BF 233: Beef Cattle Management

Learn to Raise Beef Profitably

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Getting Set up for Success with Cattle

Having a successful cattle business is about much more than just buying a few head and putting them in a field. If you want to turn a profit, you need to think carefully about your goals, marketing strategy, appropriate breeds, and many more details. Over the six weeks of this course you'll get a much clearer idea of what is involved, whether it's the right fit for you, and if it is, what steps you need to take to get started.

Target Audience

All levels - This course is primarily for those just getting started (or thinking of getting started) with a beef enterprise, but those already raising cattle and seeking to improve or expand their operation will find a lot of interest here too.

Webinars

The bulk of the course happens on your own time, with discussions, readings, and assignments here in Teachable, our virtual classroom. To add to the experience, live webinars will be woven into the online interface for 6 weeks each Fall to allow you to meet on a weekly basis to learn from presenters and ask questions in real time. If you miss one, they are always recorded and posted for later viewing.

Webinar Schedule

Live instruction for the 2021-2022 season has ended, and the next live session will be in late November 2022. While we encourage live attendance so you have the opportunity to engage with the presenters and ask questions, all webinars we will be posted in our online classroom for students to watch anytime. Once you have enrolled in this course, you will retain access to all materials indefinitely, and can return to participate in the live webinars as many times as you wish.


Your Instructor


Brett Chedzoy and Betsy Hicks
Brett Chedzoy and Betsy Hicks

Brett Chedzoy is a forestry and agriculture educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schuyler County. He has long been a proponent and practitioner of silvopasture - the integration of grazing animals and trees. Brett and his family also own and operate Angus Glen Farms, LLC in Watkins Glen, NY – a 500-acre grazing operation raising grass-fed beef.


Betsy Hicks is a Dairy Management Specialist with the South Central NY Dairy & Field Crops Team with Cornell Cooperative Extension. Her background is in nutrition. She helps farmers on topics including herd health, cow behavior, cow comfort and calf care. Betsy and her husband operate a registered Black Angus cow-calf operation in Cortland County, NY, where they incorporate about 100 acres in their grazing plan.


Course Curriculum


  General Course Resources
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  Week 1: Why Raise Beef Cattle?
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  Week 2: Breeds, Buying & Behavior
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  Week 3: Cattle Health & Performance
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  Week 4: Beef Cattle Nutrition
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  Week 5: Marketing Models & Pricing for Profitability & Success
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  Week 6: Feeding Systems and Course Wrap Up
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Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 7 days and we will give you a full refund.

Get started now!