Agriculture and Natural Resources FSA 3143 Raising Calves for Slaughter

Visit our web site at: http://www.uaex.edu Rural landowners are often interested in raising livestock to slaughter for either personal consumption or local marketing. Advantages to raising your own beef include having control over calf quality and choice of how the calf is finished out. Calves can be grown-out on grass only, grass plus grain or mostly grain. There are disadvantages to consider when fattening your own beef, including the need to purchase a calf, extra labor for feeding, sufficient land set aside for forage-finishing, purchasing expensive feedstuffs for grain-finishing or purchasing freezers to store the beef after slaughter. Calves can also get sick and may require veterinary attention. Also, keep in mind that if you are the senti­ mental type or if you have children who may become attached to the calf, you may have unpleasant feelings when it comes time to have the calf processed. This fact sheet covers facility, calf selection, feeding options, health and slaughter considerations when raising calves for butchering.