30 cows for a small farm includes several sectors.

Stables.
Stall dividers.
Feed table.
Maternity ward.
Stalls for cows and calves.
Separate stalls for bulls.
Dairy washing department.
Technological passage.
Prifarmskoe manure storage facility.
Cup automatic drinker.
Manure receiving and collection channels.

As the area increases, the number of barn elements increases. The availability of equipment provides varying levels of automation. In advanced farms, almost all cow maintenance processes are automated.

Equipment

Machine milking devices.
Feed grinders. Cows eat fine feed better, it is better absorbed, which affects the quality and speed of weight gain. There are two types - root cutters and straw cutters.
Feed crushers. Used for crushing feed. There are three main types - drum, disk, roller.
Conveyors and conveyors. Machines for continuous movement of various loads. On large farms and in barns they are indispensable for feeding feed.

Staff of specialists

To organize the normal functioning of a barn, it is necessary to attract highly qualified specialists in several areas. Full staff:

Veterinary workers.
Milkmaids.
Cattlemen.
Calf sheds.
Machine operators and other technical personnel.
Engineers.

Cattle rearing techniques

The term breeding technique is directly related to the procedure for reproducing livestock on a farm. Selection work makes it possible to increase the number of cattle while maintaining pedigree properties.

Factors to consider during reproduction:

Physiological and sexual maturity of individuals. Readiness for fertilization and insemination depends on factors: breed, age, nutrition, climate, living conditions. Beef cows reach reproductive age faster than dairy cows. The reproductive age of females occurs at 6-9 months, males - 7-8 months. Young meat breeds are divided by gender already in the third month after birth.
Readiness of females for calving. The female is allowed for fertilization only if she has gained 65-75% of the optimal weight of an adult individual of the breed. The weight of small breed cows is 330 kg, large breeds are 360 kg.
Rational use of sire bulls. They are attracted to insemination from 14 months when they reach a weight of 400 kg. In a year, one male is able to inseminate up to 200 females. The load is calculated based on the age of the bull. Young animals are capable of effective mating 2-3 times a week, older ones - once every seven days. The minimum rest period for a bull is one day, preferably two days.
Timing of fertilization of females. Cows are allowed to be fertilized no earlier than 18 months.
Duration of “rest” after the birth of calves.

The insemination process can be carried out naturally (mating) or artificially (with the help of a special tool). Mating is divided into manual (forced) or free.

Instrumental fertilization can be visocervical or rectocervical. A more effective and productive artificial rectocervical method. In Russia, about 90% of cows are impregnated using instrumental methods.

In winter, cows are kept in a barn all year round; with the onset of green grass, many enterprises transfer the livestock to stall-free housing with movement to special pens for pastures.

Feeding

Feeding plays a special role in cattle breeding. Its key parameters that are important to consider are diet and feeding standards.

The cows' diet includes 6 types of feed.

Green - fresh herbaceous meadow plants.
Juicy - silage, root crops, tops.
Coarse - hay, straw, grass meal.
Concentrated - bran, grain, legumes, cereals, meal, cake, yeast.
Compound feed.
Animal origin - meat and bone meal, fish meal.

Feeding standards for cows during the stall period (in kg):

Feeding standards for cows during the grazing period (in kg):

In addition to seasonality, the diet is adjusted depending on the specialization of breeding - meat or dairy. There should be more succulent, green feed for dairy cows. For meat animals, the amount of concentrated, protein-rich feed is increasing.

Bulls, steers and calves have their own dietary characteristics.

The diet of meat breeds can be of three types:

complete (compound feed);
summer grazing (daily grazing rate in the fresh air is at least 13 hours);
stall

Feeding also depends on the condition of the cow:

rest period, dry wood - two months before calving;
milking - the first three months after calving;
lactation;
start - stopping milking before the next calving.

Risks and difficulties

Raising and keeping cattle carries a number of risks. This applies to animal diseases. Diseases significantly reduce the quality of products, and infections can lead to the death of the entire livestock.

Main diseases of cows:

foot and mouth disease;
brucellosis;
udder diseases - furunculosis, mastitis, edema;
arthritis;
hoof problems - laminitis, strawberry disease, coronary phlegmon;
endometritis;
blockage of the esophagus;
leukemia;
leptospirosis.

Key causes of diseases:

Low quality feed, poor diet.
Failure to comply with sanitary and hygienic standards.
Poor conditions in the barn.

