How to raise gobies for meat at home?

Most people think at least once about running their own business related to agriculture, but which area of ​​income to choose is a very difficult question. Raising gobies for meat at home is perhaps one of the simplest and fastest-paying types of entrepreneurship.

Raising gobies for meat

Where to start growing?

First you need to understand: for what purpose the bulls will be raised. There are many options for selling the final product: own consumption, distribution to a narrow circle of people, the sale of meat in 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, in the quality of which you will be completely sure.

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

Diet of gobies

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

One of the possible combinations of feed ration: 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

Possible summer diet:

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

For the winter period:

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

If necessary, the animals are given various supplements to balance the nutrient content of the body.

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

Feeding technology

Nutrition should be monitored 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 work of the digestive tract, aimed at plant food, instead of the usual milk. Giving roughage at an early age will consume a lot of energy from the calves to digest them, so additional enzymes must be fed.

Additional intake of enzymes will not only speed up the digestion of feed and increase weight gain, but also prevent undigested feed masses from "storing" in the intestines. Such stagnation of food can lead to serious intoxication of the body.

Going to hay

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

Caring for bulls

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

• vaccination of calves 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 sick animal;
• start morning grazing after the dew has subsided;
• observe zoohygienic conditions of detention: dry floors with replaceable bedding, sufficient lighting, no drafts, maintaining the optimum temperature (at least 10 degrees) of air and humidity;
• providing animals with active exercise. If conditions permit, then the bulls 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 disturbed, and, therefore, a hormonal failure occurs, affecting metabolic processes in the body. In castrated individuals, the formation of adipose tissue increases, while muscle growth is inhibited. That is why "untouched" animals benefit from the amount of meat.

Castration of bulls

From non-castrated bulls, tough and lean meat is obtained, and from castrated meat, fatty and tender, has a more pronounced taste. If you want 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 beginning 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 ability to independently control the bulls;
• fast payback.

Disadvantages:

• you will need 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 make money, you have to invest. If you have 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 coverings);
• 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 animal per year).

As a result, the investment can vary from 250 to 500 thousand rubles. Large costs are not excluded.

Gobies 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. Estimated weight of bulls at the end of feeding is 450-650 kg. The meat yield from each carcass will be 60-70%.

For example, your bull is not the most outstanding and weighs 450 kg, then you will get about 270 kg of meat from it. With an average price of veal for 1 kg of 300 rubles, one head will get 81 thousand rubles. Multiply this 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 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 bulls 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, to provide proper care for animals, to find in advance the most profitable option for selling meat, and not to forget about the use of physical labor, which will be necessary to maintain the economy, especially at the initial stage.

Now raising gobies for meat at home is experiencing another boom. But not all novice breeders clearly understand all the subtleties and nuances in the maintenance and fattening of calves for meat. The result is wasted time, nerves and money. To be honest, the business is really profitable, although at first you will have to spend a little and sweat a lot. If this does not scare you, then below we will tell you about the main points of the purchase, maintenance, nutrition and sale of meat gobies.

Purchase of calves

The first mistake breeders make is to save on calves. People buy the cheapest calf from the first cow they come across. The fact is that there are dairy, meat and mixed cattle breeds. So for fattening for meat, you need to take either meat or mixed breeds. If you take a purely dairy goby, then by the age of one and a half it will at best grow to 300 kg, which will barely recoup the money spent on it.

Speaking specifically about the breeds, in Russian conditions the best results are shown by the breeds:

• charolais;
• Kazakh white-headed;
• Simmental breed;
• Hereford breed.

This is not to say that any breed is better or worse. But, for example, from Charolais bulls and from Herefords, with appropriate nutrition, you can get real marbled beef. True, you will have to spend a lot on feed, plus special care is needed there, in general, for a small farm it is expensive.

There is one more thing. It is advisable to take the calves with all the necessary vaccinations. This information is in the documents for the bull, so if it is not possible to go to the farm with a veterinarian, then make inquiries and write out for yourself which vaccinations are being given in your area.

Arrangement of premises

For raising bulls at home, one "seedy" barn is not enough. Remember - a goby is not a pig, and if you close it in a confined space and feed it abundantly, it will start to hurt at first. And then, if he lives to the age of slaughter, then there can be no talk of any lean beef, the bull will simply get fat.

