One of the most profitable sectors of animal husbandry is raising bulls for meat. Beef is highly valued in the market and is distinguished by its high palatability.

Breeding bulls for meat

Each business has its advantages and disadvantages. Cattle requires increased attention to their health and maintenance. The risk of losing livestock is especially great in populated areas where outbreaks of contagious diseases are often rampant.

On the other hand, raising cattle is a good opportunity to earn extra income and provide yourself with high-quality natural meat. Consider all the pros and cons of the meat business.

Did you know? To feed a 2-year-old female cattle, 3.5 tons of grain, soy and 600 liters of water are consumed per year.

pros

• The advantages of growing cattle:
• fast fattening in pasture during the warm season;
• high cost of meat products in the market;
• the possibility of marketing not only meat products, but also hides, entrails, horns;
• good sales prospects;
• quick payback of feed;
• the possibility of using breeding males as sperm donors.

Minuses

• Cons of growing cattle:
• high energy consumption - even with the content of one male cattle, it is impossible to kill him alone;
• the need to build a capital barn;
• high cost of feed;
• market competition;
• high cost of thoroughbred calves;
• during puberty, the bull becomes dangerous for the owner, which requires additional costs for equipping the barn with fixative means for animals.

Where to start growing

First of all, draw up a plan that will include the following items:

• growing goals;
• arrangement of walking territory or the search for a full pasture;
• arrangement of the barn;
• purchase of calves;
• diet
• search for more profitable places for bulk purchase of feed;
• organizational issues: execution of emergency and recruitment (if necessary);
• cattle breeding methods that you intend to use in the future;
• estimated profit.

Young growth

When choosing a calf, you should focus on:

• the dimensions of its own plot, because each bull will eventually need a separate stall;
• climatic conditions of the region;
• epidemiological situation in the village.

Did you know? Bulls became ruminants during evolution. Fleeing predators, animals had to quickly grab food and swallow it. In a secluded place, cattle burped and chewed food, which served as an impetus to a change in the physiology of the digestive system.

The most suitable breeds

Depending on the purpose of cultivation, cattle are distinguished:

• meat;
• meat and milk;
• milk direction.

When raising bulls for meat, meat and meat-and-milk breeds are equally well suited. The best meat breeds adapted for survival in any latitude:

1. Charolais.
2. Caucasian white-headed.
3. Hereford.
4. Red meadow.
   

Suitable breeds of meat and dairy direction:

1. Simmental.
2. Yorkshire.
   

3. Red-humpbacked.
4. Sychevskaya.
   

Selection tips

To select a productive individual, you must adhere to the following rules:

• study the pedigree carefully;
• Compare the exterior data and calf weight with standard indicators for the breed;
• pay attention to the level of activity - a healthy calf itself approaches a person, does not sit in one place;
• examine the navel area - in a healthy individual it is elastic, up to 18 mm in size, without tumors and the procedure does not cause any reaction in the animal;
• listen to the pace of breathing - more than 20 breaths per minute indicates abnormalities in the development of the respiratory system or lung diseases;
• examine the back of the animal - the tail, the pelvis of a healthy individual is covered with shiny beautiful hair, there are no traces of contamination with feces.

Important! Up to 9 months calves are not castrated - this will lead to obesity and significantly reduce the quality of meat.

Arrangement of premises and territory for living

The construction of the barn should be designed in advance taking into account all the nuances:

1. Location - the distance from the living quarters should be at least 30 m, to the nearest highway at least 100 m, to the well with water - 15 m.
2. Size - 10-12 m² per 1 individual.
3. Materials - choose the best option that is natural and high performance.
4. Communications - consider the possibility of conducting electricity and a conduit into the barn.
5. Ventilation system - necessary to regulate temperature, humidity and eliminate ammonia vapors.

When building, consider the prospect of expanding livestock. The floor is made with a slight bias towards the cesspool. Foundation laying of 50–70 cm is carried out using concrete. On top of it make an earthen mound and lay burnt brick. Next is a coating of boards pre-treated with an antiseptic. Walls are made of the same material. The height of the walls is 2.5–3 m.

Divide the room into:

• stalls;
• household;
• utility bays.

The roof is better to make a gable of slate or roofing material. This will maximize the storage of usable space in the barn (you can store hay in the attic) and heat in the winter. The ceiling is sheathed with reed plates.

Stalls are planned taking into account the dimensions of the animals. Cattle should be able to freely turn and walk around the premises, reach the feeders and drinking bowls. Each stall is separated by a metal railing, equipped with rings on which a chain of at least 1 m in length is attached.

Feeders and drinkers are mounted and placed at the level of the animal’s head. The feeder is constructed from a waterproof material and divided into 2 compartments - for dry and wet food. The optimal size is 70x80 cm.

