Is it profitable to keep dairy cows? Research paper on economics on the topic: “Is it profitable to keep a cow?”

Is it profitable to keep a cow on a private farm?

Rural families have completely stopped keeping cows - they say it is unprofitable. From producers of milk and meat, villagers gradually began to turn into consumers - like city residents. Reflecting on this problem, we decided to calculate what costs are incurred to maintain one cow and what income it brings.

If you already have a cow...

For a year, to keep a cow productively (and this means feeding her not only so that she lives, but also so that she can give milk) four tons of hay and 1-1.2 tons of feed are required.
Four tons of hay will cost 8-8.5 thousand rubles (16 bales at 500 rubles each). The Bogdanovichi feed mill sells for 12-13 thousand rubles per ton. Purchasing 1.2 tons at this price, we will have to shell out another 14,400 rubles from our pocket. In total, you will have to pay 22,400 (8,000+14,400) rubles for hay and feed for one cow.
Let's add grazing to these expenses. If you organize collective grazing of cows and jointly hire a shepherd, set the fee, for example, 300-400 rubles. per head per month (and cows are grazed from May to October inclusive, that is, six months), which means that grazing per year will cost 2,400 rubles.
Let's summarize the annual costs per cow - 24,800 rubles. Of course, other expenses may be added to this. For example, vaccinations, calling a veterinarian, etc., as a result, maintaining a cow costs about twenty-six thousand.

What can we get?

Let's calculate two options for selling milk. Option one– we hand over the milk to the procurer. In our region, such a purchase is organized mainly in the Galkinsky rural settlement by individual entrepreneur A.V. Osipov. So, on average, a cow will produce 3500 liters of milk per year (and this is not the best cow, let’s call it average).
Let’s assume that we feed 500 liters to a newborn calf, leave three liters daily for the needs of the family, and hand over the rest of the milk to the procurer. We multiply this balance (on average) - 2300 liters (3500 l - 500 l - 700 l) by 11 rubles. (average purchase price as of the current date), we get 25,300 rubles. Yes, the price is very low, but at the same time you don’t have to worry about who to sell to, there are no transportation costs, you don’t spend money on electricity or gas in the case of milk processing.
It would seem that what happens when the cost per cow is 26,000 rubles. income is only 25,300 rubles? But we left 700 liters for ourselves, and if it weren’t for the cow, we would have to buy this milk in the store at a price of at least 30 rubles, which is 21,000 rubles. That is, even with this option for selling excess milk, you can save 20,300 rubles for the family. In addition, every year the cow gives birth to one calf. Last year it was possible to sell a month-old calf for at least 9-10 thousand rubles, and if you leave it and raise it, then the family will have meat, and part of the meat can be sold.
Option two- we implement it ourselves. To whom? Residents of their village, in the city. To calculate, let's take average prices: milk costs 25 rubles. for 1 liter, sour cream – 200 rubles. cottage cheese – 100 rub. per kilogram.
We count. Milk – 6 liters per day for 25 rubles. This is 150 rubles for seven days - 1050 rubles for a week.
Sour cream – 200 rub. multiply by three liters per week, the total is 600 rubles.
Cottage cheese – 100 rubles, 3 kg per week, total – 300 rubles.
It turned out that in a week we received 1950 rubles, multiply by four weeks, a total of 7800 rubles per month in income from one cow.
A cow is milked for ten months a year, but we will make the calculation only for six, when she is most productive, so the income from the sale of dairy products will be 46,800 rubles (7,800 rubles multiplied by six months).
For the remaining four months, we calculate the sales of milk daily at three liters, multiplying these 360 ​​liters by 25 rubles, we get another 9,000 rubles. Total income for the year is 55,800 rubles. Considering that the cost of maintaining a cow amounted to approximately 26,000 rubles, the net profit is about 29,800 rubles. At the same time, we ourselves always have milk, sour cream, cottage cheese, and maybe butter on the table - this is also an uncounted profit, we didn’t pay for them - our little cow gave it to us “for free”.

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1. Introduction

Milk and dairy products are a valuable food product. They have high biological qualities. Dairy products contain many minerals and almost all vitamins. Milk is widely used in the nutrition of people of different age groups, as well as in medical nutrition. A person obtains the main amount of calcium from milk. In terms of its importance in the nutrition of the population, milk ranks second after bread. The choice of my research work was inspired by my grandfather’s words that keeping a cow is profitable, but for some reason there have been fewer cows in our beloved village in recent years. Any Slavic village is unthinkable without a cow. There were times when every household kept a cow, regardless of social status and income. The cow itself was considered a symbol of wealth. But times have changed, and so have priorities. According to many people, it is now more profitable to earn money in the social sphere rather than in the agricultural sector. There is a version that today it is easier to slaughter or sell livestock than to feed it. Many people don’t even think about it - they keep it to feed their family. After all, you can sell milk, sour cream, butter, cheese and eat it yourself. You won't go hungry. But again, you need to work around the clock, 365 days a year, without vacations or weekends. According to economists who calculate the profitability of keeping livestock, it is more profitable to rent than to feed. Especially in recent years, when due to weather conditions quite a large amount of the grain harvest, and not only that, is lost.

