Cattle (Beef & Dairy)
🐄 Cattle (Beef & Dairy)
Animal Care Card
Source of: Tallow, Bone Broth, Muscle Meat, Raw Milk, Colostrum
Space Requirements
- 1 to 2 acres of good pasture per cow/calf pair (minimum)
- Dairy breeds (Jersey, Guernsey) can manage on slightly smaller acreage with supplemental hay
- Beef breeds (Angus, Hereford) should be fully rotational-grazed across multiple paddocks
Diet
- Ruminants — require a 100% forage diet: grass, clover, alfalfa, and legumes
- Critical: Grain feeding fundamentally alters the Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acid ratio of their tallow, converting it from anti-inflammatory to pro-inflammatory
- Supplement with loose minerals (kelp, selenium in selenium-deficient regions)
- Free access to a salt block at all times
Water
- 10–30 gallons of fresh, clean water per animal per day
- Lactating dairy cows require the upper end (25–30 gal/day)
- Automatic waterers or large clean troughs; scrub weekly to prevent algae and biofilm
Shelter
- A three-sided run-in shed oriented away from prevailing winter winds
- Provides shade in summer and a windbreak in winter — cattle are cold-hardy but wind-chill is dangerous
- Deep-bedded straw for winter calving and sick animals
Health & Routine Care
- Hoof trimming: 1–2 times per year for beef cattle; every 6 months for dairy breeds
- Deworming: use fecal egg counts to determine need rather than calendar-based dosing
- Annual veterinary exam and vaccinations per your regional disease pressure
- Body condition scoring monthly — a score of 5 out of 9 is ideal for productive animals
💡 Pro Tip for Quality Tallow: Request "leaf fat" from the butcher — the hard, dense fat surrounding the kidneys of a 100% grass-finished animal. Rendered leaf tallow is pure white, nearly odorless, and contains the highest concentration of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K2.