According to the rules, in order to raise one bull for meat, he must first build a barn of at least 12 square meters. m. For a good set of muscle mass, the bull needs to be taken out to the pasture every day. If there are no pastures nearby, then you will still have to build a summer enclosure with a canopy, where for each goby there will already be from 30 sq. m.

Another problem is drafts and frosts. In winter, the temperature in the stable should not drop below 10 degrees. To maintain it constantly, you will have to insulate windows and doors, and then put a stove in the room. Gobies are even more afraid of drafts than frost. Up to six months, a calf can catch a cold from the slightest draft.

It is advisable to make floors in stalls with a slope and equip them with a manure channel at the end. The most effective way to keep it clean and dry is to clean 2 times a day and sprinkle everything with charcoal.

Feeding dairy calves

Some novice breeders buy very small calves in an effort to save money. Indeed, a monthly calf will cost at least 2 times less than a bull calf 3-4 months old. But feeding such calves requires patience, knowledge and additional financial investments.

The calf is still dairy, so every day he will have to feed 6-8 liters of milk. It is impossible to feed a baby with milk alone, because the scar (accumulative part of the stomach) should stretch. To do this, he needs to be given oatmeal jelly and grated root vegetables, potatoes, pumpkin, etc. every day. In the warm season, from the age of one month, the calf can be taken out to the meadow. In winter, be sure to give hay.

By the way, in winter, even in frost, calves need to be taken out for a walk at least for a short time, such a hardening exercise will provide your young animals with good health.

From 3 months, so-called starting compound feeds are introduced into the calf's diet. With these mixtures, it is easier to feed calves to coarse food, plus they receive the full amount of nutrients. By the age of 4 months, hay, root crops and compound feed already account for the lion's share of the diet, and by six months the calves switch to the adult menu.

Fattening bulls

Practice has shown that buying dairy calves and feeding them independently is no cheaper than purchasing a ready-made four-month-old calf. Add to this the risk of disease and the cost of vaccinations. It will immediately become clear that it is better not to bother, but to immediately take the grown and prepared gobies.

At 4 months, milk already acts as a top dressing, and it is not necessary to buy real cow's milk, you can use dry mixes and even whey. In this case, it is important to concentrate on nutritious feed.

Breeding farms try to distribute the work so that the calves are born in winter. Accordingly, by the end of April, you can already buy a formed goby, which can be taken out to the pasture.

But fattening meat has its own characteristics. Even the most "elegant" flooded meadows will not give the desired weight gain. Moreover, the proportion of hay or succulent grass should be about 30-40%. The rest of the diet of the calves is selected from cereals, legumes and energy-rich compound feed, do not forget about root crops.

From six months, gobies can be given potato peelings, but in the first 2-3 months these peelings need to be boiled and pounded.

Is castration of calves necessary

Now experts do not have a consensus about the castration of beef calves. If a bull is castrated, it will become calm and peaceful. Accordingly, free-grazing calves will no longer mutilate themselves. Again, a castrated calf has a significant increase in appetite, which young breeders are incredibly happy about.

But seasoned farmers know that the good appetite of a castrated bull does not guarantee the same weight gain. In such calves, energy is more processed into fat mass than into muscles. There is, of course, an option to drive such a bull, but these procedures can lead to weight loss.

What you definitely can't do is castrate a bull at an early age, you will ruin the calf. Meat breeds are capable of fertilization as early as 6 months, which means that at this time they become more aggressive. But if the bull is castrated at six months, then growth will seriously slow down. Therefore, in order to maintain the ability to gain muscle mass, it is advisable to castrate bulls not earlier than a year.

Costs and profits

To begin with, it makes sense to engage in such a business only in rural areas. Moreover, it is desirable that the meadows are accessible. If you drive calves through the mountains, then they will never gain weight. And next to the swamps, animals will simply be poisoned. To build a more or less decent barn, at least 20-30 heads, you will have to spend from 300 thousand rubles. Plus nice meadows may also need to be rented.

On average, it takes about 15 thousand rubles to feed one bull. If you keep 5-7 heads, then although it is difficult, it is still possible to take care of the calves yourself. When there are more animals, you will have to hire a shepherd and a couple of cattlemen. For households up to 10 heads, the tax office has no claims, then you will have to issue an individual entrepreneur. Plus, you need equipment for the preparation and delivery of feed.

