How to properly raise calves at home?

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Many livestock breeders believe that raising bull calves at home is irrational. They require a lot of feed and much less meat than heifers. How can you get the most benefit from lean content? Let's try to figure it out in our review.

With rational maintenance, a bull can bring no less profit than a heifer

The diet

Gobies calves gain weight faster than cows. By the time they live, they can weigh up to 400 kg. If you optimize your diet, you can get high-quality, dietary meat not only for sale, but also for your own consumption.

Males are picky about food - everything that gets into the trough is eaten to the rest. Nobody is going to milk them, so the aroma and taste of food does not matter when fattening for meat.

If the calf is weaned from a cow, be sure to include milk and dairy waste on the menu. The digestive system of babies begins to form at the age of 21-35 days. Therefore, enzymes must be present in artificial feeding. This is necessary to digest the coarse plant food that the animal feeds on. As a result, the digestibility of feed in young animals will be higher. Consequently, less food consumption and faster muscle gain.

If the goby eats very little and in small quantities, and especially food of plant origin, then in the intestine it is simply not digested and stale. As a result, toxins accumulate, and the body is poisoned.

Bulls gain weight faster than cows

Farmers know that when bulls are added to the menu (whole milk, skimmed) or whey in the first six months of life, babies grow faster. The liquid is mixed with vegetable peelings or compound feed and the young are fed. It is recommended to give lukewarm whey instead of water. It will provide normal microflora in the stomach.

If dairy products are scarce, veterinarians prescribe probiotics. Throughout the entire feeding, the drug is added to food. It promotes proper digestion. That is, your animal will not suffer from diarrhea, indigestion.

In the diet of a bull when fattening for meat, there should be more than 100 kg of food per day. What the menu consists of:

• crushed grain (barley, wheat, corn);
• hay;
• greens;
• vegetables.

Young animals are fed three times a day, preferably at the same time. In summer, replace hay with succulent grass. Give crushed grain in dry and liquid form (swill). Animals need plenty of fresh water (or whey).

If your farm has a lot of vegetables (potatoes, fodder watermelons, zucchini, pumpkin), then it is good to feed the young with such products. Important: be sure to rinse and chop vegetables thoroughly before serving.

Never give rotten or moldy food to the calf - the animal will get sick.

Pumpkin can be added to the diet of small calves

Feeding scheme

Each farm has its own scheme for fattening an animal, as a result of which the goby must gain 600 grams of live weight per day. It is advisable to use such technologies at home, as you will avoid common mistakes - overfeeding or starving the animal.

1. Age one to two months.We feed the baby exclusively with dairy products. Gradually add in a small amount of high-quality hay, dried grass, wheat groats. This menu promotes fast bulls, develops the stomach.
2. From three months of age to six months, young animals need proteins. Crushed grain, hay, clean cut vegetables are fed to the animal. The result will be a set of muscle mass.
3. From 7 to 9 months, gobies are transferred to grass in summer or hay, haylage or silage in winter.
4. The last three months before slaughter, we gradually increase the number of products on the menu. This promotes rapid growth.

Observing this feeding technology, the animal gains 400 kg of live weight by the year. The meat is tender, low-fat.

With the right diet, you can achieve a weight of 400 kg by the end of the first year of life.

Content

So that the bulls do not get sick and quickly gain weight, they need proper care. No feeding technology works with dirty barns. Therefore, manure cleaning is carried out three times a day, after each feeding. An extreme case - at least for the night. Always serve food at the same time, every 8 hours.

The veterinarian will help to calculate the daily rate, starting from the initial data, the breed of the calf. Do not be lazy to get advice so that the goby does not starve or overeat. The optimal menu is a guarantee of fast weight gain, without diseases and obesity.

Experienced farmers recommend using crushed grain forage as feed. This will save money and reduce the cost of meat. The daily rate is divided into three parts, filled with hot liquid. Add salt and leave to cool. Never give boiling water to calves.

If you add a probiotic to the swill, remember: at temperatures above 45 C, all beneficial organisms of the drug die. Therefore, wait for the food to cool down.