PROBLEM 2:

Why don't people want to keep a cow? Maybe it's not profitable? Therefore, the topic of my research sounds exactly like this.

And everyone, even a child, knows that milk is very healthy. You can make many healthy products from milk. But you have to look after the cow, clean it, and feed it. And this requires considerable effort. Maybe people are more “afraid” of work and this work is not worth the money that can be obtained from a cow.

Despite the benefits of milk and dairy products, various programs aimed at developing agriculture, including cattle breeding, in recent years in Russia, there are fewer and fewer cows. There is an opinion that keeping cows is not profitable.

2.2 Purpose: find out whether it is possible to make a profit from cow's dairy products, and whether milk is really so healthy.

Tasks:

Study the literature on cattle on farms

Monitor animals on a farm

What are the benefits of milk?

How to determine the quality of milk?

Is it possible to make a profit from a cow?

To determine whether it is profitable for a rural family today to keep a cow in the household

2.3 Object of study:

Black and white cow,

2.4 Hypothesis:

Subsistence farming helps save our families’ family budgets

2.5 Research method:

Observation, comparative analysis

Literature Study

3 Theoretical significance of the work -

The results and progress of the study allow us to expand and deepen knowledge about the economic costs and profits from household farming.

Practical significance:

Finding out the benefits of subsidiary farming for the budget of a rural family.

2.6 How did the first cows appear?

The first domestic animals appeared thousands of years ago. Primitive people began to domesticate wild animals in order to have a constant source of hides, milk and meat. The wolf, the ancestor of the modern dog, was the first to be domesticated. This happened 130 centuries ago. Then sheep and goats were domesticated, and a little later - cows and pigs.

Cattle - cows are descended from the wild aurochs bull. Scientists believe and insist that aurochs were domesticated eight to nine thousand years ago. Man worked and needed the strength and muscles of animals. It was then that people caught wild animals and forced bulls to pull heavy plows. Grandfather said that even during the war in the villages, cows and bulls plowed the land.

Nowadays, cows are the main animal in the village. They are bred mainly for milk and meat. Milk is used to produce cheese and butter, yogurt, kefir and cottage cheese, sour cream and other dairy products. Every year a cow gives birth to a calf. The calf is nursed by the mother for up to nine months, but it can be taken from her at about three months of age, when it begins to eat grass. The average annual milk yield of dairy cows is 4-5 thousand kg.

In our village Energia there are 22 courtyards. Only three families keep cows. I also wondered: Do my classmates’ families keep cows? To do this, I conducted a survey among students in my class.

2.7 What are the benefits of milk?

Cow's milk, undoubtedly a valuable food product.

Nutrients in milk there are a lot - more than 200, and the main ones include proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and mineral salts. All these components play an important role in nutrition and ensuring the normal functioning of the body. Milk fat is also valuable, and it is considered the most complete of dietary fats.

Even in the Ancient East, milk was used to treat diseases of the nervous system and mental disorders. Eastern doctors believed that milk promotes the development of intelligence, makes a person more intelligent, helps him understand the world around him and distinguish good from evil.

2.8 About the quality of milk

One of the main indicators of milk quality is fat content. The fat content of milk depends on many factors. (heredity, age, nutrition, temperature)

Milk from domestic cows is richer and more valuable.

To determine the fat content of milk, various methods have been developed, carried out in laboratories and with special devices (butyromers).

Experience 1

I determined the fat content of our cow's milk.

To determine the fat content of milk at home, you only need a glass 12-15 cm high, a ruler with divisions in millimeters and, of course, the test product itself, i.e. milk. . On the prepared glass, use a felt-tip pen to draw a line at a level of 10 cm from the bottom. Then you need to pour milk into the glass to the indicated mark. . The glass of milk should be left on the table at room temperature for 8 hours. . During this time, cream should float to the surface of the milk poured into a glass. The height of the layer formed from them must be measured with a ruler with millimeter divisions. . Now you need to determine the percentage of fat content of the milk. It's not at all difficult to do this. The height of the milk layer, i.e. 100mm, must be considered 100%. . The number of millimeters of the layer of cream formed on the surface of the milk is the percentage of fat content of the product. . Naturally, it is impossible to measure tenths of a millimeter of cream by eye. But determining the approximate fat content using this simple method is quite easy.

