4 Important Lessons I Learnt Over the Years While Fattening Cows
Fattening cows was the first that came to our minds, seven years ago when we decided to diversify and enlarge our farming enterprise, with the aim of exploring other possible sources of income.
Which is different from the usual poultry farming we were used to. And we decided to go into fattening cows.
What we did was to visit both big and small farms where they fattened cows to fully understand how things are done properly i.e.
- How the cows are been fed
- The housing condition
- The vaccination and medication being administered
- Pest and disease control
- The day-to-day routine on the farm.
We also visited smallholder farmers who fattened their cows at their individual homes.
This is to enable us fully understand the process of fattening cows.
With all these visits, research, and inquiries we were able to come to the conclusion that there is no clear shortcut to success.
For fattening cows and making them healthy. It involves making deliberate efforts and hard work.
And also employing the best management practices in fattening your cows, definitely you will have a good return on your investment.
Over the years that we have been fattening cows, we were able to gain quite a number of user experiences, such as how to tame a cow, handling cows to avoid injuries and accidents, feeding patterns etc.
Some other vital lessons learned are discussed below:
Recommended for you:
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When Fattening Cows it is Important You Buy a Good Breed, and you Consult those that are Knowledgeable about Cow Fattening
As a farmer, your success journey begins at the point of purchasing your cows for fattening.
So many factors are involved at this very important point.
Factors such as:
- The amount at which you purchase the cow.
- The level of involvement of middlemen.
- The age and breed of the cow involved.
- The size and health condition of the cow
Before you purchase any cow for fattening, you have to consult widely with people that are very knowledgeable in the business of fattening cows.
In other words, you have to know the right amount of money meant for a particular size and weight of a cow before buying it.
You will not really make much profit when you buy a cow, very expensive more than the required price.
Especially if the cow is meant for fattening, and after fattening for like three to six months your customers are still pricing it within the range at which you bought the cow.
In between when you buy the cow to be fattened, and when you are to sell the fattened cow lies the profit.
Most farmers used to make the mistake of purchasing cows meant for fattening at a very high price.
In the end, they start complaining about customers pricing low at the point of sale.
The Source Matters
For you to avoid this kind of pitfall, it is highly advisable you try as much as possible, to buy from the cheapest source or seller so as to maximize profits at the point of sale.
Not only in agriculture, in virtually all spears of life when you involve too many middlemen when purchasing goods or services.
They have a way of making such products unnecessarily expensive because they would also include their share.
Thereby making the end products expensive. Surprisingly in most cases when you want to sell the cow after fattening the cow.
They will come with other excuses why the price of the fattened cow should be less than the expected selling price.
It is therefore very important when making purchases that you consult experienced farmers that have been in the business of fattening cows for a long time.
Some species of cows grow faster, have weight than others, and are more resistant to disease than others.
Before you purchase your cow for fattening consult widely with farmers that know these qualities in cows. And know where you can get such species or good breed of cow.
So that they can help you in purchasing the right breed of cows. Species vary from region to region or from country to country.
Am very sure you would always have a good breed of cow that is close to you and would suit your purpose when you make appropriate research and inquiries.
Recommended for you:
Utilizing the Right Season to Start Cow Fattening to Ensure Steady Cash Flow
How Cow Fattening Can Make You Rich
How to make cow fattening profitable
Learning from Previous Mistakes
Over the years we have come to the realization that fattening cows during the rainy season is very expensive, and comes with a lot of challenges.
So we decided to be purchasing and fattened cows during the dry season or when the rain is less.
It is easier and cheaper for us for the following reasons:
- Their feed is readily available and cheaper during the dry season due to the fact that after the rains animal feed such as dry hay derived from groundnut or cowpea leaves, and other agricultural produce, are sold at an affordable price immediately after harvests, so you can stockpile it and store for use throughout the dry season.
- The cows will have access to dry matter which helps them in gaining weight rapidly. And strikes out or reduces the incidence of mycotoxins or molds in their feed such as in maize offal, maize brand, or wheat offal.
- It also reduces the incidence of diseases that are associated with extreme wetness such as lumpy skin disease of cattle that is mostly associated with wetness, mosquitoes or flies, etc.
Depending on the part of the world you are reading this blog from.
This analysis is based on the weather and climatic condition of Northern Nigeria it might not be applicable to your region or country.
Please study and understand what is applicable for your region so that you don’t make mistakes.
If you share the same climatic condition with most parts of sub-Saharan Africa then you can still apply this analysis.
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When Fattening Cows buy a Healthy Cow
I remembered some years back we bought a cow from the local cattle market near my hometown of Minna.
The cow actually looks healthy and big although it was very cheap for its size.
So we rushed to buy it immediately due to its market price. Unknowingly to us, the cow has a serious respiratory condition, the lungs were badly damaged.
In the local language, the disease is called (huhu). Three days after getting home with the cow it developed the symptoms of the disease fully.
We tried treating it with all manner of antibiotics and also invited a veterinary Doctor to no avail at the end we have to dispose of the cow.
What am trying to say is this, whenever you are purchasing a cow for fattening.
Take your time to observe carefully for any pre-existing health issues, and to be on the safer side go with an experience cattle farmer. Because some sellers can be very corny and dubious.
They would drug the cow and as an innocent, and unsuspecting customer you would think the cow is healthy not knowing the cow is on drugs.
upon reaching home the cow would come down with the disease.
In order to avoid making mistakes or losing your hard-earned money take your time and be very vigilant when purchasing a cow for fattening.
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8 Wonderful Benefit of Goat Farming to Mankind
How to Engage In Profitable Goat Farming
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Beware of the Current Market Values of Cow
Both at the point of purchasing your cow or at the point of selling them.
Fattening cows requires appropriate timing. Cows are cheap during a certain period of the year.
Most cows in Nigeria are reared and sold by the Fulani’s, who are mostly nomadic and pastoralist in nature.
They migrate between the south and northern part of the country. This migration affects the market price of the cows.
Secondly, cows are more expensive during the religious festive periods, and also during the end of the year.
If you are not careful you may end up selling your cow cheaper than expected thereby reducing your profits margin.
Try as much as possible to always ask questions and update yourself on the current market prices of cows.
So that you don’t make mistakes of buying your cow at a very high price. And when the time comes for selling the cow, you may find it difficult to make a profit.
Read also: The Simple Lifestyle of the Fulani People in Nigeria
In Conclusion
You are in the business of fattening cows to make a profit and not just to keep feeding your cows.
If you really want to attract a reasonable price for your cow after fattening them, then you have to consider the physical appearance of the cow to be fattened.
People are always attracted to the physical appearance of a healthy-looking cow.
Most importantly when fattening cows always go for a good breed that grows faster, adds more weight in record time. And in the end, would have a good market value that would make you smile to the Bank.