To avoid aggressive behavior, young bulls are castrated

Unlike cows, bulls are best kept in pens. Due to their difficult nature, they are tied to the stall with ropes, chains. This restricts the movement of aggressive pets, excluding skirmishes with other residents of the courtyard and the person. The minimum of movement will allow you to gain weight faster than with grazing.

To improve appetite in the calf, it is taken to fresh air every day. After the walk, the animal is immediately fed with swill and hay.

Many farmers castrate calves as infants to avoid future problems with the bull's aggressive temperament. The animal's appetite increases, but muscle mass gains more slowly than that of non-castrated relatives. Such individuals weigh several tens of kilograms less. They need more food to gain weight. Muscle tissue is poorly developed, most often they are obese. This negatively affects the quality of the meat. To prevent this, the operation is performed at the age of one.

Raising bull calves at home for meat is a simple task. With our simple tips at your fingertips, you can easily and quickly fatten your young at the lowest cost. The main thing in the process is proper care, quality nutrition and adherence to the recommendations of experienced farmers. If the animal is sick, then do not delay or self-medicate - immediately contact your veterinarian.

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Raising calves at home is painstaking work that requires a lot of effort, but it is at the age of calf that the foundation for the future productivity of the animal is laid. Therefore, for the owner of cattle, it is extremely important to know the characteristics of the development of young animals at all stages of his life and to provide him with care and feeding that correspond to the selected type of maintenance.

Raising calves at home

Calf keeping methods

The rearing of young cattle is organized according to a specific method based on the specific purpose of breeding and the conditions that the breeder can provide. At the same time, the maintenance of calves in each of the ways assumes its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. The main among this variety are individual, group and suction methods.

Individual

Raising calves during the dairy period according to an individual method involves placing them in special houses, which are designed for one baby. Immediately after birth, the cub is taken away from the mother and placed in a special box with a small open-air cage at the entrance, which is located in the open air. Calves are kept in such structures from the first 3-4 hours of their life until the age of 2-2.5 months.

The house itself is a structure with a height of 1.5 m and a base area of ​​at least 2 sq. m. A special fence is made in front of the house, which creates a closed aviary for another 2-3 square meters. m. Houses are most often built from:

1. Wood. Wooden houses are durable and economical (you can assemble it yourself from scrap materials). But, today, wood is used extremely rarely. It is quite heavy, in humid weather it quickly absorbs dampness. In addition, due to the porosity and special texture of the material, it is extremely difficult to effectively disinfect it, which can cause the development of diseases in young animals.
2. Polymers. Many modern plastic products even surpass wood in their strength. In addition, such a material is much lighter, which simplifies work with it, while houses made of modern polymers keep heat well, which eliminates the need to insulate such structures for the winter.

In Western countries, this technology is widespread. At the same time, keeping calves in boxes is practiced all year round. A special sawdust pillow is created inside the house, onto which a layer of straw is poured. In case of partial subsidence, the straw layer is replenished to the previous thickness.

Raising calves in the dairy period according to an individual method

Among the main advantages of the method of individual keeping of young animals in houses, the following should be highlighted:

• minimal risk of infection of the animal from other livestock;
• simplicity of calf care and house maintenance;
• an increase in the body's resistance, which is a consequence of hardening with the constant keeping of the baby in the cold;
• mobilization of all body resources, which implies an increase in the productivity of the animal in the future;
• The process of examining and treating individual calves by a veterinarian is greatly simplified.

As for the disadvantages of the method, they include:

• the high cost of finished houses and significant costs for materials for self-production;
• the need to increase the volume of milk for feeding calves, due to the accelerated energy exchange and metabolism.

It is also worth noting that in the domestic open spaces there is a problem with excessive frosts in certain regions. When placed in such areas, the common area with boxes should be additionally covered with a special canopy. In this case, the side parts of the canopy are covered with a film. If such moments are neglected, young animals quickly develop respiratory system diseases, and plastic houses can quickly become unusable.

Attention! In regions with severely cold winters, calves need to plan and balance their meals more carefully for proper growth and development.

Group

Group rearing of young cattle is the most widespread method of keeping calves in Russia and neighboring countries. As the name implies, young individuals are kept in small groups.Their number can vary from 5 to 20 individuals, and the first 2 weeks after birth, the cubs are kept in separate quarantine rooms, and after that they are combined.