Conclusion:fat content was 8% (Appendix 1, Fig. 1,2)

Experience 2

Store bought milk.

Conclusion:This milk is undiluted. Fat content - 3.2%

Homemade milk is fattier, which means it’s healthier. (Appendix 1 Fig. 3.4)

4 CALCULATION OF FINANCIAL COSTS FOR MAINTAINING A COW.

2.9 Costs for maintaining one cow. (Appendix 2 tab 1)

1. One adult cow requires 20 kg of hay and 5 kg of feed per day.

The cow must be kept in a stall for 6 months, and for 6 months the cow grazes on pasture. How much feed does a cow need per year?

We calculate the cost of hay.

20kg x 180 days = 3600 kg of hay per year per cow.

2000 rubles costs 1 bale, 1 bale is equal to 500 kg.

This means 1 ton (1000kg) = 2 bales = 4000 rubles

1 kg of hay = 4000 rubles: 1000 kg = 4 rubles

This means: 4 rubles x 3600 kg = 14,400 rubles

To buy hay (3,600 kg) for 1 cow it costs 14,400 rubles.

2. We calculate how much is spent on feed.

5 kg of feed x 365 days = 1825 kg per year.

One cow needs approximately 1825 kg of feed per year.

The price of 100 kg of feed is 900 rubles, which means 1 kg of feed is 9 rubles.

We calculate the cost of 1825 kg of feed: 9 rubles x 1825 kg = 16,425 rubles

To purchase feed for 1 cow it costs 16,425 rubles.

3.We summarize the costs of hay and feed per 1 cow:

14,400 + 16,425 = 30,825 rubles

Conclusion: We spent 30,825 rubles to maintain one cow.

3.0 Costs of purchasing dairy products in a store if there is no cow (Appendix 2, Table 2)

1. If you buy milk, cottage cheese, sour cream in a store, you get the following costs:

Milk 1 liter (365 days) x 50 rubles = 18,250 rubles

Sour cream 500g (once a week - 52 times) x 150 rubles = 7,800 rubles

Cottage cheese 1 kg (1 time a week - 52 times) x 200 rubles = 10,400 rubles

Add up: 18,250 + 10,400 + 7,800 = 36,450 rubles

Conclusion: it costs 36,450 rubles to buy dairy products in a store.

36,450 - 30,825 = 5,625 rubles per year - savings

Conclusion: it is profitable to keep a cow.

If you take into account the cost of a cow (50,000 rubles), then the purchase will pay off in 6 years. It is unprofitable to keep one cow if you do not sell the remaining milk! The remaining milk can be sold to the population at 40 rubles per liter. Let's calculate the profit.

3 .1 Income from milking 1 cow . (Appendix 2, tab. 3) On average, a cow produces 13 liters of milk per day: 1820+ 465 +976 +1587 = 4848 liters total

4848: 365 =13 liters of milk on average per day

The milking period is about 9 months minus 1 month for feeding the calf with milk. Let's calculate:

270 days x 13 liters = 3510 liters per year (on average) - given by a cow

3.2 Calculate milk consumption for yourself (Appendix 2, table 4

Milk every day 1 liter (270 days) - 270 liters

Sour cream 1 time per week (52 times), To obtain 1 liter of sour cream you will need 10 liters of milk, Total: 10 x 52 = 520 liters

Cottage cheese 1 time per week (52 times). To obtain 1 kg of cottage cheese you will need 5 liters of milk. Total: 5 x 52 = 260 liters

To feed a calf 30 days, 6 liters each (6 X 30 = 180 liters)

Let’s sum it up: 270+ 520+260 + 180 = 1230 liters of milk we consume ourselves and for feeding the calf. Now let's find the excess milk.

Let's calculate: 3,510 liters - 1,230 liters = 2,280 liters can be sold

On average, 1 liter of milk costs 40 rubles on the market.

2280 liters x 40 rubles = 91,200 rubles benefit per year

Conclusion: it is profitable for a rural family to keep a cow on a private plot .

In our village there is no way to sell all the remaining milk, so my parents sell surplus dairy products to the city of Kinel. The benefits of homemade milk and the income received from selling milk to fellow villagers and residents of the city of Kinel clearly cover the costs of maintaining a cow. Therefore we will keep a cow!

