Keeping cows is a truly complicated business. Caring for farm animals of this group always takes a lot of time. In addition, the actual technology of keeping cattle, in contrast, for example, from the same rabbits or chickens, is quite complicated. In order for a cow-growing business to become profitable, a farmer needs to know a lot and be able to.
Basics of cattle
Growing cows includes the following main activities:
Each of these procedures, of course, requires not only certain knowledge, but also financial costs.
Is it profitable to keep a cow: farmer reviews
According to most owners of household plots, keeping cattle for milk today is pretty profitable . But only if the owner of the barn with all responsibility approaches the choice of breed and will strictly comply with the technology of keeping animals. The reduction in the number of cattle in Russia in recent years, according to many farmers, is not due to the fact that it became unprofitable to raise such animals, but simply to the banal laziness of our compatriots. After all, keeping a cow, unlike the same rabbits or chickens, requires a huge amount of time and effort. Such animals need not only to be fed correctly and on time, but also to be milked at least twice a day. Also, the cattle farmer should know how to take birth from a cow, how to care for calves, and much more.
Thus, cattle are bought for maintenance only by people who are not afraid of all sorts of difficulties and who are also permanently living in rural areas. For such farmers, the question of whether it is beneficial to keep a cow on the farm is, in principle, not at all worthwhile. Having spent maximum effort on caring for cattle, such people really get a good profit. It’s just that at the cottage, in contrast to the same chickens or rabbits, keeping a cow is not only unprofitable, but in most cases even impossible at all.
How much does care cost: feed
Before buying a cow, of course, you need to calculate the future costs of its maintenance. It is also worth trying to determine the estimated profit. The content of cows in any case involves the use of:
roughage (grass and hay);
concentrates (grain and bran);
succulent feed (root crops, silage ).
The most expensive form of feed is, of course, concentrates. On average, about 1 ton of barley is required per cow per year. The cost of this type of feed is about 8500-9000 rubles. Also, the farmer will need to purchase about 500-600 kg of bran. Their purchase will cost about 3000-4000 rubles. That is, a total of concentrated feed will have to spend at least 11 500 r. in year.
Many farmers in specialized forums are interested in whether it is profitable to keep a cow if you buy hay. Such food for one animal usually requires about 50 bales per year, the cost of each of which is 80-85 rubles. That is, the costs in this case will be at least 4000 p. In principle, this is not much and the purchase of hay does not have a special effect on the final profit from keeping cows. But, of course, if desired, the farmer can save on the hay and mow it on his own (if there is where).
Succulent feed, according to the content technology, one cow needs about 900-1000 kg per year. Beets, for example, cost about 3,000 r. per ton. For the same amount of silo you need to give about 4200-4500 rubles.
Thus, in total per year, one feed has to spend on feed for one cow:
And this is only the minimum amount.
Additional expenses
Among other things, the maintenance of a cow implies, of course, the cost of grazing. On average, the price of the services of a shepherd is 6 00 r. per month. The total amount for the warm period of the year, therefore, will be about 2500-3000 rubles.
Additional costs for maintaining a cow should also include the cost of electricity (lighting the barn) and fuel (transporting milk to customers). All this will cost an average of about 10-15 thousand rubles. in year.
Thus, the total cost of maintaining a cow will already be 18,500 + 2,500 + 10,000 = 31,000 p. in year. Proceeding primarily from this, it is necessary to determine whether it is profitable to keep cows for milk . Of course, the farmer will have to recoup over time the cost of the barn, which in this case should be quite large.
Veterinarian Services
The answer to the question of whether it is profitable to keep a cow in the village , depends, among other things, on the cost of various preventive measures aimed at preventing diseases . In the landlords of small household plots, containing one or two cows, they usually pay licenses for vaccinations. In total, vaccination in small farms costs about 5-6 thousand rubles per year. That is, to the previously received amount of costs of 31,000 p. need to add another 5 thousand p. Thus, the average figure for the cost of maintaining one cow per year will be 36,000 p. in year.
Mating costs
Of course, this expense item should also be included in the project of the future farm. After all, if the cow does not have calves, milk cannot be obtained from it. The cost of mating a cow with a bull depends primarily on the pedigree of the latter. So, champion services can cost 10-15 thousand rubles. But most often the owners of personal plots pay for mating still no more than 2000 r. in year. That is, the total amount of expenses will amount to 38,000 p.
Possible profit
So, we found out how much the farmers spend on food, cattle disease prevention, mating, etc. Is it profitable to keep a cow on the farm? To answer this question, among other things, you should, of course, be aware of how much money you can actually earn from selling the main product produced on a farm of similar specialization.
High-yielding cows with proper feeding and compliance with the content technology can produce an average of 3,500-6,000 liters of milk per year. In Russia, a liter of such a farm product on average costs about 53 rubles. That is, with one cow per year, you can get about 318,000 rubles. If the maintenance cost is 38,000 rubles, the income will thus be 318,000 - 3,800 = 28,000 rubles. from one cow.
