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Livestock Operation
According to the National Agricultural Census of 1997 (another one was due in 2002), fattened cattle made up one-fifth of $98 billion of livestock, poultry and their products that were sold that year. 'Other cattle and calves' made up another fifth, while hogs and pigs comprised some 14 percent of the total. Livestock is, indeed, an enormous part of the farm economy and accounts for a large amount of agricultural output.
Not surprisingly, then, nearly a half - roughly 43 percent of total farmland in the U.S.- is devoted to pastureland and rangeland. Over 34 million beef cattle are spread out over nearly approximately three-quarters of a million farms. For hogs and pigs, nearly 61 million are residing in 110,000 farms. Nearly 8 million sheep and lambs find temporary homes in 65,000 farms around the U.S.
Livestock, including poultry, is big business: the largest form of production contracts for farms is for the raising of broiler chickens, followed by contracts for the raising of hogs. Nevertheless, these contracts do not bring home the bacon: nearly three quarters of the $155 billion of net cash income at farms comes from off-farm income, according to the 1997 report.
Livestock operations range from hog farms in North Carolina to beef cattle farms in Missouri to sheep ranches in Idaho. Exotic livestock find their homes all over the U.S. - from ostrich farms in Texas to mink ranches in Michigan.
Livestock Operation links:
Environmental Protection Agency -- What to Expect from Animal Feeding Operation Inspections
DirectAg--Farming Information and Advice
Livestock Marketing Information Center
Agricultural Marketing Service at United States Department of Agriculture - Livestock and Grain Market News Branch
Livestock World - Buy, Sell or Trade
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