CONCLUSION

But despite all the difficulties, “keeping a cow” is profitable, she really is a breadwinner for a rural family. Having a cow can provide your family with meat and milk. For the garden you will get manure, which is necessary for growing vegetables. The product we consume without preservatives and chemical additives is good for health. To benefit from subsidiary farming, you need an economic approach, diligence and hard work. It's not the start-up costs that scare most residents, but rather the ongoing, daily attachment to the cow. After all, in order to keep a cow, you need to get up early every day and go to bed later, prepare feed, and organize sales of dairy products. But as my grandfather would say: “In the age of the Internet, automatic washing machines, dishwashers, robotic vacuum cleaners, people have simply become lazy!”

Bibliography:

Lebedko E.Ya. "Cow on a private farm." Moscow: Aquarium, 2016.

Magazine “Homestead Farming” Moscow, “Prosveshchenie”, 2015.

Magazine “Homestead Farming” Moscow, “Prosveshchenie”, 2016.

Magazine "Amateur Gardener's Handbook". "Enlightenment", 2015

Internet resources.

Annex 1

Appendix 2

Table 1

table 2

table 3

Shcherbakova Elizaveta

Project Manager:

Shcherbakova Lidiya Vasilievna

Institution:

MBOU "Poroshevskaya basic secondary school" in the village of Poroshevo

In the presented research project in mathematics "Is it profitable to keep a cow?" Due to the fact that the number of cows in Russia has significantly decreased in recent years, the author studies how profitable it is for rural residents to keep a cow and whether it is profitable at all.

In the process of working on research project in mathematics "Is it profitable to keep a cow?" A 9th grade student set a goal to find out whether it is profitable for a rural family to keep a cow on a private plot.

In the research paper on mathematics "Is it profitable to keep a cow?" an analysis of the literature on subsistence farming, a survey of residents of the village of Poroshevo are presented, and economic calculations for maintaining one cow and a calf are presented.

In the proposed mathematics project "Is it profitable to keep a cow?" The author proposed mathematical formulas that were used to calculate the financial expenses and profits of a rural family keeping one cow and a calf on a subsidiary farm.

Introduction
1. Keeping a cow: pros and cons.
Conclusion
Literature

Introduction

Milk and dairy products are a valuable food product. They have high biological qualities. Dairy products contain many minerals and almost all vitamins. Milk is widely used in the nutrition of people of different age groups, as well as in medical nutrition.

A person obtains the main amount of calcium from milk. In terms of its importance in the nutrition of the population, milk ranks second after bread. The choice of my research work was inspired by my grandfather’s words that keeping a cow is profitable, but in our beloved village in recent years, for some reason, there have been fewer cows. Any Slavic village is unthinkable without a cow.

There were times when every household kept a cow, regardless of social status and income. The cow itself was considered a symbol of wealth. But times have changed, and so have priorities. According to many people, it is now more profitable to earn money in the social sphere rather than in the agricultural sector.

There is a version that today it is easier to slaughter or sell livestock than to feed it. Many people don’t even think about it - they keep it to feed their family. After all, you can sell milk, sour cream, butter, cheese and eat it yourself. You won't go hungry. But again, you need to work around the clock, 365 days a year, without vacations or weekends.

According to economists who calculate the profitability of keeping livestock, it is more profitable to rent than to feed. Especially in recent years, when due to weather conditions quite a large amount of the grain harvest, and not only that, is lost.

Problem: Despite the benefits of milk and dairy products, various programs aimed at developing agriculture, including cattle breeding, in recent years in Russia, there are fewer and fewer cows. There is an opinion that keeping cows is not profitable.

Target: find out whether it is profitable for a rural family to keep a cow on their private plot

Tasks:

• Study the literature on cattle on farms
• Conduct a survey of residents of the village of Poroshevo and students of the Poroshevo school in order to find out the real costs of maintaining a cow.
• Monitor animals on a farm
• Calculate the costs and profits for maintaining a cow for the whole year
• Conduct an analysis of the reasons for the decrease in the number of cattle in the village.
• To determine whether it is profitable for a rural family today to keep a cow in the household.

Object of study : black and white cow,

For reference: After interviewing village residents, we found out that the black-and-white breed of cows is most common in the village of Poroshevo. Therefore, the object of study is this breed of cows.

From the scientific literature it turned out that in terms of development these are quite large animals: the live weight of calves at birth is 30-35 kg, heifers at one year of age - 322 (in breeding farms 355-370 kg), cows - 488 (in breeding farms 524-541 kg ), bulls - 850-1070 kg. Adult animals are quite tall (height at the withers of cows is 128-135, bulls - 138-156 cm).

The color is predominantly black and motley. In herds on breeding farms, the average milk yield of cows is 6306 kg of milk with a fat content of 3.82% (milk fat production 241 kg). In fact, when interviewing residents of our village, the milk yield of a cow of this color is approximately 3060 kg (2750 liters).