Growing young cattle in a group way

Each group collected is kept in a part of the barn specially allocated for this purpose, the floor of which is lined with a dense layer of straw. Moreover, with such maintenance, it is important to observe certain conditions that will ensure the health and comfort of the young.

These conditions include:

• regular cleaning of the premises, including daily replacement of bedding, cleaning up uneaten food;
• completion of a spacious walking area and the implementation of outdoor exercise several times a day;
• the presence of sufficient area for animals to rest, which for a group should be at least 10 sq. m;
• constant supervision of each animal of the group in order to timely identify sick or lagging individuals in development;
• providing the younger generation with a sufficient amount of colostrum.

The benefits of this growing system include:

• Ease of feeding. Since the groups are formed according to age, they can be fed with the same food from a common feeder.
• Fast social adaptation. In a group, cattle calves get used to interacting with other members of the herd, which makes them calmer. In addition, they quickly become accustomed to eating solid feed, which simplifies further feeding.

Among the disadvantages of the method should be highlighted:

• Rapid transmission of infection in case of illness of one of the members of the group. In the absence of high-quality ventilation and proper feeding, the risk of infection of the entire livestock is almost 100%.
• More sophisticated observation and care of the calf.
• A laborious cleaning process that involves regular cleaning of the entire area where the group lives.

Suction

This method of keeping is that the cow is actually entrusted with caring for the calves. Feeding babies is done with milk, which comes directly from the udder of the cow. In this case, the first 5-6 days of the born calves are fed by the mothers with whom they are left. After that, all young animals are divided into groups of 2-4 individuals and assigned to a separate cow. At the same time, the main requirements for a heifer are the absence of mastitis and other diseases, a calm disposition, as well as productivity, which is at least 2 thousand liters of milk per year.

Sucking method of raising calves

Feeding is thus carried out for 7 or 8 months. During this period, young animals are in contact with the nurse only 3 times a day during feeding. The rest of the time he is in a separate aviary, where the feeders with concentrates and hay are located.

The main advantage of the method is that the calf feeds as naturally as possible. Milk enters his diet with the right temperature, proper mineral and vitamin composition, and the presence of immunoglobulin. As a result, the baby's weight grows faster, and the body's resistance to infection is significantly enhanced.

This format of content is most often implemented in meat farms. In the case of milk production, it assumes too much milk loss, which is spent on the constant feeding of calves.

Technology

Also, in addition to the basic methods, there are certain technologies for breeding and raising calves in domestic and industrial conditions. Between themselves they differ in the complex of the measures taken, the conditions of keeping and feeding the animals.

Cold method of raising calves

This technology, in its specificity, is practically identical to the individual method of breeding young stock in houses. But it can be applied both for individual calves and for whole groups.

The essence of the technique lies in the fact that from the very first days of life, babies are placed in special boxes with aviaries, which are located on open land plots.Such designs do not imply insulation and doors. The only thing they have is a quality bedding.

The technology is equally well suited for dairy and beef cattle. Moreover, it is popular due to the following points:

• a significant increase in the body's defense mechanisms, due to the constant presence of the baby in the cold;
• faster growth and development, which are achieved as a result of the acceleration of metabolic processes in the body and the use of the body's reserves;
• ease of caring for livestock in single boxes;
• minimal risk of infection in case of large-scale outbreaks of infectious diseases on the farm.

Cold rearing calves

The main difficulty in the implementation of this technology lies in the fact that each such house implies a high cost. Because of this, not all farms can afford to purchase it. For this reason, cold content is not very common in Russia.

Traditional method

The traditional method of breeding calves is that the young from the moment of birth and up to a certain age are constantly with adult cows and with the mother in particular. And only after such cultivation, all young individuals are isolated into separate groups.

The main advantages of this technology are:

• minimum implementation costs due to the absence of the need to build separate houses and premises;
• ease of care, which is realized due to the fact that the cow takes care of the offspring herself;
• protection of calves from cold in case of sudden temperature changes.

