Breeding gobies for meat at home

Most people at least once think about running their own business related to agriculture, but which area of ​​uXNUMXbuXNUMXbearning to choose is a very difficult question. Growing bulls for meat at home is perhaps one of the simplest and most quickly paid off types of entrepreneurship.

Growing bulls for meat

Where to start growing?

First you need to understand: for what purpose the bulls will be grown. There are many options for selling the final product: own consumption, distribution to a narrow circle of people, the sale of meat to the kitchens of cafes and restaurants, the production of meat products and their further sale in stores or independent trade.

The first option can hardly be called entrepreneurship; rather, it will bring moral pleasure from keeping livestock and further consumption of meat, of which you will be completely sure.

After the final decision to take up such an area as raising bulls, the time will come for the purchase of calves. You should contact farms specializing in the identical direction of your future business. The most popular meat breeds of cattle are: Devonian, Russian Komoloya, Shorthorn, Galloway, Aberdeen Angus and some others.

The diet of bulls

Proper diet is an important part of fattening gobies. Not only the rate of weight gain of the animal, but also the quality of the meat will depend on it.

One of the possible combinations of ration feed: corn silage, wheat straw, meadow hay, salt. You can add pulp, meal, other concentrates, such as bone or fish meal. Do not oversaturate feeding with a large amount of feed. The best solution would be to contact a specialist who will help you calculate the exact amount of giving the components of the diet.

Corn silage

Corn silage

Possible diet for the summer:

  • concentrates 2 kg;
  • green fodder 28-35kg.

For the winter period:

  • succulent feed 18-21 kg;
  • hay 4-5kg;
  • straw 2-4 kg;
  • compound feed 3 kg;
  • salt 50 g.

If necessary, animals are given various supplements that balance the nutrient content in the body.

Reference. Gobies need to constantly be given water or provide constant access to it.

Fattening technology

You need to start monitoring nutrition from the 20th day of the calf’s life, that is, after weaning from the cow. At this age, they begin to form the correct functioning of the digestive tract, aimed at plant food, instead of the usual milk. Giving roughage at an early age will take a lot of energy from the calves to digest it, so it is necessary to give additional enzymes.

Additional intake of enzymes will not only speed up the digestion of feed and enhance weight gain, but also warn against the “deposit” of undigested feed masses in the intestines. Such stagnation of food can lead to serious intoxication of the body.

Switching to hay

Switching to hay

After a smooth transition from milk to hay, cereals and grasses, from the age of 3 months, protein-rich feeds are added to the diet. Upon reaching a live weight of 300 kg, the growing period ends and fattening begins. If in the first one the average daily gain can reach a maximum of 800 g, then in fattening this figure rises to 1250 g (for outstanding meat breeds it can be more).

Goby care

Breeding bulls involves competent care, which includes not only balanced feeding and the presence of a warm room for the winter period, but also the observance of the following points:

  • calf vaccination and veterinary examination;
  • periodic examination by a veterinarian as the bull grows. The sudden onset of a disease, especially of an infectious nature, can deprive the expected profit from the diseased animal;
  • start grazing in the morning after the dew has gone;
  • observe zoohygienic conditions of detention: dry floors with removable bedding, sufficient lighting, absence of drafts, maintaining the optimum temperature (at least 10 degrees) of air and humidity;
  • providing active exercise to animals. If conditions allow, then gobies should be grazed on a leash as little as possible.

How does castration of bulls affect the amount of meat?

During castration, the sexual function of males is disrupted, and, consequently, hormonal failure occurs, affecting metabolic processes in the body. Castrated individuals increase the formation of adipose tissue, while inhibiting muscle growth. That is why “intact” animals win in terms of the amount of meat.

Castration of bulls

Castration of bulls

From uncastrated bulls, tough and lean meat is obtained, and from castrated meat, fat and tender, has a more pronounced taste. If you wish to receive the second version of the product, then the recommended age for castration is 2 months. It is advisable to carry out the operation before the start of the grazing period.

Pros and cons of breeding

Positive sides:

  • a large number of options for the sale of products;
  • very small cash investments at the initial stages, especially if there is already a site and the minimum necessary inventory for elementary buildings;
  • the possibility of self-control of bulls;
  • quick payback.

Disadvantages:

  • it will be necessary to invest a lot of physical labor or additionally spend on hired workers;
  • the risk of possible competition in the “meat” market.

How much can you earn?

Before you can earn, you must invest. If there is a large plot of land, this will greatly facilitate the task, but otherwise you will have to spend money on:

  • land acquisition;
  • construction of premises for keeping cattle;
  • arrangement of the barn (feeders, drinkers, floor covering);
  • purchase of young animals (price category from 5 to several tens of thousands of rubles, depending on the breed);
  • feed costs (approximately 15-20 thousand rubles per 1 animal per year).

As a result, capital investments can vary from 250 to 500 thousand rubles. High costs are not excluded.

Bulls for slaughter

Bulls for slaughter

Breeding bulls for meat lasts from 18 to 20 months. It is at this age that they reach their optimal live weight, after which they can be sent for slaughter. The estimated weight of bulls at the end of fattening is 450-650 kg. The yield of meat from each carcass will be 60-70%.

For example, your goby turned out to be not the most outstanding and weighs 450 kg, then you will get about 270 kg of meat from it. With an average price for veal per 1 kg of 300 rubles, one head will cost 81 thousand rubles. Multiply the resulting figure by the planned number of heads in the herd – this is only a net yield from meat. The remaining parts of the carcass can also be sold – also an additional income. According to such calculations, the agricultural business will pay off within 1-2 years.

Reference. If it is planned to sell meat to large points of sale, then registration of entrepreneurial activity and control of meat by a veterinary sanitary examination will be required.

Conclusion

Growing gobies at home can bring tangible profits to the owner of this business. The main thing is not to be afraid to start a “farming” business, provide proper care for animals, find the most profitable option for selling meat in advance, and do not forget about the application of physical labor that will be necessary to maintain the economy, especially at the initial stage.

Anna Evans

Author-editor

View all posts by Anna Evans →
Exit mobile version