Preventive measures:

feed quality control;
compliance with nutritional standards;
high-quality care - udder massage, nipple treatment, cleaning;
maintaining a comfortable level of maintenance - high-quality bedding, optimal temperature conditions, access to fresh air, absence of drafts, regular walking;
regular disinfection of barns;
vaccination against salmonellosis, foot and mouth disease, anthrax, etc.

It is important to observe the timing and frequency of vaccine administration.

In addition to commercial farming as part of a business project, you can raise cattle at home. The main condition is the availability of land and appropriate outbuildings. Breeding cows is excellent for private farms, as evidenced by the history of the development of the Russian village.

Raising dairy cows at home is not so easy. It is necessary to have the entire volume of knowledge, create optimal conditions of detention, and constantly devote time and effort to the matter.

Knowledge that is necessary to successfully raise cows at home for milk or meat:

features of keeping cattle in summer and winter conditions;
specifics of keeping livestock in a particular region;
variety of meat and dairy cattle breeds, their profitability;
diet and feeding standards;
diseases, treatment and prevention.

Regular supply of feed.
Monitoring the diet, adjusting it seasonally, taking into account the individual characteristics of the animals.
Providing fresh and clean water.
The storage areas are cleared of manure every day.
Maintaining optimal temperature in the room, protecting the stall from drafts.
Arranging a comfortable bedding on the floor and updating it regularly.
Organizing walking, maintaining minimal physical activity of the cow.

A well-fed, warm and healthy cow will produce tasty and healthy milk. If necessary, it will become a source of quality beef.

Cattle breeding is a profitable activity, both on a private and industrial scale. However, any animal requires care, and large size does not guarantee endurance and vitality. The owner of cattle needs a variety of knowledge about the intricacies of keeping his charges. This article contains recommendations for those new to animal husbandry.

The best breeds for raising cattle on a private farm

The first task of a novice farmer is to choose an animal breed depending on the chosen direction.

For milk

The most common dairy breeds are:

Holstein- North American breed, popular on European farms, as well as in private farms in the post-Soviet space. Excellent quality of milk - fat content 3.7%, protein occupies 3.2%, the amount of milk from one individual per year is 6500–7000 kg.
Jersey- one of the oldest, bred in Great Britain, easily adapts to any climate. Despite the small milk yield of up to 3300 kg per year, milk is valued for its fat content and sweet taste; the best cream is obtained from it. Milk characteristics - fat content 5.8%, protein 4%, sugar 4.7%.
Simmental- an unpretentious breed, ideal for small farms. Adapted to temperate climates, does not require much feed. The quality of the milk is fat content 3.8%, protein 3.3%, sugar 4.8%, milk yield 3500 kg per year.
Yaroslavskaya- a breed popular in private farms, productivity up to 5000 kg of milk per year, fat content 4%, protein 3.5%. The milk is sweet and contains 4.7% sugar.

For meat

The following breeds are considered the most productive in meat production:

The productivity of animals depends on the care that the owner takes in caring for them. Farming begins with arranging a home for future wards - the cows will spend the bulk of their lives in it, so every little detail must be carefully thought through.

Optimal parameters and arrangement of the barn

In a small farm, they mainly use free-stall housing, that is, common feeders and drinking bowls are installed in the premises, as well as pens where the cows will rest. The room is built based on:

area required for one individual- 6 sq. m;
for a female with a calf- 10 sq. m.

The floor is covered with a deep layer of straw or straw with peat; the floor itself must have a slope to allow urine to drain. It is advisable to make large windows for natural light and the ability to ventilate the room if necessary.

It is better to make individual drinking bowls so that animals do not crowd near the water, disturbing each other. In addition, this will prevent mass infection if one of the individuals becomes ill.

You can make your own feeders - most often they are made of wood, since it is durable. The finished feeder is burned from the outside with fire, which gives it strength. Particular attention is paid to the sheathing.

It must be carried out taking into account the characteristics of the animal - often in narrow cells, cows catch on their horns and can be injured. Feeders are made of two types: for roughage and for green feed (hay). Install them at a height of approximately 70 cm from the floor.

To prevent a cow from losing productivity, it needs a certain temperature regime - 10–20°C. The room must be insulated for the winter; drafts are eliminated. During construction, a ventilation system with dampers and protection from precipitation is installed.

The room must be lit. To provide natural light, windows are made on the south or southeast side. During the winter season, daylight hours are extended with the help of artificial lighting.