In black-and-white cows, the protein content in milk is 3.2-3.4%, the udder index is 40-43%, the intensity of milk output is 1.68 kg/min. The animals are quite precocious: the average age at first calving is 31 months, in breeding farms and breeding breeders - 29-30 months.

Hypothesis: Subsidiary farming helps in saving the family budget of our families.

Research method :

• Observation, comparative analysis
• Literature Study

The results and progress of the study allow us to expand and deepen knowledge about the economic costs and profits from household farming.

Practical significance : Finding out the benefits of subsidiary farming for the budget of a rural family.

Keeping cows is a truly difficult task. Caring for farm animals of this group always takes a lot of time. In addition, the actual technology for keeping cattle, unlike, for example, rabbits or chickens, is quite complex. In order for the business of raising cows to become profitable, the farmer needs to know and be able to do a lot.

Raising cows includes the following main activities:

• feeding and watering animals in stalls;
• grazing;
• hay making;
• milking;
• breeding (mating);
• periodic veterinary examinations and preventive vaccinations.

Each of these procedures, of course, requires not only certain knowledge, but also financial costs.

Is it profitable to keep a cow: reviews from farmers

According to the majority of homestead owners, keeping cattle for milk today is quite profitable. But only if the owner of the barn approaches the choice of breed responsibly and strictly follows the technology of keeping animals. The reduction in the number of cattle in Russia recently, according to many farmers, is not due to the fact that it has become unprofitable to raise such animals, but simply to the banal laziness of our compatriots. After all, keeping a cow, unlike rabbits or chickens, requires a huge amount of time and effort. Such animals need not only to be fed correctly and on time, but also to be milked at least twice a day. Also, a cattle farmer should know how to properly deliver a cow, how to care for calves, and much more.

Thus, only people who are not afraid of various kinds of difficulties and who also permanently live in rural areas buy cattle for keeping. For such farmers, the question of whether it is profitable to keep a cow on the farm, in principle, is not worth it at all. Having spent maximum effort on caring for cattle, such people really make a good profit. It’s just that keeping a cow in a dacha, unlike chickens or rabbits, is not only unprofitable, but in most cases it’s even completely impossible.

How much does care cost: food

Before buying a cow, of course, you need to make a calculation of the future costs of its maintenance. It is also worth trying to determine the expected profit. Keeping cows in any case involves the use of:

• roughage (grass and hay);
• concentrates (grain and bran);
• succulent feed (root vegetables, silage).

The most expensive type of feed is, of course, concentrates. On average, one cow needs about 1 ton of barley per year. The cost of this type of food is about 8500-9000 rubles. The farmer will also need to purchase about 500-600 kg of bran. Their purchase will cost approximately 3000-4000 rubles. That is, in total you will have to spend at least 11,500 rubles on concentrated feed. in year.

Many farmers on specialized forums are interested in whether it is profitable to keep a cow if you buy hay. One animal usually requires about 50 bales of such food per year, the cost of each of which is 80-85 rubles. That is, the costs in this case will be at least 4000 rubles. In principle, this is not much and the purchase of hay in most cases does not have much impact on the final profit from keeping cows. But, of course, if desired, the farmer can save on hay and mow it himself (if there is somewhere).

According to housing technology, one cow requires about 900-1000 kg of succulent feed per year. Beets, for example, cost about 3,000 rubles. per ton. For the same amount of silage you need to pay approximately 4200-4500 rubles.

Thus, in total, per year you have to spend on feed for one cow:

11,500 + 4000 + 3000 = 18,500 rubles.

And this is only the minimum amount.

Additional expenses

Among other things, keeping a cow involves, of course, costs for grazing. On average, the price of a shepherd's services is 600 rubles. per month. The total amount for the warm period of the year will thus be about 2500-3000 rubles.

Additional costs for maintaining a cow also include the cost of electricity (barn lighting) and fuel (delivery of milk to customers). All this will cost on average about 10-15 thousand rubles. in year.

Thus, the total cost of maintaining a cow will be 18,500 + 2500 + 10,000 = 31,000 rubles. in year. Based primarily on this, you need to decide whether it is profitable to keep cows for milk. Of course, the farmer will have to recoup the cost of the barn over time, which in this case should be quite large.

Veterinarian services

The answer to the question of whether it is profitable to keep a cow in the village depends, among other things, on the cost of various kinds of preventive measures aimed at preventing diseases. Owners of small household plots with one or two cows usually pay only for vaccinations. In total, vaccinations on small farms cost approximately 5-6 thousand rubles per year. That is, to the previously received cost amount of 31,000 rubles. you need to add another 5 thousand rubles. Thus, the average cost of maintaining one cow per year will be 36,000 rubles. in year.

