Detailed Explanation of Yellow Cattle Breeding Techniques and Feeding Management Key Points
Yellow cattle have disadvantages such as slow growth speed, poor hindquarter development, and low milk production in cows, which directly affect their meat production performance. So how should yellow cattle be raised? The yellow cattle breeding technique video is introduced as follows.
Yellow cattle breeding techniques
1. Regular and quantitative feeding:
Pollution-free yellow cattle producers should understand the nutritional requirements of cattle of different types and production levels for various nutrients, and should reasonably formulate a complete-price daily ration according to the digestive physiological characteristics of various types of cattle. When formulating the ration, the principle should be to use roughage as the main feed and supplement it with concentrate. The feed should have a moderate volume, so that the cattle can eat it, eat their fill, and also meet their nutritional needs. After the daily ration is prepared, the number of feedings per day and the feeding procedure should be relatively stable, so as to achieve regular and quantitative feeding, help the cattle form good conditioned reflexes, increase saliva secretion, provide a good activity environment for rumen microorganisms, and improve feed digestibility and utilization. Yellow cattle are suitable for feeding 3 times in the morning, at noon, and in the evening; cows can also be fed 2 times a day. If feeding times are randomly disrupted and the composition of the daily ration is arbitrarily changed, causing the cattle to have one full meal and then go hungry, the cattle will not eat grass well, causing "off the trough," that is, rumination occurring during the feeding process, affecting the cattle's normal physiological patterns such as feeding, rumination, and rest.
2. Transition between grazing and barn feeding:
If the cattle farm has pastureland, grazing should be used as much as possible to save costs. The transition from winter barn feeding to spring grazing should not be too early, because cattle have a very poor ability to nibble short grass; this is the saying "sheep look forward to Qingming, cattle look forward to summer (Lixia)." At the beginning, they can graze on green grass for 2-3 hours per day, then gradually increase the grazing time; only after at least 10 days can they be fully switched to grazing. If they are fully grazed from the start, because the green grass is too short for the cattle to eat enough, it causes "chasing green," which wastes physical strength and lowers the cattle's body condition. At the same time, because the forage changes suddenly, from dry grass to green grass, the cattle are prone to diarrhea and bloating, and digestive function disorders. After grazing begins, dry grass or straw must be supplemented at night; cattle in poor body condition, pregnant cattle, and lactating cattle should also be given 0.5-1 kg of concentrate. Similarly, the transition from grazing to barn feeding should also be carried out gradually.
3. Reasonable feed combination:
The forage and feed for cattle should be diversified; for example, concentrate, roughage, and green succulent feed should be combined, energy feed and protein feed should be combined, and grasses and legumes should be combined. Diversified forage and feed allow nutrients to complement one another, can also improve palatability, and promote appetite. Because multiple feeds need to be combined, when the composition of the daily ration needs to be changed, it is also much easier than a sudden change with a single feed.
4. Careful combination and feeding:
Cattle like to eat fresh grass. In order not to waste forage and to ensure a strong appetite, feed should be given less but more frequently. For rations mainly based on roughage, in order to encourage the cattle to eat enough grass, a mixing method is mostly used for feeding. When mixing feed, use less feed and less water for the first few times, and more feed and more water for the last two times, so that the cattle eat and drink together and are fed to fullness in one go. Roughage should be chopped short and screened clean. Moldy and spoiled forage and feed must not be fed. Foreign matter such as wire, nails, and glass shards must be prevented from mixing into the forage and feed. Grass and cake-type feed purchased near towns and cities are especially likely to be mixed with wire; they can also be treated with a magnet device before being fed to cattle.
5. Sufficient and reasonable drinking water:
Cattle need a sufficient amount of drinking water to carry out normal metabolism. As the proverb says, "grass for body condition, feed for strength, water for spirit." With sufficient drinking water, cattle have well-developed muscles, glossy hair, full spirits, good growth and development, and improved productivity. Under conditions without automatic watering equipment, in addition to supplying water during feeding, a water trough should be set up in the exercise yard. Drinking water must be clean; in winter, well water or heated warm water should be given to reduce the energy consumption of yellow cattle.
6. Frequently brush and groom the cattle's body:
The skin of cattle is a barrier that protects the internal organs of the cattle body; it can regulate body temperature and defend against invasion by bacteria and parasites. The cattle's body should be brushed and groomed every day. As people say, "brushing and scraping is equal to adding feed." When brushing, go from front to back, and from left to right, scraping while brushing. Frequently combing and brushing the cattle's body not only keeps it clean and removes parasites, but also promotes blood circulation and gastrointestinal peristalsis, thereby promoting digestion. At the same time, frequent grooming makes the cattle docile in temperament, facilitating the progress of management work such as epidemic prevention, weighing, and hoof trimming. Lice and body mites often invade the cattle's body and should be removed and treated promptly. Body mites mainly harm calves in winter and spring and are very stubborn; they can be treated with trichlorfon and used engine oil, etc. The treatment principle is to treat early, treat when small, and cure completely.
7. Maintain barn hygiene:
In order to reduce opportunities for bacterial infection, the cattle barn should be kept hygienic. Feed troughs, water buckets, and feed vats should be brushed clean in time. Leftover grass and feed must never be left in the feed trough to be eaten next time. The cattle bedding should be cleaned and kept dry. In winter, bedding straw should be added for the cattle to lie down and rest. If the cattle bedding is damp, the cattle are prone to colds, rheumatism, and other diseases. As the saying goes, "cattle fear water on the belly," which makes sense.