A warm litter of hay or straw with the addition of a small amount of peat is laid on the floor. Disinfection mats are placed at the entrance to the barn, which eliminates the risk of infection.

Video: cow room

Optional equipment:

• fireplaces for heating the premises in the winter;
• when keeping over 50 goals - automated feeders;
• automated drinkers;
• tools for cleaning rooms - choppers, shovels, forks;
• a brushcutter for hay;
• transport for transportation of grass, manure;
• mini-mill for grinding cereals into flour.

In the warm season, cattle are kept free-range. To do this, they specially look for pastures and build stalls there with canopies for overnight stay and protection from adverse weather conditions. It is important that there is a reservoir of drinking water near the pasture.

Learn how to build a cattle farm.

Grooming

In the summer, the bulls on free pasture, in the winter - in stalls on a leash. Individuals aged 18–20 months are sent for slaughter. In gobies sent for slaughter up to 12 months, meat has a high percentage of fat content.

When breeding bulls, a special place is given to the hygiene of the premises and the animals themselves. The upper litter in the stall is changed as it gets wet. Once every 2 weeks, animals are washed using special shampoos and examined for injuries.

Morning grazing begins only after the dew has fallen. Gobies need to ensure maximum freedom of movement throughout the territory. This will allow you to gain faster muscle mass and reduce the risk of obesity. As they grow older, the animal must be taken for examination by a veterinarian and vaccinated.

Breeding bulls are kept separate from the general herd. They are securely fixed in stalls and used only for their intended purpose.

Read also about the average life expectancy of cows and bulls.

Feeding gobies

Up to 3-6 months. gobies are kept on milk suction. From 28-30 days, concentrates are gradually introduced. Keep in mind that one liter will consume 8 liters of milk per day.

Fattening calves for meat is conditionally divided into 3 periods:

• milk - 0-6 months;
• growing up - 6–16 months;
• intensive fattening - 16–20 months.

Keep track of the quality of the feed.

Diet

The diet in summer consists of:

• fresh herbs;
• vegetables;
• fruit.

During this period, animals do not need supplementary feeding.

Important! Large vegetables, fruits must be ground on a grater or given in boiled form, introducing into the composition of wet mash. The animal swallows the whole food, and then burps and chews. The ingestion of large food in the esophagus leads to a stop of the stomach and bloating, since cattle are not able to push it out.

In winter, the diet includes:

• hay;
• straw;
• compound feed;
• wet mixers;
• vitamin supplements.

Protein and calcium should prevail in the diet. The meat breeds of calves are characterized by intensive growth from birth. Too fast weight gain coincides with the development of bone tissue. If the animal does not receive calcium, its limbs cannot cope with its own weight and break down.

Feeding Technology

From birth to 30 days, babies are fed colostrum - the intake is 8-10 liters. From 1 month introduce pre-feed compound feed. Grass and roughage during this period are contraindicated. Babies at the age of one month have not yet formed a scar, therefore, it is incapable of digesting fiber. Feed is given according to the instructions. Enter in the morning after feeding with milk.

Get acquainted with the features of fattening gobies for meat.

From 1.5 months 5 g of salt and phosphate are added to the liquid. By day 20, oat or barley flour is introduced, steaming it in boiling water to a jelly state, increase the dosage of phosphate to 10 g. From 1 month. increase the amount of porridge and add forgiven wheat with grated hay to it. 15 g of phosphate and 10 g of salt are mixed in the liquid.

From 2 months in the diet of the bull is present:

• 500 g of hay;
• 700 g porridge;
• 10 liters of milk.

During this period, 200 g of boiled potatoes are added to the mash. Every day, the amount of hay and porridge is increased by 40 g, silage is introduced in an amount of 300 g. They start to cook porridge on grain.

Milk from the diet begins to be removed from 3 months. Do this gradually, while increasing the amount of wet mash in the diet. By 6 months milk is given on demand no more than 2 liters per day. Kids at this point already fully feed on pasture and are on a free range. At the age of six months, the calf's diet consists of:

• 20 kg of grass;
• compound feed KR-1.

From 6 months Feeding tactics are changing. To do this, select one of 3 methods:

haylage	15 kg of straw, 2 kg of hay, 3 kg of compound feed, 50 g of salt, 60 g of phosphate
silage silage	2.5 kg of hay, 14 kg of silage, 6 kg of haylage, 50 g of salt, 60 g of phosphate
combined	5 kg of hay, 8 kg of silage, 5 kg of root crops, 3 kg of concentrates, 50 g of salt, 60 g of phosphate

In this composition, the diet is left up to 16 months, increasing the amount of feed on demand. If animals do not eat up, their feeders quickly empty. Try not to allow this and put your feed on time. From 16 months The stage of intensive feeding begins.

