You may have dreamed of raising animals on your homestead all your life, but the reality of it is often very different than how you imagine it to be. In fact, if you are to do an excellent job of raising animals and make a profit on your homestead, there are some essential things you need to know. Read on to find out what they are.
What to feed them
The first thing that you need to have a firm grasp of when it comes to raising livestock on your farm is what they will eat. Now, there are many different options to consider here, but it is essential that you get the right one not only for the type of breed of animal you have but also concerning the quality of the end product and the safety of your customers as well.
What this means is that plant origin feed additives are usually the best choice. The reason being that they are entirely natural while also providing you with the opportunity to reduce feed cost overall. Something that can help you make your farm much more profitable.
How to keep them healthy & safe
Next, when it comes to raising livestock, you won’t just be tasked with keeping them watered and fed, but also with ensuring they have a healthy and safe life as well. Of course, this means that you will need to provide the right type of environment for them to live in. Something that will differ depending on the animals you will raise.
After all, chickens will want space in which to roam around, but you will also need to ensure they are protected from predators and other hazards. While cows will need more square footage, and space for milking and calving, but are less vulnerable to predators because of their size.
Additionally, you will also need to understand how to keep your animals healthy regarding avoiding and treating illness as well. Of course, it’s worth noting here that many farmers use antibiotics in a preventive way for this. Although this isn’t always a very attractive selling point for some consumers, so exploring alternatives may be worthwhile.
How to use livestock products to make profits
Lastly, regarding keeping livestock on your homestead, you do need to carefully consider how the products and by-products they create will be used commercially. In fact, many people think that meat will be their main product, but may find that diversifying into other areas can be just as, if not even more profitable.
What this means is free-range egg production, for chicken farms, milk, cream and associated products for beef farmers, including ice cream, and wool and knitted items for farmers that are raising sheep. You can even use waste products as fuel now, either on your own property or for retail.
In fact, some homesteads have also diversified and created family accessible farms or petting type zoos with their animals. Something that allows them to keep a small number all year round, while still remaining profitable, without having to resort to meat production at all.
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