As for the profit, the situation is something like this. The goby is slaughtered at 18-20 months. The useful yield from such bulls ranges from 60 to 80%. Normal slaughter weight is 400-500 kg. The benefits of selling in bulk are small. Profitability will skyrocket if you slaughter the bulls and sell the meat yourself.

Use of medications

Another controversial issue is the use of drugs that stimulate muscle growth.Such medicines are divided into 2 directions. The first direction activates the body's work, as a result of which muscles grow. The second is represented by steroid feeds and anabolic steroids.

Ideally, any medical intervention in this area is highly undesirable. But in practice, the application or rejection of this method remains on the conscience of the breeders themselves. The Sanitary Epidemiological Station on the market is indifferent to steroids, but supermarket owners, restaurant owners and advanced consumers can easily identify such drugs with the help of special tests.

Plus breeding calves for meat at home, provides that you and your family will eat part of this meat. And now you rarely meet a person who agrees to feed their children with meat stuffed with steroids.

The beef calf business will only grow. We will not argue that this is daunting, but a lazy amateur has nothing to do there. Share the article with your friends and perhaps your like will keep someone from rash decisions or, on the contrary, will cause interest in this business.

Tags: Business, Cows

The business of raising calves for meat can generate significant profits, but this will require proper housing and the right diet for the calves. In order not to spend a lot of time caring for animals at home, it is recommended to purchase young animals already at the end of April so that they can be immediately put into herding. The absence of pasture near the farmyard will not be a serious hindrance either. You can make a special pen by choosing a place for it in the adjacent territory, remembering that one head should have 8-12 square meters. m.

Characteristics of the diet of young animals

In winter, calves are fed as feed hay, root crops and compound feed... In summer, the diet is based on seasonal food - fresh grass. In order for the young animals not to experience a shortage of feed, they are harvested based on the average daily rate:

• hay - 3 kg;
• root vegetables - 2 - 4 kg;
• concentrates - 1.5 kg per head.

One-year-old calves need to be given a double rate of succulent feed, and the amount of compound feed is reduced to 1 kg. Livestock rations usually have the following composition:

1. Concentrate booze.
2. Juicy feed.
3. Grass or hay.

When the calves are 6 months old, they food waste can be given... Potatoes are quite heavy food for calves, so they need to be prepared - boiled and crushed.

When raising livestock at home, green fodder begins to be given in small portions, since with a sharp change in diet, digestive problems may arise, and this will affect the weight gain. In the first weeks, it is allowed to add 10-15 kg of feed per head per day to the diet - it is given only after roughage. By the end of the week, its share should reach 70 kg. Concentrates with the addition of 50-100 grams of salt should be given twice a day.

The fastest way to achieve the desired weight gain is if the animals are fed with cereals, legumes and Compositae crops. It should be leaves that are a rich source of fiber, nutrients and vitamins.

When raising livestock at home, you need to regularly take care of the room itselfwhere the calves are kept - it should always be dry, for this it is necessary to remove the contaminated layer every day, change the litter once a month.

Where to start growing?

Most of all, this business is suitable for residents of rural areas: this business does not require much time during the year. It is enough to spend a little time and effort in the summer in order to get a good sum for the goby handed over for meat in the fall.

The most suitable place for purchasing young animals is dairy farms, where the required number of animals is kept in large quantities. In this case, you will be sure that the purchased breed is the one that was declared by the seller.When choosing a suitable breed, it is recommended to buy those that are grown in this region. Thanks to this, young animals will not experience difficulties with acclimatization during breeding.

Choice of livestock

When choosing young animals for growing for meat, it is necessary take into account the following characteristics:

• Must be 3-4 months old;
• Weight approx. 100 kg.

Taking care of young cattle is not so difficult, it is enough for them to simply find the right feed. Those who are going to raise only a few heads in order to have several bulls on their own farm, and donate some for meat, do not need to register. If you plan to breed a dozen heads, then you will have to draw up the documents of a private entrepreneur.

When raising a large number of bulls (from 10 heads), you service personnel will be required... The shepherd will be engaged in herding the calves, and the livestock keepers will provide the conditions for feeding and will maintain the premises where the livestock are kept in proper condition.

Also, you will have to repeatedly use the services of a veterinarian: to get preventive vaccinations and help in the treatment of cattle diseases.