As for the negative aspects, they include:

• the high probability of infection of the calf during mass pandemics;
• growth and developmental delays can often occur.

Also, due to keeping in closed stalls, young animals may develop a vitamin D deficiency. As a result, the level of calcium absorption decreases, digestive problems may develop, and rickets rapidly develops in animals.

It is because of a number of impressive shortcomings that such technology is considered outdated and is used extremely rarely today.

Feeding

No less important point than the choice of the correct methods and technologies of keeping is the organization of high-quality balanced feeding of young animals. Moreover, equally carefully you should plan nutrition for the dairy period of the animal's development, and the feeding menu.

Milk period

For the first month after birth, the basis of the diet for the baby will be colostrum. Such a product is valuable because it is an irreplaceable source of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and amino acids for the calf, which will give a good start to its development.

Colostrum for calf

Moreover, the amino acids contained in this dairy product can significantly increase the body's resistance to infections. But colostrum is most beneficial if the first drinking of the newborn is carried out no later than the first hour after calving. Otherwise, potential disease resistance drops by 20% or more.

When feeding young animals with dairy products, you should adhere to the following rules:

• feeding is carried out from 4 to 6 times a day (depending on the age of the baby);
• at a time, the animal is fed a volume of colostrum not exceeding 10% of its weight;
• before serving, the liquid is heated to a temperature of 37 degrees;
• the calf needs to be provided with an abundant amount of clean warm water for the period of milk feeding, since its consumption in the body is extremely high.

In parallel with giving dairy products, other feeds should be introduced into the diet, but this should be done gradually, starting with small volumes and gradually increasing the rate. Already from the first days of life, small portions of legume hay can be applied to the feeder. From the age of 3 weeks, gradually introduce concentrated feed into the diet, but its dosage at this stage should not exceed 100 g.

Gradually, compound feed should also be added to the food. An example of a mixture prepared at home can be a composition of the following components:

• barley;
• powdered milk;
• cake;
• feed yeast;
• food chalk;
• salt;
• herbal flour;
• premix.

Reference. At the end of the first month of life, the diet can already be diluted with small amounts of green (dried) grass, silage, carrots and other root crops.

Fattening

If young animals are grown on the farm, then from the second month of life, fattening meals should be planned. It will provide the animal with the maximum increase in muscle mass in the shortest possible time.

Serum

In this case, for the entire second month of life, the basis of the baby's food will be reverse, whey and other dairy products. By the third month of life, calves are transferred to a mixture of concentrated, coarse and juicy feed (in equal proportions). At the same time, one of the main conditions for a good weight gain is the limitation of physical activity, which is achieved by individual or stall keeping.

By the fourth month, food waste can also be gradually introduced into food.

It is imperative for young animals of any direction to add various vitamin complexes and premixes to the diet. A growing body needs to provide a sufficient amount of phosphorus, calcium, zinc, iodine, vitamins A, D, E.

Breeding

Compliance with all of the above points determines how strong and productive the herd will be in the future, but the most important of them is the correct breeding of young animals. Also, a special place here is occupied by the competent selection of parents, because only healthy and strong individuals can give the same offspring.

When choosing a cow for breeding work, the following requirements should be imposed on her:

• good physical health and absence of diseases;
• quick weight gain, which by 18 months should already be at least 400 kg (for the Holstein breed);
• absence of diseases of the digestive system;
• high annual productivity;
• milk composition with accurate fat and protein values;
• correct udder shape.

It is also important to pay attention to how the animal calves, how the maternal instinct is developed in the heifer.

When choosing a pair for breeding calves, the best option would be to mate representatives of the same breed. This approach will make it possible to predict the characteristics of future offspring as accurately as possible.

In the case of interbreeding, the qualities that will be passed on to the young are more difficult to determine. But sometimes this method can give more positive results, strengthening the characteristics of the original breeds.

Conclusion

In any case, the approach to breeding and raising calves in domestic and industrial conditions should be as responsible as possible. How much effort has been put into this process directly affects the future of the entire herd raised, its productivity, disease resistance and overall survival. Therefore, excessive economy and frivolity in this matter are unacceptable.