You need to think about a walking pen near the barn: animals need walks for at least two hours a day, pets should not be walked only in severe frost.

Necessary equipment

After building the barn, you should take care of the feed storage room. You cannot store hay, grain or root crops in the barn itself: they will become saturated with odors from animal waste products, gain moisture and begin to deteriorate.

Important! Maintaining personal hygiene of the owner and farm worker is the key to the health of pets. Shoes or clothing can carry many pathogenic bacteria, to which unvaccinated young animals are especially susceptible.

You should also take care of equipment that may be useful when working with your wards. You will need:

scales (to control the weight gain of young animals);
buckets;
shovel;
scraper shovel;
rake;
pitchfork;
containers for products and feed;
brushes for cleaning wards;
overalls and shoes.

Barn cleaning and care

To prevent the udder from becoming dirty, the bedding is changed as often as possible, as it gets dirty. Every day, cows are brushed and washed with warm water in the area adjacent to the udder. To prevent mastitis in heifers, bedding is placed in a deep, dense layer.

It is necessary to regularly clean the feeders from adhering food so that putrefactive bacteria do not develop. It is also important to regularly inspect and clean ventilation pipes so that dust collected in them does not penetrate with fresh air.

The floor is cleaned of excrement and drains twice a day, and the room should not become saturated with odors. Once a week, a global cleaning is carried out in the barn, treating the room with caustic soda or slaked lime.

Feeding cattle at home

The basis of the cow's diet is green food, but to ensure full development, you need to know seasonal differences.

Summer walk in the pasture

Important! Before grazing on a new pasture, you should make sure that there are no herbs that are poisonous to the animal: henbane, St. John's wort, buttercups, and datura.

Feeding diet in winter

Winter food consists of the following products:

hay;
root vegetables, vegetables;
silage;
grain mixtures and feed;
mineral and vitamin complexes.

Oat or barley straw, preferably spring straw, is used as roughage. It is advisable to harvest hay from grass during the period of bud formation, and from cereals - during the heading period. When feeding root crops or vegetables, they are inspected for rot and cleaned. If the product is frozen, it must be thawed first, otherwise it may cause bloating and indigestion.

As a source of nutrients, the following is added to the diet:

bran;
cake;
ground feed grain.

Water and salt additives in briquettes

Brownies should always have access to fresh water. On average, the daily norm per individual is about 100 liters; a lactating heifer drinks even more. In winter, the water should be at room temperature.

Cows must be given table salt:

in winter, add to feed at the rate of 2–3 teaspoons per 5 kg of feed;
In summer they are taken out to pastures in briquettes.

Salt is needed to improve digestive processes, it is also the first remedy against gastrointestinal diseases, and is also an important component in the formation of bone tissue in young animals.

Breeding cows for milk is a profitable and profitable business in Russia, as it can bring impressive profits to the farmer and the opportunity to use natural, environmentally friendly products for personal purposes. For larger production, farmers can choose the most dairy breeds of cows.

The dairy industry is one of the most important elements in modern livestock farming. While in the structure of the Russian meat market, beef accounts for only about 15% of total consumption, cow's milk and its processed products account for more than 90% of the dairy market. Thus, the demand for this type of product is high enough for dairy farming to be of some interest to investors and entrepreneurs. Well, among those villagers who do not want to move to the city and are determined to stay in their native land, raising cows for milk is becoming a popular type of business.

Dairy market in Russia

According to statistics, the average consumption of milk and dairy products in our country is about 250 kg per person. This is an average of about 700 g per day, which on the one hand is quite a lot, but on the other hand, our fellow citizens do not reach medical standards for the volume of milk consumption by about 30%. This is due not only to the lack of habit of drinking milk among residents of large cities, but also to the general shortage of this product on the domestic market.

According to calculations by the Ministry of Agriculture, even with such a low level of consumption, Russia's level of self-sufficiency in milk and dairy products is slightly more than 80%. Moreover, to achieve a minimum level of food security, this indicator must at least exceed 90%.

If we look at the general state of dairy production, the situation does not look positive at all. At the end of 2015, gross milk production at enterprises of all types (including private households with a cow) amounted to 30.78 million tons, which almost exactly repeats the result of the previous 2014. At the same time, as noted in the Ministry of Agriculture, milk production at livestock farms increased by 2.4%, or by 350 thousand tons (up to 14.7 million tons), but in private farmsteads of villagers, which account for about half of dairy production in the country, a decline of 474.5 thousand tons was recorded. Thus, the long-term trend towards increasing the share of industrial milk producers in total output continues.