Features of fattening heifer for meat

Raising bulls at home is not so easy for a novice entrepreneur. He must have a certain theoretical base that will help him choose the right feed for livestock, as well as create favorable conditions for housing and treatment. In the process of raising calves for meat it is customary to distinguish three main stages:

• Preparatory. Its main goal is to provide young animals with a significant amount of food. Given their fussy eating habits, calves should have silage, hay and straw in their diets.
• Main period. At this stage, you have to solve the same problems as at the first.
• The final stage. Calves already feel less need for food, so they have to adjust their diet by adding a lot of concentrates and juicy feed to it.

A significant weight gain can be achieved provided that a optimal meal schedule: They need to be fed three times a day at regular intervals. Before feeding the calves, it must be prepared in a certain way: grain crops must be chopped or steamed, potatoes must be boiled and kneaded, root crops must be peeled and washed. For better digestion, young grass must first be dried, it is added to the diet in small portions, gradually increasing the amount.

The presence in the diet of calves of feed that exceeds their physiological need has a positive effect on the development of muscles, weight gain, and meat quality.

Calves, which for a short time were given insufficient feed, begin to grow actively already in the first weeks after switching to a normal diet. If, during the whole season, the young animals receive less food, then this leads to a lag in development.

A great help for the farmer is the presence of nearby processing plants - sugar, brewery or distillery... From them you can get food waste from production, which can be given to gobies already at the age of six months.

When raising calves for meat, special attention should be paid to the quality and quantity of feed. Considering these and other rearing recommendations, one-year-old calves can gain 7 times more in weight than at birth, and upon reaching the age of 1.5 years, they may have at least a tenfold weight gain.

How can you achieve good results?

Any farmer who has been raising cattle for meat can confirm that this is a very profitable activity: in the absence of large labor costs, favorable conditions for the growth of calves and weight gain can be created in a short time.

One of the key factors in obtaining high quality meat quickly is providing calves with quality feed in large quantities. They are especially needed by calves between the ages of 6 and 12 months. If the animals are poorly fed, then their bones and ligaments begin to actively grow, and the meat becomes tough.

Feeding methods

When raising calves for meat, you can choose one of the following feeding methods:

• Short. It takes a short period of time for a period of up to 1.5 years; upon completion, the weight of bulls can be 400 kg or more.
• Long lasting. Assumes active feeding of young stock for 7-8 months. During this period, weight growth can be very rapid, and the indicator can reach 500 kg. The meat is of the highest quality - it becomes fatty and juicy.
• Average. Intermediate. This feeding option involves providing animals with an increased amount of feed compared to the previous method. Takes 5-6 months of time. As a result of rearing, animals gain 400-450 kg in weight.

Monthly calves are allowed to be grazed on pasture. Here they can be up to 16 hours a day... However, given their fragile body, care must be taken that water and shaded areas are present in the place of grazing.

If there is no meadow near the farmyard, bulls can be kept in a specially equipped corral with a canopy. One-year-old bulls need special attention - they must be tied in the pen, which will help form their calmer disposition and help them eat better.

Conclusion

Raising bulls for fattening is a profitable business that even people who are far from this activity can do. However, without knowledge, it will be very difficult to succeed in this matter. The weight of animals and the quality of their meat depends on many factors. The decisive factor is nutrition, which must be balanced and fed to the calves in sufficient quantity.

It is also necessary to correctly approach the choice of the breed of bulls, since when raising non-native livestock, it can be difficult to acclimatize. Do not forget that gobies, like all pets, are susceptible to disease, so you will have to be vaccinated and monitor your health throughout the entire time.

It is a well-known fact that only with the correct organization of the enterprise can you get a good profit. The article will talk about raising young bull calves for meat - a business at home, in many ways different from production, conditions. Calculating the costs and the corresponding video will help you figure it out better.

Famous breeds

Livestock breeders divide cattle into the following breeds:

• dairy;
• meat;
• meat and dairy.

Of course, the last two options are suitable for beef cattle breeding. These animals are endowed with the ability to grow quickly and gain weight well. An important role in the choice of breed is played by the ability of livestock to adapt to local conditions. Calves take root differently in different areas.

For the purpose of raising gobies for meat in a climate of the middle zone, the following breeds are most often used:

• Simmental - was bred in Switzerland. Refers to meat and dairy. The yield of clean meat after slaughter is up to 62%. Of the advantages, the ease of calving is especially noted.

