As an expert in animal husbandry and agricultural practices, I can tell you that the amount of land required for a cow can vary significantly depending on several factors, including the type of cow, the quality of the pasture, the region's climate, and the farming practices employed.

For dairy cows, it's generally recommended to have about 2 to 3 acres per cow to ensure they have enough space and forage. However, this can be less if you're using intensive rotational grazing systems, which can allow for more cows per acre by regularly moving them to fresh pasture.

For beef cattle, the land requirements can be less since they are typically fed a different diet and managed differently. A common rule of thumb is about 1 acre per cow in a good-quality pasture, but this can vary widely.

It's important to note that these are very rough estimates and the actual acreage needed can be influenced by the carrying capacity of the land, which is determined by factors like soil fertility, rainfall, and the types of grasses and forage available. Overgrazing can lead to soil erosion and degradation, so it's crucial to manage pastures carefully.

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You may have heard a rule-of-thumb is that it takes 1.5 to 2 acres to feed a cow calf pair for 12 months. That means we should be able to have 10 to 13 cows. Let's see how this rule-of-thumb holds up. It looks like our rule-of-thumb held up pretty good, 11 cows on 20 acres, is 1.8 acres per cow.read more >>