Gobies are transferred to the stall and limit their activity. During this period, more silage and sugar beets are added to the diet. If there are wineries nearby, you can buy a bard from them and continue feeding on it. In this case, the diet is as follows:

• 40 kg bard;
• 6 kg of corn;
• 6 kg of hay;
• 1.5 kg of beets;
• 90 g of phosphate and salt;
• 50 g of chalk.

Important! From 3.5 months in the morning add fresh herbs, after feeding with hay or milk. Animals in the morning are very hungry, so they begin to greedily grab grass, which can lead to air accumulation in the rumen and stopping the stomach.

Breeding

When planning to get full-fledged offspring, it is better to immediately purchase 10 cows ready for mating. The female carries a calf 9 months. When breeding cattle, 2 methods of insemination of cows are used:

• natural;
• artificial.

A more cost-effective technique is artificial insemination. It allows you to accurately calculate when calves are born. In this case, it becomes possible to adjust the time of insemination so that the calves appeared in March. This allows you to significantly save on feeding in the summer period, since in May the calves will already feed on pasture on their own.

Use of medicines

In order to accelerate muscle building, farmers use various medications:

• antibiotics - tetracycline, penicillin, streptomycin;
  

• Nucleopeptide;
  

• Eleovit.
  

Antibiotics act differently on adults and calves. Up to 6 months calves have accelerated mass gain. The increase in the intake of antibacterial drugs in calves is more by 14%. From 6 months growth is paused. On the background of taking antibiotics, the following is noted:

• leukocyte stabilization;
• increased digestibility of mineral components and protein;
• weight gain of the heart muscle, liver, and all sections of the gastrointestinal tract.

Injections give a greater effect than adding to the feed. After the slaughter, the content of antibiotics in the meat will be within normal limits, if the intake was stopped in 1–2 months. Otherwise, meat products are rejected. In addition, the regular use of antibacterial drugs reduces immunity to many diseases.

Antibacterial drugs give cattle from the appointment of a veterinarian, according to age and state of health. Antibiotics are sometimes replaced by Biovit-40. The drug is intended for calves in which growth retardation is observed. But, after taking it, the cost of meat is significantly reduced.

Important! In parallel with antibiotics after weaning, probiotics are given. This is a group of drugs made up of bacteria that improve bowel function. Without them, the effect of antibiotics is detrimental to the internal organs of the animal.

Nucleopeptide - a drug to increase productivity. Promotes accelerated production of interferon in the body, which stimulates the immune system, improves the condition of the coat.

Eleovit prevents the leaching of calcium from the blood during the period of active development. It is a complex of vitamins and minerals. It has no restrictions on the sale of products.

Prohibited drugs include anabolics containing androgen. This hormone is produced in the body of animals upon reaching puberty. Its artificial introduction causes gigantism. After slaughter, an increased level of the hormone is preserved in the meat, which negatively affects human health.

Breeding bulls as a business

The first step of the entrepreneur is the preparation of a business plan, which reflects the key points of activity:

• organization of conditions of detention;
• purchase of broodstock;
• purchase of feed;
• search for outlets;
• profitability.

Then it’s worth solving organizational issues.

Do you need clearance

A prerequisite for this business is clearance. This will require:

• certificate of private entrepreneurial activity;
• permission to arrange a farm;
• documents confirming the quality of meat and dairy products.

State Recruitment

To care for 20 bulls, you need 2-3 assistants and a veterinarian. To conduct a large business and to complete all tax certificates, it is better to involve an experienced accountant, legally savvy and specializing in the conduct of such matters. It is not necessary to hire an accountant separately on an ongoing basis, you can use the services of consulting companies.

Did you know? On the skin of the nose of the cow there are unique lines that can be compared with the human handprints. US farmers use this feature to search for cows in the event of theft, having previously entered the pet’s nose prints into the database.

Expense and profit

Sample cost estimates:

• rent of land with the construction of buildings - 150 000 p .;
• equipment - 80 000 r .;
• 10 animals - 100, 000 p.;
• feed - 150 000 p.

Total: 480 000 p. excluding payment for the services of employees, waste on equipment repair, disinfection. By 20 months the goby will weigh 700-800 kg, subject to good maintenance. Slaughter yield from a bull is 60–70% - an average of 500 kg of pure meat. Given the average price of 350 p. 1 750 000 r go for meat. per year with 10 individuals.

Breeding bulls for meat is a profitable business. Even taking into account all the pitfalls for a year on 10 bulls, you can get an average of 1.5 million rubles.