Cattle Farming

This IEAC Accredited Foundation Course provides a comprehensive introduction to Managing Cattle. 

This engaging course covers everything you need to know to start and run a small-scale cattle enterprise confidently. It blends essential theory with practical guidance, offering insights into cattle breeds, feeding, health, breeding, and farm operations. Whether your goal is to start a beef or dairy herd, enhance your existing knowledge, or explore cattle farming as a rural hobby, this course provides the tools and confidence to manage your livestock responsibly and efficiently.

You’ll begin by exploring the fundamentals of cattle breeds, understanding the differences between beef and dairy cattle, and learning how to choose the right animals for your farm goals and local environment. The course then covers essential management topics such as nutrition and feed planning, housing and grazing systems, and animal health and welfare standards.

What You Will Learn:

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

1. Choose the Right Breeds: Understand the differences between beef and dairy cattle, evaluate breed characteristics, and select animals suited to your farm size, climate, and goals.

2. Manage Pasture and Feeding: Learn how to plan grazing systems, select pasture species, supplement diets, and maintain healthy nutrition throughout the year.

3. Ensure Herd Health and Welfare: Recognize common diseases, implement vaccination and parasite control programs, and practice low-stress cattle handling techniques.

4. Understand Breeding and Calving: Gain knowledge of reproductive cycles, calving preparation, weaning, and record-keeping for efficient herd management.

5. Handle Cattle Safely: Develop essential stockmanship skills, including handling, restraint, tagging, and basic first aid.

6. Run a Small-Scale Farm Business: Understand start-up costs, profitability of beef versus dairy systems, record-keeping, and regulatory compliance for livestock farming.

There is a final assessment that can be undertaken at any time, day or night; and you will be awarded a coveted: IEAC (International Education Accreditation Council) Certificate, which will have your name on it, including full course details.

THE LESSONS IN THIS COURSE COVER THE FOLLOWING:

LESSON 1 INTRODUCTION: TRENDS AND TECHNOLOGIES IN FARMING

Domesticated Cattle In Human History
Commercial Herds Today
Technology In Agriculture
Using Drones In Cattle Farming
Marketing And Sales
Surveying
Monitoring Livestock
Asset Management
Types Of Aircraft
Fixed Wing Drones
Vtol Drones
Multirotor Drones
Rotary Drones
Sensors
Big Data
Regulations & Liability
Using Artificial Intelligence To Revolutionise Farming Practices
Review What You Have Been Learning

LESSON 2: NUTRITION, HEALTH AND DISEASE

External Anatomy Of Cattle
Common Nutrition And Feed-Related Definitions
Palatability
Intake
Feed Stuff
Ration
Maintenance Ration
Balanced Maintenance Ration
Roughage
Concentrates
Basal Feeds
Supplements
Nutrient
Calorie
Digestibility
Anti-Quality Forage
Animal Performance
Meeting Nutritional Requirements Of Cattle
Energy As Tdn
Protein
Minerals
Vitamins
Calculating A Maintenance Ration
Feeding Beef Bulls
Reference Guide For The Beef Producer
Recognising When Cattle Are Unwell
Metabolic Disease In Cattle
Milk Fever (Hypocalcaemia)
Grass Tetany (Hypomagnesaemia)
Ketosis
Pregnancy Toxaemia (Fat Cow Syndrome)
Review What You Have Been Learning

LESSON 3: PASTURE AND FORAGE MANAGEMENT

Grasses As Pasture 33
Sour Pasture
Sweet Pasture
Mixed Pasture
Applying Grassland Management Principles
Running Herds On Pastures
Continuous Light Stocking
Split – Season Systems
One Herd, Four Paddock System
Intensive System
Running Stock On Grazing Forage
Continuous Grazing
Rotational Grazing
Creep Grazing
First Last Grazing
Sequence Grazing
Strip Grazing
Buffer Grazing
Frontal Grazing
Factors Affecting Natural Forage Quality
Environment
Insect And Disease Damage
Maturity
Harvesting And Storage
Grass Legume Mixtures
Fertiliser Effect
Leaf : Stem Ratio
Landscape Type
Plant Species
Plant Morphology
Hay And Silage
Silage Production
Harvesting
Quality Control Of Silage
Storage And Handling
Pits And Bunkers
Tower Silos
Roundbale
Silopress
Basics Of Harvesting Hay
Review What You Have Been Learning

LESSON 4: COMMERCIAL HERDS – MANAGING AND MAINTAINING

Cattle Management 49
Permanent Fencing
Temporary Fencing
Cattle Handling -Facilities And Yard Design
Handling Facilities
Dips And Spray Races
Spray Race
Plunge Dip
Weighing Scale
Cattle Bail
Calf Bail
Cattle Operating Table
Materials Used In Cattle Handling
Identification
Branding
Ear Marking
Ear Tags
Ear Tattoo
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
Transponder
Reader (Transceiver/Interrogator/Scanner)
Data Accumulator
Software And Data Management Systems
Vaccination
Drenching & Dehorning
Drenching/Deworming
Mechanical Dehorning
Review What You Have Been Learning

LESSON 5: PROCESSES AND WELFARE CONSIDERATIONS

Integrated Farm Management
Elements To Be Considered In An Integrated Farm Plan
Know The Production System – The Principles And Practicalities
Extensive System
Semi-Extensive System
Semi-Intensive System
Intensive System
Law And Welfare
Animal Welfare During Transport
Welfare Concerns And Challenges
Beef Cattle
Dairy Cows
Calves
Veal Calves
Simple Tagging Methods
Review What You Have Been Learning

LESSON 6: PRODUCING QUALITY STOCK

Characteristics Valued In A Cattle
Breeding Farms
Breeding Herds
Indicators Of Fertility In Bulls
Indicators Of Fertility In Cows
Artificial Insemination
The Technique Of Artificial Insemination
Steer Fattening
Lot Feeding
Production Systems
Cow-Calf Herd
General Note On Biology & Behaviour
Review What You Have Been Learning

LESSON 7: BREEDS GUIDE

Why Have Different Breeds?
Breed And Species Registration
Breeds: Beef Production
Angus (Also Known As: Black Angus, Aberdeen Angus)
Braford
Brahman
Charolais
Galloway
Gelbvieh
Hereford And Poll Hereford
Limousin
Piedmontese
Red Angus
Simmental (Also Known As: Fleckvieh, Fleckvieh Simmental, Or Pie Rouge).
Wagyu
Breeds: Dairy Production
Ayrshire
Blaarkop (Also Known As: Groningen, Groninger Blaarkop)
Brown Swiss
Dutch Belted (Also Known As Lakenvalder)
Guernsey
Holstein
Jersey (Also Known As Alderney Cattle)
Norwegian Red
Shorthorn

HOW OUR COURSES WORK:

•    Enrol any time of day or night.
•    Start studying immediately or later (as you wish).
•    Upon enrolment, you will receive an email containing your “Username” and “Password”
•    Help desk – Contact us via email: info@homestudy.co.uk or call: + 44 (0) 1227 789 649
•    There are automated self-assessment tests at the end of each lesson.
•    At the end of the whole course, you are presented with an automated examination.
•    Gain a 60% pass and receive an: IEAC (International Education Accreditation Council) Certificate.