Raising calves at home requires a lot of effort, especially during the dairy season. But if properly cared for, raising calves on your own will prove to be a much more profitable process than purchasing an expensive adult calf.

Calving a cow and caring for a newborn

The cow carries the baby for 9 months. When calving begins, the cow is moved to a fenced-in area covered with clean straw. Childbirth is often natural and correct. The animal pushes during attempts and pushes a bluish-red bladder with amniotic fluid from the vagina, which soon bursts. The front legs of the calf appear first, then the head, then the rest of the body. You should not help and pull the calf if the birth is normal. In case of complications, you should ask for help from specialists or experienced neighbors.

The calf lies at first, resting and gaining strength.At this time, it is necessary to separate the umbilical cord: cut it off with clean scissors or tear it off by hand. In this case, it is necessary to firmly grip the part that remains with the newborn so that bleeding or injury does not occur near the abdomen. Rinse the umbilical cord with 7% lysol solution.

The baby comes out of the womb wet due to amniotic fluid. Usually the cow licks it herself and warms it. If she does not do this, it is necessary to wipe and dry it yourself so that he does not catch a cold. After this procedure, the calf should be placed in a dry and slightly cool place without drafts. Then there is a hardening of a small organism, a delay in the development of microbes and a decrease in the risk of morbidity, which will greatly facilitate keeping the calf at home.

 How to set up feeding

With proper housekeeping, it is advised that when raising calves during the dairy period, do not allow babies to be fed with the uterus. The cow usually gives much more milk than the baby needs. He can drink an excessive amount and the young body will not be able to assimilate it, which will lead to disorder.

It may be the other way around. The calf will not have enough strength to suck the cow clean, which is why her milk yield will soon decrease.

You can also try:

• do not let the baby suck out milk to the end and give it with his hands, but in this case, the cow may begin to retain milk;
• milk, then attach the calf, but then the owner will receive the most liquid part, and the fatty afterbirth will go to the young animal, which is also unprofitable.

Livestock breeders recommend training calves to feed from a bucket or gang.

Calf feeding

The feeding ration depends on the age of the young. Conventionally, the rearing of calves is usually divided into periods:

1. Milk - from birth to 3-4 months.
2. Post-milk - from 3-4 months to 6 months.
3. Fast growing - from 6 to 12 months.
4. Final - from one to one and a half years.

The first week of life, the newborn is fed with colostrum, which is secreted by a cow. It differs from milk in consistency and taste, because it includes more proteins and mineral salts, 4–5 times and 2 times, respectively. Colostrum is fed to the baby 3-4 feedings, 1.5 liters daily. This special nutrition is important for further stimulating growth and developing immunity to various diseases.

At the same time, they begin to give fresh skim milk (return), warmed up to 35–37%. At the same time, they gradually accustom themselves to hay. Better if it is a vitamin, mowed before flowering plants. From the age of 25 days, they begin to give hay infusion. To prepare it, you need to grind the hay and fill it with boiled water heated to 70–80 degrees, at the rate of 6–7 liters per 1 kg of hay. The broth must be infused for 5–6 hours and drained. First, they give a dose of 0.25 liters, gradually this figure reaches 5 liters.

Calves aged from six months to 1 year are transferred to solid food. The daily portion consists of 6-7 kg of carrots and beets, 1 kg of straw, 3-4 kg of hay, 0.5 kg of concentrates, 4-5 kg ​​of silage, 25 g of salt and feed phosphate-containing substances or chalk. The menu for a one-year-old calf consists of 7-8 kg of beets, carrots or potatoes, 5 kg of hay, 6-8 kg of silage, 2 kg of straw, 0.5-1 kg of concentrated feed, 40-45 g of salt and 30-35 g. feed phosphate-containing substances or chalk.

Daily routine and place of detention

Raising calves during the dairy period requires a correct and precise daily routine. Determine the timing of feeding, cleaning the room and hygiene of the baby himself. It should be adhered to to avoid morbidity in the calf.

First, the newborn is placed in a cage standing on legs 30–40 centimeters high. The floor should be grated so that waste does not remain in the pen. To ensure comfort and warmth, cover the bottom with straw, preferably wheat or rye, with a layer of at least 30 centimeters. The top of the litter needs to be re-matted every day and can be completely replaced once a month.Never use wood shavings or wet straw as this can make your baby sick.

