Basic Livestock Needs In Tennessee

Beginning Farmer Workshop Live where you farm… Not farm where you Live! Basic Livestock Needs

“The animals of the farm should be regarded as living factories that are continuously converting their feed into products useful to man.” • Henry and Morrison • In Feeds and Feeding Basic Livestock Needs

• Whether or not to keep livestock… – Most animals require space that can usually be more profitably utilized by other means – Will livestock benefit my overall farm business objectives – Do I have the financial resources to devote to developing livestock production Basic Livestock Needs

• Can livestock be kept on my property…. – Review property deed – Check with city and county zoning ordinances – Does the community/development I live in have livestock restrictions – Do I have enough land to adequately raise livestock Basic Livestock Needs

• Get to know your livestock needs… – Land/fencing requirements • www.tnfarmbureau.org/.../2016/05/TN-Fence

• Get to know your livestock needs.. – Feed/Water – Gestation – Birth to market time frame – How different animals are priced Cattle Needs

• Land 2.5 acres per 1000 pound animal • Fencing Perimeter and cross-fencing • Shelter Some maybe needed for young or sick animals • Feed Consume 2.5% of body weight daily on dry matter basis Cattle Needs

• Water Consume 5-15 gallons per day per animal (must be clean and easily accessible) • Handling Equipment – Must have for safety of animals and handlers, easier to maintain herd health with the right equipment Cattle Needs

• Gestation Length – 283 days (9 months) • Birth to weaning – 7 to 8 months (500- 600 lbs.) • Weaning to finish – 18 to 22 months of age (1200-1400 lbs.) Cattle Needs

• Additional Beef Cattle Resources – UT Cow/Calf Budgets – UT Fencing Budgets – UT Beef and Forage Center • http://utbfc.utk.edu/ Horse Needs

• Land 2.5 acres per 1000 pound animal • Fence Safe perimeter and cross- fencing (for optimal pasture utilization) • Shelter Structure will vary on price and design (protection from the weather elements) Horse Needs

• Feed Consume 2.5% of body weight daily on dry matter basis • Water Consume 5-15 gallons per day (easily available and clean) • Handling Equipment – Vary with breed and how the horse will be used (pleasure/work) Horse Needs

• Gestation Length Approximately 11 months • Birth to Weaning Approximately 6 months • Typically 17 months between breeding and sale of foal Horse Needs

• Additional Horse Resources – https://extension.Tennessee.edu/Pages/Anr- CED-Livestock-and-Forage-Systems-Horse- Programs.aspx Sheep and Goats Sheep and Goats

• Sheep – Wool Sheep – Haired Sheep • Sheep and Goats – Require intense management to be successful – Learn the markets and ethnic holidays to take advantage of the best marketing opportunities Sheep and Goats Needs

• Land Approximately 5 animals per 2.5 acres of pasture • Fence Quality perimeter and cross- fencing (promotes better pasture management) • Guard Dogs – Maybe needed to protect sheep and goats from wild predators Sheep and Goat Needs

• Shelter Needs vary, lambing/kidding season, protection from inclement weather • Feed Consume 2.5% of body weight per day based on dry matter • Water Range of 1-2 gallons per day need fresh clean water Sheep and Goat Needs

• Gestation Length Approximately 150 days, twins are common • Weaning Age 3 months • Lambs and Kids will be marketed at vary weights and age depending on the end user needs Sheep and Goat Needs

• Additional Resources for Small Ruminants – https://extension.Tennessee.edu/Pages/ANR- CED-Livestock-and-Forage-Systems-Small- Ruminant-Progrms.aspx – http://www.tnstate.edu/extension/goat landing.aspx – UT Beef and Forage Center • http://utbfc.utk.edu Poultry

• Chickens, Ducks, Geese and Turkeys – Offer a great way to introduce yourself to raising livestock – Minimal financial investment – Minimal time investment – Smaller land and shelter requirements verse other livestock alternatives – Marketing alternatives for both meat and eggs Poultry Needs

• Land Varies with the species • Fencing and Shelter – Need to be protected from a variety of predators and weather elements • Feed Chickens are very efficient consumers of feed (can be as low as two lbs of feed for every lbs of gain Poultry Needs

• Water – Consume 6 gals/day/100birds – Need access to clean fresh water • Handling Equipment – Egg laying – Meat production Poultry Needs

• Addition Resources for Poultry – http://poultry.ces.ncsu.edu/small-flock- management-resources/ Requirements of Swine Requirements of Swine

• Hog production is well adapted to specialized or diversified types of farming. • Hogs can be raised on small or large farms, in small or large numbers. • They make excellent use of pasture, but can be produced profitably in confinement. Requirements of Swine

• Land-Pasture raised • 20-30 Growing hogs growing hogs: per acre on full feed • Pen raised growing • Growing hogs require hogs: 10-15 square feet of space per animal • Fencing: • Fencing requirements will vary depending on the type of confinement practice Requirements of Swine

• Water: • Hogs will drink about two times as much water as feed, (Water weighs 8.3 lb./gal).

• Feed: • Finishing hogs will consume approximately eight lbs. of feed per day Hog Production Phases

Production Phase Length of Time • Breeding and gestation of • 15 Weeks producing female: • Birth to breeding age: • 32 Weeks • Gestation: • 16 Weeks • Birth-Litter size: • 8-9 Newborn pigs every 6 months Hog Production Phases

Production Phase Length of Time • Weaning: • 2-3 Weeks • Nursery-Growing- • 6 Weeks Backgrounding: • Finishing • 16-20 Weeks, Reaching the desired weight, from 240-270 pounds Resources

• Resource: – Rebekah Norman, Montgomery Extension Director • Bundy, C., Diggins, R., & Christenson, V. – Livestock and Poultry Production. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc.,