Mating costs

Of course, this expense item should also be included in the project of the future farm. After all, if a cow does not have calves, it will not be possible to get milk from her. The cost of mating a cow with a bull depends primarily on the thoroughbred of the latter. Thus, the services of a champion can cost 10-15 thousand rubles. But most often, owners of personal plots still pay no more than 2000 rubles for mating. in year. That is, the total amount of expenses will already be 38,000 rubles.

Possible profit

So, we found out approximately what amount farmers spend on feed, prevention of cattle diseases, mating, etc. So is it profitable to keep a cow on the farm? To answer this question, among other things, you should, of course, know how much money you can actually earn from the sale of the main product produced on a farm of such specialization.

High-yielding cows, with proper feeding and maintenance technology, are capable of producing an average of 3500-6000 liters of milk per year. In Russia, a liter of such farm product costs on average about 53 rubles. That is, from one cow per year you can get approximately 318,000 rubles. If 38,000 rubles are spent on maintenance, the income will thus be 318,000 - 38,000 = 280,000 rubles. from one cow.

Is it really possible to make 280,000 rubles in profit?

Thus, the answer to the question of whether it is profitable to keep a cow to sell milk is clear. If you choose the right breed and follow the care technology, you can get 280,000 rubles from one animal. income per year. However, such an amount can be earned, unfortunately, only if the milk is sold directly to the consumer. Meanwhile, finding buyers for the owner of a personal plot is often not so easy. Of course, you can sell milk at the market or to summer residents if there are gardening partnerships near the village. But it is not a fact that the entire product will be sold this way.

If it is not possible to find a sufficient number of buyers for milk, it will most likely have to be delivered to a dairy plant. And profits will decrease, and very significantly. The fact is that food industry enterprises accept milk at a price of only 12-15 rubles per liter. That is, the income from one cow in this case will be 15 x 6000 = 90,000 maximum.

A large number of animals: is it profitable?

Many villagers keep one or two cows on their personal farmstead. In principle, this business can be quite profitable. But many Russians also wonder whether it is profitable to keep 5 dairy cows, 10 or 20. Of course, a cattle farm, like a small household plot, can also become a fairly profitable enterprise. However, organizing a business of such specialization will, of course, require additional costs. For 5-10 cows you will need a much larger barn. In addition, the owners may have to hire an assistant. And in this case, the milk will most likely still have to be delivered to the plant, which will greatly affect profits. The only way to reach consumers directly in this case is to open your own store. And this, of course, will entail additional costs for renting premises, hiring a seller, etc.

Sale of calves

The answer to the question of whether it is profitable to keep a cow on a farm depends not only on how much milk the animal can produce and the prices for these products. Of course, a farm owner who specializes in raising cattle can also make a profit from the sale of offspring. In particular, cattle breeders who keep cows of popular breeds with documents have good income from the sale of heifers. Such animals are usually bought very willingly and, moreover, at a high price.

Breeds of dairy cows

At what price do farmers sell heifers and what profit can be made from their sale? The best breeds of dairy cows among Russian cattle breeders are currently considered to be:

• red steppe;
• Ayshire;
• Holstein;
• Kholmogorskaya

You can find out how much a heifer of a particular breed costs and whether it is profitable to keep a cow from the table below.

Cost of purebred dairy heifers

Is it profitable to keep a cow? This is something that those who decide to go into farming think about. This is not an easy task, because caring for cattle requires knowledge and skill. Before you start raising cows at home, you need to consider the complexity of this business and the costs that will be required.

Ways to keep an animal

What are the different ways to keep cows? You will need to choose the appropriate one - stall, pasture or free-stall housing.

The choice is influenced by factors:

• are there specialized premises;
• how many heads of animals;
• are there areas for cows and pastures;
• climate.

For a small farm, stall, pasture-stall and pasture housing of animals is suitable.

Livestock is raised on pastures for fattening. This is a cheap way, since the cows eat on pasture. Animals are kept in summer camps; special workshops are equipped for milking. This method is also used by large farms.

A convenient system is considered to be the pasture-stall housing of dairy cows. During the day, the cattle are grazed in the meadows, and in the evening they are driven to the barn.

If there are no pastures left around, but only plowed fields, then cows are kept in stalls. Feeding takes place in stalls. In this case, 2–3 hours are allocated for walking animals in special areas. This is an expensive pleasure, since food must be constantly brought in. It is difficult for personal subsidiary plots to cope with this. Farmers usually keep cows in stalls only in winter and autumn, when grazing is not possible.

