6 Vital Points to Be On the Lookout When Buying A Cow for Fattening
Cow fattening is a wonderful way to generate a decent source of income or if you are the one looking for an additional source of income then cow fattening is your best bet.
When buying a cow for fattening, the right type of cow for your business is a major determining factor when it comes to your overall success.
For the sake of this knowledge base article, we are going to delve into 6 essential points to consider when buying a cow for fattening these include:
- Location of the cattle to be purchased
- From whom are you buying the cow from
- The health status of the cow is paramount when buying a cow for fattening
- The age, size, temperament of the cow
- The availability of feed and water should be within reach
- Don’t go alone when buying cows for fattening
Recommended for you:
How to Become Rich through Cow Fattening
4 Unique Advantages of Cow Fattening You Need To Know
Utilizing the Right Season to Start Cow Fattening to Ensure Steady Cash Flow
A Rural cattle market stand
1. Location of the cattle to be purchased should be put into consideration when buying a cow for fattening.
These points might sound trivial but two important factors will certainly come to play when making this crucial decision.
These factors are transportation and security. After buying your cows for fattening how do you intend to transport them to your farm.
Is it through public transport or do you have your private pickup truck, whichever way it goes absolute care must be taken to avoid stress and injury, both to the cattle and their human handlers.
So many cattle have been injured, suffered avoidable dislocation, and even death due to poor handling and poor means of transportation.
Security is a crucial issue especially in most developing and rural communities around the world when it comes to the issue of purchasing or acquiring cows.
In rural Africa banditry, cattle rustlers, cattle and herders conflict is a major bottleneck when it comes to cow fattening and purchasing the cow.
Many rural communities have been deviled by cattle rustlers stealing from farmers, attacking rural cattle markets, etc.
The bottom line is before taking a leap, make serious personal investigations and inquiries about the location you intend to purchase your cow. i.e. if it’s a cattle market how safe is the cattle market, has there been any attack in the recent past.
Are the roads safe for transporting your cow back home, how do you intend to pay for the cow is it cash and carry or through money transfers. Weighing your options will go a long way in averting crises and painful losses.
Recommended for you:
4 Important Lessons I Learnt Over the Years While Fattening Cows
6 Unique Ways You Can Keep Your Cow Healthy During the Fattening Period
5 Tricks You Can Easily Use To Tame a Cow
2. From Whom Are You Buying It From
Starting any business on a clean, clear, and solid footing is the surest way to great success. Never ever buy a cow base on a low price and from an unclear source.
Using Nigeria as a case study most likely place you can purchase a cow is as follows:
- From the Nomadic Fulani cattle owner
- Local cattle market
- Online platform
- From the cattle farmer themselves
- Agricultural institutions around the country
Nomadic Fulani cattle herder.
a. From the Nomadic Fulani cattle owner: This is the list place I will advise anybody to buy his cow from, considering the current security situation in many developing countries especially Nigeria.
Most of the Fulani cattle herders have turned to cattle rustlers. So the likelihood of you buying stolen cattle is high. Except otherwise proven safe.
b. The local cattle market: Is a mixture of the good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s a place where both stolen cows and genuine cows are brought to the market to be sold. It’s left for you to use your discretion and instincts when buying a cow for fattening.
c. Online platform: Many farmers are using the current internet and online platform to their advantage, especially in advancing their business and online presence.
Various agricultural produce and cow inclusive are been sold online nowadays. The truth of the matter is when buying from any online platform. Make sure you are dealing with the right agent; the online platform should be popular with a good track record and reviews from satisfied customers.
If you are collecting any goods and services it should be in an open safe place in broad daylight. Never transact business with an unknown person at night in an unknown place.
d. From the farmers themselves: This is my best option, knowing both the farm location and the farmer will afford you the opportunity to choose the best cow for your cow fattening business.
Both safety and its health status will be guaranteed i.e you must have visited the farm many times to ascertain the health status of the cow you want to buy.
e. Agricultural institutions: It’s a good place to purchase your cow for fattening, due to the fact that it’s a research-based farm where the health, breed, and genetic makeup of an animal are always put into consideration. Most important any technical advice as regards the health, feeding, shelter, and nutritional requirements of each farm animal will be given to you.
Recommended for you:
4 Unique Advantages of Cow Fattening You Need To Know
How to Engage In Profitable Sheep Fattening For Maximum Profits
3. When buying a cow for fattening the health status of the cow is very paramount
Nothing will devastate a livestock farmer than bringing your newly purchase farm animal (cow) back home only to realize that it’s sick. It is very important to be on the lookout for the following qualities in a cow.
- The cow should have bright, clear, and not runny (no discharge).
- The cow nose should be cool, moist muzzle, with frequent licking; breathing should be regular not labored breathing.
- Cows with nasal discharge, coughing, wheezing, or irregular/shallow breathing should be avoided
- The coat or skin should be glossy, clean, and generally unmated (especially for long-haired breeds. Be mindful of severely emaciated or thin cattle. The rule is to ensure that the cow is healthy before purchasing it for fattening.
- Any cow that shows signs of aggressiveness no matter how subtle those signs are should be avoided. For the safety of the farmworkers and the farm owner cattle breeds with large and longhorns should be avoided by all means go for breeds with short or very minute horns i.e Sokoto gudali, bokolo, etc.
- When buying a cow the cow should not be found limping, the legs and feet should look normal and free of sores, swelling, or lesions; beware of uneven gaits or subtle signs of injury by how the animal stands and walks.
Recommended for you:
7 Vital Points that will help you keep Goats in the City Successfully
Caring For Goats during the Raining Season, Best Strategy to Employ.
The Health Impacts of Ticks on Livestock Production, It’s Control and Characteristics.
4. The age, size, and temperament
These are good indicators that need to be put into serious consideration when purchasing a cow for fattening. The age of the cow determines how long it’s going to stay with you. The size of the cow has to do with how big the breed is because the bigger and heavier a cow is the more money and profit you are going to make in the long run. Temperament, a docile and friendly cow is easier to care for and manipulate and is equally loved by the farmworkers, farm owner, and the buyer himself.
Two cows feeding
Read also: 5 Tricks You Can Easily Use To Tame a Cow
5. The availability of feed and water should be within reach
If you live in a drought-prone environment then you have to make provision for adequate water and feeds. They are the basic hallmark for success in cow fattening and livestock production in general. For without this two you are only deceiving yourself.
6. Don’t go alone when buying a cow for fattening
Especially when you are just starting out. It is good you go with an experienced cattle farmer.
A farmer that is familiar with the environments, the breeds, the market terrain and can easily spot and distinguish a sick cow from a simply malnourished cow.
This would enable you to avoid painful mistakes and prevent a lot of financial loss and time wasted in rearing cow that has poor weight gain.