Another trend affecting the overall picture in the industry in 2015 was an increase in milk yield per cow. Thus, in large livestock complexes, one cow produced an average of 5233 kg of milk, which is 336 kg, or 6.9% more than in 2014.

After the closure of the Russian market for most European producers in 2014, the production of dairy products in Russia increased significantly in 2015. In particular, they began to produce 21% more cheese than in 2014 (414 thousand tons), cheese products - by 18% (121 thousand tons), cottage cheese and curd products - by 6% (728 thousand tons). The production of butter also increased, although not as significantly, by 3% (258.9 thousand tons). And only producers of milk powder and cream reduced production volumes: 111.7 thousand tons of this product, that is, 14% less than in 2014.

Problems of the dairy farming industry

As can be concluded based on the statistics given above, the Russian village is gradually losing its status as a leading milk producer, and the market is gradually passing into the hands of livestock enterprises, that is, business. However, the increase in milk production in livestock farms is proceeding at a rather slow pace, sometimes not keeping pace with the rate of decline in production indicators in rural areas. After the ban on the import of Ukrainian and European cheeses, milk and butter, it was expected that Russian producers would begin to increase volumes at a very high rate, but this did not happen. While cheese and butter makers actually showed an increase of tens of percent, milk production increased by only 2.5%.

The main reason for this, as before, remains the rather low profitability of production itself in the dairy industry. Entrepreneurs are much more willing to invest money in expanding existing and opening new poultry and pig farms, where profitability is 17% and 20%, respectively. Against this background, breeding dairy cows, which provides only 6-8% profitability (and even then taking into account government subsidies), does not look at all attractive.

However, low profitability is only half the problem. The other half is the increased cost of the start-up investment to expand or launch a cattle business. After the government stopped subsidizing the purchase of breeding stock abroad in 2015, hoping to stimulate the growth of the domestic market for breeding animals, domestic cattle breeders found themselves in a situation where Russian breeding plants are not yet able to produce sufficient volumes of high-quality cattle, and somewhere to get it all equally necessary. So you still have to buy animals abroad, but only more expensive (devaluation plus the abolition of subsidies).

In addition to rising prices for livestock, start-up costs for the construction of buildings for livestock enterprises and equipment for them have also increased. This is due to inflation and devaluation, which significantly affected the cost of building materials and equipment.

All these factors together have significantly delayed the payback period for investments in large-scale milk production. Instead of the previous 10-12 years, the payback period has reached 15 years, which is too long for domestic business.

Dairy cow breeds

Despite all the difficulties described above, dairy farming continues to be an interesting area for business, especially for small and medium-sized ones. The key difference between mini-farms and large livestock complexes is their flexibility and easy adaptability to current circumstances. If all large livestock centers are like two peas in a pod, since they are made according to the same patterns, then the family farming business always adapts to local conditions, which is why two mini-farms will always be very different.

For example, if a farm has only two to three dozen cows, it is not necessary to keep them in a pen all year round. If there are free, unoccupied meadows in the area (something, but there is enough space in Russia for everyone), in the warm season the animals can be kept free grazing. And this is just one of many ways to reduce costs and speed up the return on investment.

However, in any case, breeding cows for milk as a business will be successful only if you breed highly productive purebred animals from the very beginning. Fortunately, for small farms it is possible to purchase a batch of such cows even at domestic breeding plants.

Today, the following breeds are most popular among professional farmers:

Breeding cows for milk as a business

Cattle breeding business, like any other type of entrepreneurial activity, first requires careful, lengthy preparation and only then decisive but deliberate actions. If you plan to launch a small farm with several dozen animals, then the entrepreneur himself will have to assume the bulk of the responsibilities for business planning and production management. And for this it is necessary to carefully study the theoretical part of the issue and it is highly advisable to familiarize yourself with the practice adopted at already operating enterprises.

In general, preparation for starting your own dairy farm should include the following steps:

Having dealt with the preparatory part, you can begin to draw up a business plan. From this moment on, organizing a dairy business is no longer fundamentally different from any other production activity: calculating start-up and operating expenses, drawing up a forecast of income, and preliminary calculation of production costs. If all the numbers in the business plan come together as desired, you can proceed directly to creating a business: start building barns, purchasing equipment, registering a business, hiring staff, purchasing livestock, organizing the production process.