Not only on large farms, but also on private farms, tethered housing of cows is used. The advantages of this method:

• easier to clean the room;
• treatment and artificial insemination are more convenient;
• it is easier to care for the animal (clean, treat the udder and hooves, milk);
• It is more convenient to monitor the condition of the animal.

Disadvantages: the cow remains in a static position for a long time, which is harmful to her health. Especially for the pregnant breed, since during childbirth the placenta separates less well from the walls of the uterus, then surgical intervention and then treatment may be required. A newborn calf can be injured if the stall is crowded.

Freestall keeping of cows on deep litter is attractive due to its cheapness and simplicity. The method is that a bedding of fresh straw and sawdust serves as good heating. This type of carpet is changed 2 times a year. The bottom layer of sawdust is deprived of oxygen and generates heat. Cows winter safely and are not afraid of frost. They can be kept in larger quantities than with the tethered method. In loose box housing, animals are kept in rooms (boxes) in groups. The process of milking and manure removal is controlled automatically, so the fewest number of employees can serve the cows. The method makes it possible to achieve a comprehensive increase in the productivity of the dairy herd. Box housing of cows is used on large farms.

Rules for keeping cattle

You can make a profit only if you follow the technology for keeping cows:

1. You need a comfortable barn built according to the rules. It is better if the housing for animals is made of adobe brick. The strength of the foundation will be provided by baked brick or rubble stone, bonded with a mortar of cement or concrete. For 1 cow, it is necessary to allocate a space of at least 6 m². If a cow is with a calf, then they need about 10 m². The ceiling should be at a height of 2.5 m.
2. Thermal walls are a must for a barn to prevent them from freezing in winter. Plastering and whitewashing of walls are required. White color has the property of reflecting light rays, and the room will be bright.
3. The floors should be made of wood so that they are sloped, then it will be easier to clean the surface from manure. The feeder should be in the center; if necessary, a leash should be installed near it.
4. The stall should be spacious. The feeder is made of wooden boards, well planed; at least 7 kg of hay (or straw) should be placed here.
5. Cows at home need fresh air, so it is necessary to provide ventilation - make an exhaust pipe in the roof. The air temperature in the barn should ideally be within 10 °C.
6. To prevent the entry of infection, you need to lay a special disinfection mat at the front door. It is made from sawdust soaked in a solution of formaldehyde or caustic soda.
7. Caring for a cow should be daily. This will improve her condition. A brush is required for cleaning. The time for these procedures is an hour after milking. Heavy stains are washed off with water.
8. The calf's cage should be especially dry and warm to protect its health.
9. For bedding, use straw or dry sawdust, but not weeds, which may be poisonous.
10. To prevent harmful gases (ammonia and hydrogen sulfide) from accumulating, it is necessary to keep the barn clean; the bedding is changed periodically as it gets dirty.
11. In summer, the milk yield of domestic cows increases due to the availability of fresh food - nutritious grass. If a brownie gives more than 15 liters of milk, then it requires concentrated feed - compound feed, cake, grain waste.

If a cow gives up to 20 liters per day, then she is fed and milked 3 times a day according to the clock. Morning milking at 5 o'clock, then at 13, in the evening - at 21.

Is it profitable to have a cow?

But what are the pitfalls in raising cows? The owner will need to solve the following production tasks:

1. Organization of feeding and watering.
2. Keeping animals in stalls.
3. Grazing.
4. Harvesting hay.
5. Milking process.
6. Organization of mating.
7. Carrying out veterinary examinations and vaccinations.

All this requires not only special knowledge, but also finance.

If you own a cow for milk, then it is a worthwhile endeavor. But here it is necessary to fulfill a number of conditions:

1. Choose a high-yielding breed of cows.
2. Comply with cattle management technologies.

The number of cows in the country has decreased in recent years, but not because it is an unprofitable enterprise. This is explained by the labor-intensive process of keeping cows. Many rural residents are simply too lazy to spend time and energy on this. The cow must not only be fed and cleaned up after her, she must be milked twice a day. And if the animal begins to give birth, then you need to be able to accept the calves and, if necessary, treat them.

In families where animal husbandry is traditionally popular, cows are not a hindrance. A prerequisite is living in a rural environment. They do this out of habit or to improve their financial situation. Raising cows for milk gives villagers the opportunity to have natural products and sell them profitably. But if people have never done this, but want to try a new business for themselves, then they should find out everything about the cow, weigh the pros and cons.

There will be no profit in keeping such animals at the dacha; nevertheless, cattle are not rabbits, they need special conditions.

