How to Start a Cattle Ranch

Working outdoors on the open range is the dream of every little kid that wants to be a rancher. There are some obstacles as an adult, perhaps, but who wouldn't want to ditch that cubicle under fluorescent lighting for the great outdoors and herding cattle out to the south forty.

Things You'll Need

  • Lasso
  • Chaps
  • Ten-gallon hat
  • Cowboy boots
  • Cattle
  • Land
  • Fencing
  • Fence posts
  • Cattle brand
  • Horse
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Instructions

    • 1

      Locate a piece of land large enough to accommodate and feed a herd of cattle. This land should be at least 30 acres and have enough vegetation to can feed the cattle during the growing season and provide them with shelter. If you choose land that does not have these features, you will spend a fortune on feed and have to build a barn big enough to house the entire herd.

    • 2

      Buy the land if you do not already own a suitable piece of land. You can usually arrange financing from a bank, but you will need to show the bank a viable business plan for the cattle ranch or they will not lend you the money to purchase the land.

    • 3

      Build all the necessary fencing to keep your cattle from wandering off your land never to been seen again. Without fencing, cattle have a tendency to mosey on off the land and leave you with a heap of work to get them cattle back on the property.

    • 4

      Round up a herd of cattle from the auction to populate the cattle ranch. You will need to purchase one bull and at least 50 head of heifers or female cattle. You should never purchase more than one bull because they will fight each other until one of the bulls is dead or forced to leave the herd. You also need to decide what breed of cattle you want to raise; Texas longhorns are one suggestion for new ranchers

    • 5

      Brand the cattle to make sure you can identify your cows at auction and if they wander off the cattle ranch. If you do not have a brand, go to the local blacksmith to get him to design you one.