8. Appropriate outdoor exercise:
Cattle should have a certain amount of outdoor exercise, especially breeding cows, calves, and growing cattle. Breeding bulls can be exercised by leading or by a dedicated rotary exercise device. Other cattle, if conditions permit, can be driven to a larger exercise yard for free exercise or grazing exercise. During exercise, sunlight exposure also increases the source of vitamins. Fattening cattle, however, should have their exercise amount controlled. Many fattening cattle farms in China use tethered feeding, with very little exercise.
Prospects for yellow cattle breeding
Yellow cattle are a domestic breed. Because their growth speed is relatively slow, their meat quality is relatively good. Generally, southerners prefer to eat yellow cattle beef. However, due to current socioeconomic development, the disadvantages of slow growth and long cycles in yellow cattle have become the main factors restricting their development. In order to improve growth speed and meat yield, many yellow cattle breeds have already been improved through crossbreeding. Therefore, although the market prospects for yellow cattle are good, profits are low, and there are generally more farms raising crossbred improved yellow cattle.
Economic value of yellow cattle
China's native ordinary yellow cattle breed. China's number of raised yellow cattle ranks first among large livestock or cattle. Yellow cattle are raised throughout the country. In agricultural areas they are mainly used for draft, in semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral areas for both draft and milk, and in pastoral areas for both milk and meat.
Disease prevention and control of yellow cattle
In cattle with bronchopneumonia, coughing is obvious in the morning and evening, with clear nasal discharge, difficulty breathing, and body temperature as high as 40°C.
Prevention and control: strengthen cold protection and warmth, and provide careful feeding management. Medicinally use penicillin 3 million-6 million units, streptomycin 1.5 million-2 million units, and aminopyrine 20 ml-30 ml by intramuscular injection; perilla, schizonepeta, peucedanum, saposhnikovia, platycodon, phellodendron, ephedra, and ginger 30 g each, codonopsis and astragalus 40 g each, licorice 20 g, decoct in water, take the juice and administer orally, for 2-3 consecutive doses.
Hypothermia is caused by cold wave invasion. Affected cattle have poor spirits and reduced feed intake, difficulty standing up and lying down, and cold ears, nose, and even the whole body. Body temperature is below 36°C, and they often die of exhaustion.
Prevention and control: supply high-quality, easily digestible feed, strengthen cold protection and warmth, and at the same time intravenously inject 5‰-20‰ glucose solution 1500 ml-2000 ml, intramuscularly inject 10% camphor sulfonic acid 10 ml-20 ml, and combine with Chinese herbal medicine prepared from 60 g cooked aconite, 40 g each of dried ginger and honey-fried licorice, grind into powder, mix with boiling water, and administer orally once when slightly warm, for 2-3 consecutive days.
In cattle with omasum impaction, the spirit is listless, the muzzle is dry and cracked, feces are like millet, there is abdominal pain, and rumination stops.
Prevention and control: strengthen feeding management, combine with green feed, provide sufficient drinking water, and strengthen exercise. Medicinally use sodium sulfate 500 g, add water 500 ml, administer orally once; or use white sugar and honey 250 g, add water 500 ml, administer orally once, and at the same time inject 30% sodium sulfate solution 400 ml into the omasum.
In cattle with rheumatism, the hindquarters are stiff and straight, standing up and lying down are difficult, and feed intake is reduced. Treatment can use hot compress method: take black beans 15 kg, vinegar 0.5 kg, and 1 cloth bag; fry the beans hot, add vinegar and mix evenly, while hot put them into the cloth bag and place it flat on the affected cow's loin for hot compress for 1 hour, apply 2 times a day, for 3 consecutive days. At the same time, orally administer fennel powder for better effect.
In cattle with rumen atony, appetite is sometimes good and sometimes bad, and rumination is weakened or stops. During treatment, give the sick cow intravenous injection of 10% sodium chloride 300 ml-500 ml, vitamin B1 30 ml-50 ml, and 10% sodium caffeine 10 ml-20 ml, once a day; at the same time take codonopsis, atractylodes, tangerine peel, poria, and costus root 30 g each, malt, hawthorn, and medicated leaven 60 g each, and betel nut 20 g, decoct in water and administer orally.
Acute ruminal tympany is caused by eating too much cabbage leaf and sweet potato vine, resulting in rapid fermentation and gas production. The affected cow's flank is distended, and percussion sounds like a drum.
Treatment: mash 10 garlic bulbs, add vinegar 500 ml, and administer orally; sesame oil 250 ml-500 ml, tobacco shreds 50 g, and 7 garlic bulbs mashed and mixed, administer orally; 0.4% lime water 2000 ml administered orally once.
In cattle with bovine influenza, the affected cow has fever, cough, nasal discharge, tearing, dry muzzle, unsteady limbs, and lameness. For treatment use berdine 20 ml-40 ml and penicillin 2 million-4 million units by intramuscular injection; bupleurum, scutellaria, anemarrhena, platycodon, pueraria, mint, chrysanthemum, rehmannia, perilla root, and scrophularia 40 g each, honeysuckle, forsythia, moutan bark, and licorice 30 g each, decoct in water and administer orally.