How to fatten high-grade beef cattle? Master these techniques
High-grade beef cattle are cattle raised to produce high-grade beef. High-grade beef must reach the specified grade standards in main indicators such as tenderness, flavor, and juiciness. Generally, each high-grade beef cattle can produce 30--40 kg of high-grade beef (the rest of the meat is sold as ordinary beef), and each kilogram of high-grade beef can sell for about 90 yuan. Therefore, fattening high-grade beef cattle and producing high-grade beef have very significant economic benefits and broad development prospects.
(1) Strictly control cattle age
For fattening cattle, select calves weaned at 6 months of age, weighing more than 200 kg, and fatten them until slaughter at 18--24 months of age. Beef cattle over 30 months of age generally cannot produce high-grade beef.
(2) Strictly require slaughter weight
The live weight of fattening cattle at 18--24 months of age (that is, before slaughter) should reach more than 450 kg. Without such pre-slaughter live weight, the beef quality cannot reach the “high-quality” grade standard. Therefore, fattening high-grade beef cattle requires both controlling the age of the fattening cattle and reaching a certain pre-slaughter body weight; neither can be missing.
(3) Select excellent breeds
For fattening high-grade beef cattle, it is best to select crossbred cattle (that is, first-generation cattle from crossing beef cattle with local yellow cattle). This is because first-generation crossbred beef cattle gain weight quickly and have excellent beef quality. In addition, selecting excellent local breeds of cattle in China, such as Qinchuan cattle, can also produce high-grade beef.
(4) Management during the general feeding stage (duration is 4 months)
In this fattening stage, the diet is mainly roughage, concentrate accounts for 25% of the diet, the crude protein content in the diet is 12%, each cow consumes about 4 kg of dry matter per day, and the daily weight gain of fattening cattle is about 500 grams.
(5) Strengthen management during the feeding stage (duration is 8 months)
If the plan is to fatten cattle until slaughter at 18 months of age and about 500 kg body weight, the feed for the last 8 months should be arranged as follows: (1) At the 250--300 kg body weight stage, concentrate accounts for 55% of the diet, crude protein content is 11%, each cow consumes 6.2 kg of dry matter per day, the feeding period is 65 days, and the daily weight gain is about 700 grams. (2) At the 350--400 kg body weight stage, concentrate accounts for 75% of the diet, crude protein content is 10.8%, each cow consumes 7.6 kg of dry matter per day, the feeding period is 55 days, and the daily weight gain is 1.1 kg. (3) At the 450--500 kg body weight stage, concentrate accounts for 75%--80% of the diet, crude protein content is 10%, each cow consumes 7.6--8.5 kg of dry matter per day, the feeding period is 120 days, and the daily weight gain is 1.1 kg.
(6) Scientific and standardized feeding management
(1) Before fattening, conduct a health check, deworming, and epidemic prevention; bulls should be castrated.
(2) Concentrate formula during the fattening period: corn 62%, wheat bran 10%, soybean cake 15%, sorghum 10%, shell powder 2%, salt 1%, vitamin A, D. Roughage uses fresh pasture grass and legume green hay, with high-quality silage, ammoniated feed, and micro-storage feed prepared from crop straw as the main types.
(3) Fattening cattle should be raised in barns or pens. When raised in barns, each cow should be fixed and tethered to one post, and the halter rope should not be too long; when raised in pens, the fattening cattle are kept loose in the pens, about 15 cattle per pen, each cow occupying an area of 4--5 sq m, with free access to feed and water.
(4) When the concentrate proportion in the diet rises above 75%, pay attention to bloating or diarrhea in cattle, and treat promptly once disease occurs.
(7) Prevention and treatment of common diseases in fattening cattle
1. Cattle bloating
It is caused by excessive fermentation of the contents of the first two stomachs, producing a large amount of gas. (1) Remove rumen gas. For rumen puncture, clip hair and disinfect at the protruding point of the left flank, then insert a No. 15 needle into the rumen and slowly release the gas. (2) For treatment, use 100 grams of Lai Fu Zi, 120 grams of Glauber's salt, 30 grams of bitter orange, 30 grams of official magnolia bark, and 60 grams of talc powder plus 500 grams of paraffin oil, and 0.5--1 kg of vinegar with water, and administer orally.
2. Cattle dysentery
It mostly occurs in summer and autumn. For treatment, administer orally 5--10 grams of oxytetracycline plus an equal amount of pepsin, mixed with water, twice a day for 3 consecutive days.
3. Water mange
(1) For prevention and control, kill insects in the external environment.
(2) Apply 5% iodine glycerin to the affected area.
(3) Inject 2 mL of Inter insecticide injection liquid; inject 2 mL intramuscularly per 100 kg body weight. The medication can be repeated once after 2 weeks to prevent recurrence.