That depends on a lot of factors. Where are you? What kind of soil(s) do you have? How much rain do you get? What breed of cattle do you intend to raise? How hardy are they? An elderly friend of mine bought 4 yearling angus steers every year, fed them out to butchering size and had them butchered for freezer beef for friends who contracted for them every year. She butchered them early in the fall each year, before they needed hay. She only had five acres, and her house and garden took up one acre of it. She also ran a bunch of miniature donkeys with the cattle. This was in Maryland, where she had adequate rain and pasture and she rotated the pastures judiciously. She did not have enough land to raise hay for them, hence the reason she didn't keep them year round. She also bought the corn to fatten them. There is more to farming than meets the eye. I know people made jokes about dumb farmers, but there is a whole body of knowledge that you need to have in order to farm. Your best bet might be to talk to the country agent before you make your decision. If you have land and you aren't in the suburbs, hogs were always known as the "mortgage lifter" because they produce so much meat on so little land and feed. By the way, I have raised both. We had a farm when I was a teenager. I've raised beef cattle, hogs, horses, goats and dairy calves.

Three head of cattle only require about 2-3 acres, fresh hay and water daily. You can buy a 1500 pound round bale that should last you at least 3 weeks. Round bales go for about $45. Then they need their shots once per year. They are really very easy to raise in small quantities. You can also supplement their hay from time to time with grain.