Can I do 2 Heifers on 5 Acres?

Rechellef · #1 10/07/10, 03:13 PM

My neighbor raises Charlois and we are looking into possibly buying 2 heifers from him as we have 5 acres of very good pasture. We are also planning on chickens, 3 dairy goats and 6 hair sheep (Katahdins). The sheep will share a 3 acre pasture with our neighbor's sheep because he needs the "mowing" and we'll have the ram anyway. Plus our neighbor doesn't have the heart to take his lambs to the butcher and I will have to be the one to do it anyway. The goats will be rotated between our actual yard which is about 1 acre fenced and the large pasture.

With all that said, would 5 acres be enough for two heifers and their calves (until we have to sell or process them)?

THANKS everyone.

Shoupie · #2 10/07/10, 04:19 PM

No, it might be enough for 1 with supplementation but not two heifers and their calves and feeders, that would be 6 animals on 5 acres.

FEF · #3 10/07/10, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rechellef

My neighbor raises Charlois and we are looking into possibly buying 2 heifers from him as we have 5 acres of very good pasture. We are also planning on chickens, 3 dairy goats and 6 hair sheep (Katahdins). The sheep will share a 3 acre pasture with our neighbor's sheep because he needs the "mowing" and we'll have the ram anyway. Plus our neighbor doesn't have the heart to take his lambs to the butcher and I will have to be the one to do it anyway. The goats will be rotated between our actual yard which is about 1 acre fenced and the large pasture.

With all that said, would 5 acres be enough for two heifers and their calves (until we have to sell or process them)?

THANKS everyone.

Either I'm confused or you are. After a female has a calf, she's not longer a heifer....she's a cow. So are you talking about raising two heifers (young weaned female bovines) on five acres? Or are you talking about keeping two cows with their calves until the calf is weaned on five acres until the calves are big enough to be slaughtered?

Either way, I'd say it's unlikely. The very last thing you want to do is overgraze. Our extension people say we need about 12 acres for each cow-calf unit where I live. But some areas with considerably more rainfall can run a cow-calf unit per acre. I'm sure there's some recommended stocking rate in your area, too. Have you talked to the extenison office in your area?

ErinP · #4 10/07/10, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FEF

Either I'm confused or you are. After a female has a calf, she's not longer a heifer....she's a cow.

Terminology is a regional thing. We've lived on large ranches all over the high plains and you can have first calf heifers as well as second calf heifers. It just means "young female."

So far as stocking rate, I'll echo everyone else that if you told us where you are, it might give better suggestions. In my area you figure 15 acres per head...

Callieslamb · #5 10/07/10, 07:07 PM

It would help to know where you are. Are you planning on doing your own hay with that 2 acres? I had 1 heifer and a steer on 2 acres last year and they did just fine. I have a milk cow, her calf and six sheep on 2 acres and the pasture did get a bit thin with no rain in early Sept. I chose to start feeding hay rather than let them access the other 4 acres. How many cows per acre depends on where you live. Here it's one cow per acre.

francismilker · #6 10/07/10, 08:40 PM

With 5 good acres of exceptional grass that doesn't have any timber or buildings on it I think you could strip graze it provided good rainfall and some good management and get by with what you're proposing.

Creamers · #7 10/07/10, 08:45 PM

Quote:

first calf heifers as well as second calf heifers

Yes, that is how it is here, too.

12 acres - EK! Here, you can easily have 3-4 cow/calf pairs on that.

I think you can do what you're saying with a bit of hay supplemented.

agmantoo · #8 10/07/10, 10:07 PM

If you are my neighbor then yes for most years.

KOHL HAWKE · #9 10/08/10, 07:26 AM

We have one heifer 1400lbs and 7 dairy goats along with geese, ducks, turkeys and chickens on 6 acres and dont have improved pasture...they wont touch the hay that is out just incase...they are all fat sleek and happy. I do give hay and grain in the winter as everyone is bread and need to keep up their body condition.

unioncreek · #10 10/13/10, 02:43 PM

If your grass is good you can. I was running three pairs and last years calves on 7 acres and cut hay on two of them then pastured it. It was close some years if I would have enough.

Bob

Rechellef · #11 10/13/10, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unioncreek

If your grass is good you can. I was running three pairs and last years calves on 7 acres and cut hay on two of them then pastured it. It was close some years if I would have enough.

Bob

We do have very good pasture and hay is cut from it in the summer and our neighbor's herd runs on our acreage for part of the fall (his herd is about 12 cows and 1 bull).

Thanks!!

HoosierHog · #12 10/13/10, 03:01 PM

Here in my area in indiana the rule is 2 acres per cow calf pair and i have lots of neighbors that run 3 or 4 stears on 2-5 acres with out a problem. now if your planning on them getting most of there feed from grazing you may need to rethink but if you give them access to a good hay and a clean water source
2 cows with calfs or 2 heifers either way should be just fine. and your goats wont hurt the pasture if there in there two. goats are browsers and dont eat much grass and our extention office says you can put 2 sheep per cow without causing a problem. now it all comes down to where you are in the country as you can see some folks say 12acres per cow and here we keep 2 acres per cow and often less then that so call your extension office and ask them there suggestion.

good luck