Is it possible to actually get 280,000 rubles of profit
Thus, the answer to the question of whether it is profitable to keep a cow for the sale of milk is clear. With the right choice of breed and observing the technology of leaving one animal, you can get 28 0 000 r. income per year. However, such an amount can be earned, unfortunately, only if milk is sold directly to the consumer. Meanwhile, it is often not so simple to find buyers for the owner of a personal plot . Of course, you can sell milk in the market or for summer residents, if there are gardening associations near the village . But not the fact that in this way it will be possible to realize the entire product.
In the event that it is not possible to find a sufficient number of buyers for milk, it will most likely have to be handed over to the dairy. And the profit will decrease, and very much. The fact is that food industry enterprises accept milk at a price of only 12-15 rubles per liter. That is, the income per cow in this case will be 15 x 6000 = 90,000 maximum.
A large number of animals: is it profitable?
One or two cows in a private compound are maintained by many villagers. In principle, this can be quite profitable. But many Russians are wondering whether it is profitable to keep 5 milk cows, 10 or 20. Of course, a cattle breeding farm, like a small homestead farm, can also become quite profitable. However, the organization of a business of this specialization, of course, will require additional costs. For 5-10 cows, a much larger area will be needed. In addition, the owners may have to hire an assistant. Yes, and milk in this case, most likely, will still have to be handed over to the factory, which will greatly affect profits. The only way to reach the consumer directly in this case is to open your own store. And this, of course, will entail additional costs for the rental of premises, hiring a seller, etc.
Sale of calves
The answer to the question of whether it is profitable to keep a cow on the farm depends not only on how much milk an animal can produce, and the price of this product. Of course , a farm owner specializing in raising cattle can also profit from the sale of offspring. In particular, cattle breeders containing cows of popular breeds with documents have good income from the sale of heifers. Such animals are usually bought very willingly and also at a high price.
Breeds of dairy cows
For what price do farmers sell heifers and what profit can be obtained from their sale? At the moment, the best breeds of dairy cows in Russian pastoralists are:
red steppe;
Aishir;
Holstein;
Kholmogorsk.
You can find out how much a calf of one breed or another costs and whether it is profitable to keep a cow from the table below.
The cost of thoroughbred dairy heifersBreed | Price (rubles per kg) |
Red steppe | 180-250 |
Aishir | 120-135 |
Holstein | 135-170 |
Kholmogorsk | 185 |
Farmers reviews on the red steppe cow
So, the answer to the question of whether it is profitable to keep a cow in a private house, depends primarily on how well the breed of the animal will be chosen. Red steppe cattle is quite popular among Russian farmers. A cow of this breed gives a little less milk than, for example, the same Holstein. However, at the same time, such cattle is considered by farmers to be much more resilient and resistant to diseases. This breed is bred mainly in the Krasnodar Territory, Altai, the Southern Urals and Kazakhstan. Today it is perhaps the most common variety of cattle in southern Russia.
The average annual milk yield of cattle of this breed is 3500-4000 liters. That is, with the cost of milk at 53 rubles per liter from one red steppe cow, you can get up to 212,000 rubles. income per year.
Reviews about Aishir cattle and potential profit
Many farmers call this breed a real pearl of the dairy direction. In addition to high milk yields, many farmers include harmonious physique, easy adaptation to any climatic conditions, good health and unpretentiousness to the advantages of Aishir cows. The disadvantage of cattle of this breed is considered to be only a few aggressive and inanimate character.
Of course, many farmers are wondering if it is profitable to keep dairy cows of Aishir breed in a village or on a farm. In one year, from one such animal receive up to 4000-5000 liters of milk. Thus, a farmer containing cows of this breed can help out 53 x 5000 = 265,000 rubles / year. Which, of course, will most likely be beneficial.
Holstein cows
You can get more milk from cattle of this breed than from any other. It is the Holstein cow that is most popular with farmers in Europe, Israel and the USA. Recently, it has become widespread in Russia. Domestic farmers praise this breed not only for high milk yields, but also for their relative unpretentiousness. Subject to the maintenance technology, one such cow can produce up to 7.5 thousand liters of milk per year. Thus, the income from the maintenance of golshtinki is usually 53 x 7500 = 397 500 p.
The opinion of farmers on Kholmogorsk cattle
Many farm owners are wondering if it is beneficial to keep cows for milk of this particular breed. Kholmogorsk cattle have been bred in our country since ancient times, and because of their unpretentiousness, it is in no way inferior to the popular red steppe variety. Among the main advantages of these cows, farmers, among other things, include ease of acclimatization, endurance, resistance to disease and high milk yield. From one Kholmogory individual per year, you can get up to 3300-4000 liters of milk per year.
Is it profitable to keep a cow: the pros and cons of buying
Only one conclusion can be drawn from the foregoing. Profit for the farmer, the content of cattle with the right approach to business can really bring relatively good. Cattle breeders receive the largest income if there are direct buyers of milk. If they are, the farmer should definitely get 1-2 or even 3 cows. With a herd of 4-10 or more goals, milk will most likely have to be handed over to the enterprise at a rather low price. In this case, the availability of profit and its size will depend primarily on how well the farm itself will be organized.