After 20 days, the calf is transferred to the calf shed, first in a separate cage, then in a general one, designed for a maximum of 6 animals. The calf rearing room must be dry. If this is difficult, then place a bowl of quicklime in the corner, which absorbs excess moisture. Also, wood ash should be poured on the floor so that it clears the air and absorbs the ammonia smell from urine.

Walking

A calf of 3-4 days of life can be released from the cage, but for now it should only walk indoors. Starting from 10 days of age, the baby is released into the pen for 5-10 minutes in calm weather. Walking time is gradually increased to 1.5-2 hours.

In the first months, it is necessary to train the calves to graze and feed on abundant young grass growing on solid ground. The first week grazing lasts 1-2 hours, the second - already 4-5, on the third - it's already 8-10.

Also, calves can and should be bathed in reservoirs with running water during the warm season.

Fattening gobies for meat

After the birth of newborn animals, the farmer thinks about whether they are suitable for further breeding of a dairy farm or for raising calves for meat. The diet and conditions of detention depend on this.

If there is a choice, calves from large dairy cows should be left for breeding from the third to the eighth calving. Firstborns are usually too weak, since the mother herself is not yet physiologically developed enough. Old-born animals are also unlikely to produce healthy offspring.

However, the mother's assessment should not be the determining factor, take a closer look at the newborn:

• a large calf with a wide head and shiny coat, stands firmly on its feet, gallops, hums loudly, has a great appetite - a good option for breeding development;
• a small calf with dull hair, prefers to lie on a litter, reluctantly drinks milk - there will be no sense from it.

When raising calves for meat, it is better to feed them with one whole milk. The meat after such feeding is light, typical for good veal, it is most appreciated on the market. Skim milk, white bread, and raw chicken eggs can be added temporarily.

Care must be taken to ensure that the calf does not overeat, that the room is dry and free of drafts and receives chalk. A cage for such an animal is made small so that it cannot jump and spin in it, then weight gain will go faster.

Feeding is carried out for 2-3 months. A well-fed calf produces a carcass weighing 55–60% of its live weight.

At home, raising calves will require small material investments, but huge labor costs. But no matter what you decide: to raise young animals for dairy farming or for slaughter, in any case, it will pay off.

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Video - How to raise a calf

Content:

• Features of raising calves
• Recommendations for raising calves for meat at home
• Calf keeping methods

Correct calf rearing is the key to healthy cattle. The calf needs special care and a balanced diet.Depending on the purpose, the methods of cultivation and maintenance methods may be different.

Features of raising calves

Compliance with the elementary rules for keeping and caring will help to get healthy livestock out of young stock. Consider general recommendations for the care and maintenance of young animals.

The entire growing period can be roughly divided into four stages.

Milk period

The duration of this stage is about four months from the moment of calving. This is the most important part of the life of future nursing cows.... The main component of the calf's diet is milk, to which other feeds are gradually added.

It is not recommended to take the calf away from the mother for the first two weeks. Joint housing is beneficial for both the calf and the cow. During the first days, the cub feeds exclusively on breast milk.

Approximately on the fifth day, youngsters begin to accustom themselves to water. After the second week of life, hay begins to be included in the diet and only then concentrated feed is added.

Sucking period

It is during this stage that the purpose of rearing the young is determined. For example, if a heifer is fed for meat at home, then the milk period for him lasts about eight months. Moreover, the cow is not milked during this period.
On large farms, several calves can be allowed near one cow.

For about three months, young animals receive whole milk at the same time as other feeds. After this period, the calves completely switch to coarser food, and the next batch of young animals is admitted to the freed cow.

This approach is considered the most rational.

A period of intense growth

It is at this time that the young are gaining the bulk. It is the farmer's job to provide the calves with adequate nutrition. With the right approach, heifers can gain up to one kilogram in weight daily!

Fattening period

A key step in the rearing of beef calves. It can last for about a year and a half. All this time, the calf should receive adequate nutrition. Otherwise, there is a risk of weight loss, which could affect the quality of the meat.

