How to Start a Profitable Livestock Framing Business

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Livestock farming is different from agricultural farming and deals predominantly with animals.  It involves rearing of domesticated or semi- domesticated animals for personal or commercial purposes.
Farmers who keep animals such as cattle, goat, sheep, poultry, and fish fall into this category. A  Farmers who produce crops alongside livestock are considered mixed farmers.
However they may choose to specialize in only one type of animal. The business template depends on your preference, landed space and demand.
Others are locality, market base and finance.  Animals are farmed for their wool, meat, skin and milk. Common livestock farmed are goats, sheep cows, donkeys. Others are camel, donkey, horse, pigs, dogs, poultry birds and fish.
The animals are further divided into domesticated, semi domesticated and wild. Other considerations are carnivore or herbivore.  
Most commonly farmed animal are herbivorous animals like cows, sheep and goats. The farmer specializes in a niche market or diversifies into various livestock including fish farming.
 Livestock farming is a highly lucrative business venture practiced for hundreds of years. You need to learn the trade, get adequate finance, source products and follow government rules and regulations.  
Other considerations are feeding cost, staff and marketing
How to Start a Goat Farming Business.
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Types of livestock farmed
There are many types of livestock that can be farmed. A farmer can determine which one he likes and what is obtainable in his locality.
Do market survey before setting up your farm. Produce only animals that have commercial value in your locality. For example in some communities pork meat is perceived as unclean so producing it in such areas will fail.
 Different Farmed Animals
The different types of livestock that are farmed both domestic and wild are listed bellow.
A livestock farmer can produce Yak, water buffalo, sheep, goat, reindeer, rabbit, pigs, mule and Llama. Other farmed animals include horse, guinea pigs, Gaya, Donkey, Dogs, Deer, Cattle, Camel, and Bison
 Choose animal species endemic to the area for better results. For example Bison and Llama are found in certain geographical locations.
 Farmers derive many economic values such as the animal’s strength, meat, skin, milk, compost manure, sport and pets.
Favorite farm animals
What is your favorite livestock farmed
Top of Form
  • Cattle, sheep, goats
  • Carmel, donkey
  • chicken, turkey, pigeons
  • aquatic fish, fresh fish, ocean fish
  • Bison, deer
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Disease
Livestock are living creatures and subject to diseases and illness. You need to take adequate care of your livestock to prevent terrible losses.
Disease can impact negatively on productivity, quality and finances. The farmer has to control the disease through vaccination, regular vet checks and the use of antibiotics.
Livestock Farming Practices
Livestock are usually kept in secure enclosures, free range or semi free range. Farmers use control feeding or feed through open pasture. The farmer could combination of both enclosed or semi free range techniques.
Other types of livestock farming techniques are herding using sheep dogs, horses or small utility helicopters. Other ways is to place them in sheds, cages or providing a fenced large enclosure for them to walk about freely.
The enclosures may be built with barbed wires wood or blocks depending on the livestock you keep. Some farmers provide ponds or water systems like mechanized wells, boreholes or small streams.
Animals also need ventilated sheds, open range enclosures, cages or barn houses. The kind of power needed to run his farm includes manual power, animal power or mechanized power.  
The farmer can produce cash crops such as maize, corn, vegetables, and tomatoes alongside his animals.
Livestock Feed
The livestock your keep depends on the kind of animal you want to farm. Animal feed depends on the animal kept and could be processed, bought, or sourced from nature.
Some farmers also produce the animal feed concentrates using farmed crops and milling techniques. Food, water and shelter are important if you want to run a successful livestock farm.
Other considerations are medication and where to source your animals. Things farmers should also consider are branding, use of trackers, use of reputable veterinary services and learning new farming techniques.
List of livestock farmed
  • Banteng
  • Cattle, sheep and goat
  • Dog and cat
  • Donkey, camel and horse
  • Guinea pig and pig
  • Mule, reindeer, Bison, water buffalo, yak
  • Rabbit , and Grasscutter (Cain rat),
  • Non related livestock are fish, chicken, turkey, pigeons
Chicken farming
Farming types
Types of farming
Animal
Produce
Aquatic farming
     catfish, goldfish
     meat, pets
Crop farming
     oranges, pepper, flowers
     vegetables, fruits
livestock farming
     goat, pig, sheep
     beef, eggs
fungus-farming
     mushrooms
     Meat
Why start a Livestock Farming Business
The reasons for farming livestock depends on the market of interest. You may want to produce wool, red meat, white meat, fiber, diary products or milk.
 The animals are reared for labor such as horses or donkeys to tilling land. You decide on a breeding program for horses and domesticated animals like dogs or cat.
Some other remote reasons are land management and production of organic fertilizers.  Others are military applications, sports and entertainment.
Livestock animals are farmed for different reasons accord to market and farmers target of interested. Another reason to go into livestock farming is to provide fresh produce to local and international markets.
If your prices are affordable you will profit from the enterprise.
Select a Niche market
Focusing on a niche or specific sector of the market helps build a reputation and better patronage.  Organic produce attract high premium prices so carving a niche guarantees better results and trust.
This equates to consumer confidence from end buyers such as hotels, restaurants and butchers. This generates lots of product acceptance, demand and referrals.
The niche should be tailored to the demand and supply of a specific demography.
Red Meat and Diary Produce
For the production of red meat the farmer can choose to farm cattle, goat, camel and sheep. The animal is reared for the slaughter house to provide the population with a rich source of protein.
Cattle and goats are farmed for their meat, milk waste and skin. Chickens are farmed for lean meat, egg production and to production of fertilizer.
Fish are farmed for wheat meat, feed mixtures and ornament fishes such as gold fish and angel fish
Mushroom farming
Provide Fresh Products
Livestock farming is all about producing fresh products for the open market. The products might be processed like wool, or edible like red or white meat even eggs.
Fresh organic products have a ready market and they attract good premium prices. The products are sold directly to customers through outlets like restaurants, meat shops and hotels.
The farmer uses direct sales through produce markets and fairs.  A mixed livestock farmer can add cash crops, flowers, and grains to give his customers a wider choice.
Labor and land Management
Some farm animals are bred strictly as beasts of labor. They provide power for, tilling, cropping, transport and milling.
Animals that fall under this category are donkeys, horses, camel, bulls and Yak. They are a rich source of labor and have been used for hundred of years before the advent of automobile engines.
Some animals are grazers and forage freely eating up the grassland. Other uses for livestock farming are secondary products like fertilizer and leather manufacturing.
Provide Rich and Affordable Produce
People would rather buy from a nearby farm than buy the open market. This is because they expect to get a bargain basement price for the product. They are also guaranteed fresh produce.
Conclusion
Livestock farming covers a wide range of animals. It is capital intensive and very rewarding.
The type of farming you choose depends on your preference and you perceived market. You need lots of land, experience hands and knowledge of government policies concerning the business models.
Luckily farming is highly encouraged and subsidized by governments. Develop your business skill through seminars, workshops, become an apprentice or formal education.
You can start a large or small farm depending on your finance, location and resources.
How to Start a Livestock Farm
Choose the animal you want to farm
Learn the trade
Source adequate funding
Buy landed property or lease
Buy equipment
Register your business
Source animals
Provide veterinary services
Feed them properly
Deploy effective marketing to reach customers

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