The calves fattening project is one of the most prominent concerns of young people, especially in the valley, and because we have received many messages on the topic of fattening, especially calves fattening, we will learn together through this article on the most important tips that every person interested in this project must adhere to:
1. How do you choose the type of calves for fattening?
It is the first step in the project, where a suitable breed must be chosen that responds to fattening quickly, as the types of cows generally differ according to their main purpose, so we find special types for meat production because they are quick to fatten and the fodder turns efficiently and quickly into meat and a second type for milk production for its high ability to generate the largest amount of Milk compared to other strains.
So, calves should be chosen from breeds that produce meat, and types such as the Belgian blue eggs, Charoli and limousines are among the most famous breeds that produce meat, and it is also possible to rely on local calves hybridized with these imported breeds ...
2. The specifications required for calves after selecting the breed
Choosing the meat-producing breed is a very important step for the success of the project, but attention must be paid to some of the characteristics that must be provided in these calves to ensure great daily growth, such as:
+ Calves should be long, with straight and wide hind legs forming an inverted U letter as this trait enables the calves to grow substantially meaty muscles
+ The age of calves must be older than 6 to 10 months if we want to quickly fatten, and the reason is that calves less than 6 months need more protein because of the continuous growth needs of young calves.
+ The back line should be parallel to the back line
+ Calves must also be in good health and vital phenomena appearing, as some movements can be tried to avoid cheating problems that beginners fall victim to, such as:
Bringing the finger to the eyes of the calf to notice the reaction (the absence of any reaction indicating the calf's nakedness). Calves must be seen walking to avoid the problem of lameness to avoid some inaccuracies such as starving calves and their appearance well in the market by experimenting with eating some herbs when given. Calves must be bought from their owners On farms are better
3. Features preferably distinguished by the project owner
The biggest part of the success of the project requires the experience of the project owner himself, where it is better to make a field tour in the markets and at farms for fattening calves to find out the general atmosphere and know the mysteries of the project, and in general the following points should be studied:
+ You must know the times when calves are cheap and times when they are expensive during the year to know when to buy and when to sell
+ It is best to field experiment with methods of persuasion during buying and selling
+ It is also better to synchronize the time of purchase with the period of availability of feed at the farm
+ The project must be studied, as it is the most important step in every economic project aimed at profit
4. Provide feed
The fodder constitutes a large percentage of the cost of the project, which may exceed 40% after the price of the calves, so work must be taken to acquire it during its abundant availability in the market due to its low price, and fodder must be cultivated to cover a percentage of the cost of feed through local production, especially the more expensive feed in the market such as:
+ Hay
+ Some grains such as barley and corn
+ In addition to protein feeds, most notably alfalfa or dried alfalfa, or some such as beans ...
5. Health protection for calves
Health care is considered one of the important matters in the calves fattening project, so a set of preventive advice must be adhered to during the general course of the project, the most important of which are:
+ Prevention against internal poisoning: It is one of the first things that must be done during the beginning of fattening, but upon the arrival of the calves to the barn, where treatment must be done against poisonings during the first 3 days after entering the calves and re-vaccination after 20 days
+ Treatment of internal and external parasites: as these parasites work to restrain the growth of calves and cause delayed fattening as the parasites feed on the feed that calves eat, so treatment with a good anti-parasite is required during the first week of fattening
+ Vitamins: They can be entered in the treatment box, where they can be used a month before the end of fattening or if we notice that the calves do not feed well on the feed provided, but attention must be paid to the waiting period that must be between its use and the slaughter period. The same applies to all medicines that can be used.
I hope the article was useful, and good luck to all