To find out whether it is profitable to keep cows, you need to decide: how much money will be required for the purchase and procurement of feed; what will it be like to keep a cow on a private farm? Having made the calculations, it will be clear whether the game is worth the candle.

How to organize meals

To feed animals you need:

• roughage (hay and grass);
• succulent feed in the form of root vegetables, silage;
• grain concentrates.

During the year, a cow should be given 1 ton of barley, and this grain product costs at least 9,000 rubles. You will need bran in the amount of 600 kg, this plus another 4000 rubles. It turns out that to purchase concentrates, a farmer needs to spend more than 11 thousand rubles. in year.

The issue with hay can be solved by purchasing it or harvesting it yourself (if there are haymaking areas). Every year you will need about 50 bales of hay (approximately 80 rubles each). In total, you will need to spend at least 4,000 rubles on this food.

You can't do without succulent food. To buy beets and silage per year, one cow will need about 18,000 rubles, considering that beets need about 1 ton per year (at least 3,000 rubles) and the same amount of silage (4,500 rubles). If you add up all these numbers, you get 18,500 r., that’s how much money is needed to feed one cow per year. It's minimum.

Additional expenses

Important components of expenses are grazing of livestock, housing (costs of electricity, water).

You have to graze the cow, that will also cost a pretty penny. The shepherd will need to pay about 600 rubles. monthly in summer. On average it will be about 3000 rubles. Additionally, you need to spend money on gasoline in order to dilute the product for customers. This is still in the range of 10,000–15,000 rubles. in year.

This means that you have to spend 31 thousand rubles a year to maintain a cow. This does not include veterinary fees. If there are only 1-2 cows on the farm, then you can get by with vaccinations. Vaccination will require another 5–6 thousand rubles if we are talking about small farms. Now it is clear that the owner of a cow must have at least 36 thousand rubles.

Among the expenses, it is necessary to provide for the costs of mating in order to then receive offspring from the cow. There will be milk if the cow gives birth to calves. These costs will depend on whether the bull is purebred. But usually they require about 2000 rubles for this service. Now this amount is added to the previously received amount, resulting in 38 thousand rubles. After the question of how much money is needed for feeding, mating, and disease prevention has been clarified, it is necessary to calculate the possible profit from the sale of livestock products. Then it will become clear whether it is profitable to keep a cow.

If you follow the management technology, a purebred cow can produce up to 6000 kg of milk per year. In Russia, on average, 1 liter of milk from a private owner is sold for 53 rubles. This means that by selling a useful product, you can earn 318 thousand rubles. If we subtract expenses from this amount (38 thousand rubles), then we have a net profit of 280 thousand rubles. in year.

This means it is profitable to have a cow. But this is despite the fact that milk will be sold without intermediaries, directly to the consumer. If you hand over the product to a dairy plant, the profit will be much lower - 12–15 rubles. for 1 liter, then the annual income will be only 90,000 rubles. (6000 x 15).

How to increase profits

Maybe it’s more profitable to keep not 1-2 cows, but a large herd? Then we will be talking about a small cattle breeding farm of 5, 10 or 15 cows. This can be profitable, but will require more costs. It will be necessary to have a larger area for keeping animals. You will also need an assistant to work on the farm. If there is a large amount of milk, you will have to hand it over to the dairy. Another solution is to open your own store, but then new expenses will appear - rent, salary to the seller.

Profit from keeping cattle can also be obtained from the sale of calves. Only for this you need to choose animals of those breeds that have already proven themselves to be the best, if there are supporting documents. There will be no problems with the sale of dairy heifers - Holstein, Kholmogory, Red Steppe, Aishir. If you decide to breed livestock for meat, then it is better to choose breeds such as Swiss and Simmental.

If the question arises: what kind of care does a cow require, then you should consult a specialist. You can contact a breeding farm if you want to purchase a heifer and then decide how to breed cows. Here's some advice from a veterinarian:

1. You need to watch the animal: how it eats and moves. You should know the behavioral characteristics. If you do not lose sight of the changes that are occurring, you can start treatment on time if necessary.
2. As you feed, so will you milk, so nutrition should be complete.
3. Cleanliness and warmth in the room are important components for obtaining good weight gain and milk yield.
4. It is necessary to comply with the drinking regime, access to water must be provided at all times.
5. Good care and keeping it clean will help you avoid diseases and get a quality product.
6. Scheduled vaccinations and veterinary examinations should not be ignored.

Cows are unassuming pets. For an animal to produce milk, you just need to take good care of it and feed it properly. But it only seems from the outside that there are no particular difficulties in this matter. The requirements for breeding cattle will depend on what the owners are betting on: they need dairy products, beef or offspring. This will determine which maintenance system will be chosen.