Simmental breed

• Hereford is a beef breed. They brought it to the United States at the beginning of the last century. Bulls of this breed are distinguished by a calm disposition. Their meat is delicious.
• Kazakh white-headed - as the name implies, was bred in Kazakhstan. Animals of this breed thrive in both hot and cool areas. Refers to meat.

Kazakh white-headed

• Charolais - the breed was developed in Europe. Differs in very tasty meat with a minimum amount of fat. Among the shortcomings, a large percentage of sterile individuals and difficult calving are distinguished due to the large size of the fetus.

Advice.It is better to acquire bulls at the age of 3 months. Although this will cost more than buying younger calves, the animals will no longer need to be supplemented with milk and purchased special feed for them.

Where to begin

The initial organization of this profitable venture will require the following activities:

1. As in any business, the first step is to assess your strengths and capabilities. Raising gobies for meat will require full dedication. All free time will have to be spent on caring for animals, even if hired personnel work on the farm.
2. The business of raising large animals requires a considerable territory. It is unrealistic to organize it in the city. The intended business can only be started in the countryside. Therefore, it is imperative to take care of renting or purchasing a plot of a suitable area.
3. Organization of constant monitoring of the veterinarian. On a farm that grows or breeds animals, you can't do without it. Only healthy individuals can gain good weight.
4. If you plan to sell meat to shops, supermarkets, restaurants, etc., compulsory registration of business activities will be required.

First, calculate all the possible costs of breeding bulls

For such a business as raising gobies, the following registration options are suitable:

• Private household plots (personal subsidiary plots);
• Individual entrepreneur (individual entrepreneur);
• KFK (peasant farm).

To register a private household, you need to submit to the relevant authorities documents certifying the ownership or lease of a land plot with an area of ​​at least 2 hectares. This option is completely exempt from paying taxes, as a result of which the sale of products does not belong to entrepreneurial activity.

Registration of an individual entrepreneur is beneficial in the case of planning a large yield of agricultural products, the implementation of which will require the creation of its own sales network with all the necessary certificates of product conformity.

KLF will require the involvement of partners in the business. This type of registration also has legal force.

Advice. Before starting a business, it is worth visiting several such farms, talking to the owners, and trying to work on the farm yourself.

Setting up a farm and caring for gobies

You will need a special room to raise gobies. The barn needs to be warm (in winter the temperature should not drop below + 8 ° C), with good ventilation and the possibility of regular ventilation. Drafts must not be allowed - animals can get sick. The stall must be cleaned daily. They should be equipped with feeders and drinkers. If a herd of more than 10 individuals is planned, it is better to automate the supply of feed and water.

Take care of the arrangement of the barn

In addition to a closed space, you will have to equip a walk. If the bulls are constantly kept in stalls, there is a rapid increase in weight. However, without walking, animals become aggressive and more susceptible to disease.

Attention! It is very good if there is the possibility of grazing gobies. But this can only be done before puberty. Growing up animals can pose a threat to the shepherd and other caregivers.

The care includes regular examination of the wards by a veterinarian. Its functions also include vaccination against certain dangerous diseases and the recommendation of vitamin supplements.

Animals can gain weight only as a result of a properly formulated diet. In addition to hay and green grass, gobies should be given:

• beets;
• corn;
• potato;
• grain crops;
• melons and gourds.

The above foods should make up 70% of the diet. If gobies are raised for marbled meat, special feeding technology will be required. Of the breeds, the Hereford is most suitable for this purpose.

Animals need regular veterinary control

How to calculate expenses and income

Drawing up a business plan for keeping 20 bull calves includes the following expenses:

• Purchase of calves. One individual costs from 6 to 9 thousand rubles. depending on the breed and region.
• The construction, further arrangement of the cowshed and the lease of land will amount to about 500 thousand rubles.
• The purchase of feed and veterinary services per year will cost approximately 300 thousand rubles.
• In total, about 980 thousand rubles will be spent on the purchase and maintenance of 20 bull calves.

Income.The average wholesale purchase price of one calf weighing 500 kg is 40 thousand rubles. Accordingly, from the sale of 20 heads, you can get 800 thousand rubles.

Of course, there is no exact accounting in this article, but even in approximate calculations, a high profitability of the enterprise is noticeable.

Attention! Experienced livestock breeders say that the main thing in the meat business is the ability to create a sales network of buyers.

Raising gobies for meat is considered an economically viable venture. However, such a business will require a lot of time, significant material costs and certain physical efforts.

Raising gobies: video