Important! These are just general guidelines! For a full-fledged cultivation, it is recommended to consult a livestock specialist! This specialist will help you choose a balanced diet and provide proper care for the young, depending on the breed and climatic conditions.

Recommendations for raising calves for meat at home

When raising young animals for meat at home, there are a lot of tricks. Considering all these nuances, you can not only facilitate the growing up process, but also get quality meat.

It is recommended that cows are calving at the end of winter or early spring. This is the least busy time in the household. In addition, it is noticed that calves born at this time of the year are less susceptible to various diseases... At the age of three months, the young can feed on the pasture, which saves on feed.

It should be borne in mind that gobies gain weight faster and their meat is less fatty.

If the calf is raised for fatty beef, then it makes sense to castrate it. This is usually done before the age of three months. In this case, muscle mass stops developing and obesity occurs.

Heifers need an increased composition and nutritional norms. This helps to slow down their puberty and, as a result, gain weight.

If you intensively feed calves up to one year of age, you can get "marbled meat". It is a delicate, juicy and tasty product. If you save on food during this period, then the beef turns out to be tough and sinewy.

Young animals for slaughter at home are grown, as a rule, up to one and a half years. Thus, you can get about 450 kilograms of live weight.

It is recommended that young animals be fattened two or three months before slaughter.This is done by reinforcing concentrated feed or grazing on pasture.

Important! When fattening, animals must graze at least 16 hours a day! It is also helpful to add table salt to their diet. Compliance with these simple rules will not only allow you to get nutritious and easily digestible meat, but also to gain an increase in live weight of about 60%.

Calf keeping methods

When raising young animals, keeping conditions play an important role. This allows you to get healthy and productive animals.

There are two main technologies of keeping, cold and traditional. Each method has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. Let's consider both methods.

Cold method

It is considered the most effective, suitable for dairy and meat breeds of young animals. Its essence is as follows. Calves are housed individually in special huts in open areas. As the name implies, heating is not provided for with this method of keeping. Of all the amenities, only bedding. They start keeping calves using this technology from the first day of life.

Pros:

• thanks to the harsh housing conditions, all internal and hidden reserves of the calves are mobilized. Due to this, there is a significant increase in live weight;
• young animals receive naturally necessary vitamin D for growth and development;
• the risk of infectious and colds is significantly reduced. The body gets hardened and works with maximum efficiency;
• cold method of keeping, stimulates the thyroid gland, which contributes to a better metabolism.

Cons: significant financial costs. At low ambient temperatures, the milk consumption of the calves increases. Besides, building houses is also expensive.

Traditional method

Despite the fact that this method is considered obsolete, it remains highly relevant. Its essence lies in the joint maintenance of calves and cows. Only after reaching a certain stage in development, the young are resettled.

Advantages of the method:

• calves require less attention. In the event of a sharp cold snap, they do not remain defenseless;
• financial benefit. This method is practically cost-free.

Cons of the method:

• young animals kept using this technology have digestive problems;
• in the event of an infection, the disease spreads very quickly;
• the calf's body does not receive the full amount of ultraviolet rays. Therefore, young animals have weak immunity and rickets.

Group method

The essence of the method lies in the fact that for six months the young are kept in small groups of about 10-20 heads. It has been noticed that under such conditions, calves develop much faster.

Such efficiency lies in the competition of young animals with each other. Of course, there is a risk of losing the entire livestock of young animals when an infection occurs, but maintenance costs are reduced.

Bind method

This method is especially relevant at the age of three months. It is during this period that calves are most susceptible to various diseases. In essence, this method resembles the "cold" keeping of young stock. The calf is tied to the feeder; a net separates it from the rest of the animals.

Of the disadvantages of such content, there is a limitation of the calf's mobility, but the likelihood of catching an infection from a sick animal decreases.

How to provide rearing, feeding and what methods to use for keeping calves is a matter of individual business for each farmer. But it's best to take the advice of your veterinarian. After all, those tips that are suitable for some breeds of cattle may not be relevant for others. In addition, it is worth considering the climatic features of the region in which the farm is located.Only an experienced specialist will be able to advise the optimal way of raising young animals, taking into account these features.