Key Points of Feeding and Management Techniques for Beef Breeding Bulls
Beef cattle, also known as beef-purpose cattle, are a type of cattle mainly raised for beef production. The characteristics of beef cattle are: a full body, fast weight gain, high feed conversion efficiency, good meat production performance, and good meat quality and taste. Beef cattle not only provide people with meat products but also provide other non-staple foods. The prospects for beef cattle farming are broad. In particular, on November 30, 2011, the Ministry of Agriculture issued the National Beef Cattle Genetic Improvement Plan (2011-2025), which provided broader space for advancing the genetic improvement process of cattle herds and improving beef cattle production levels and economic benefits.
Beef cattle have always been in short supply. Globally, beef accounts for more than half of meat in developed regions of the world, while in China it accounts for only about 10%. For per capita beef availability, developed countries in the world are above 50 kg, the world average is 10 kg, while China is less than 5 kg, and in particular some areas in the south are less than 2 kg. China has entered the stage of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and beef is a component of the moderately prosperous indicators. People are paying more and more attention to improving the quality and structure of their diet, and the demand for beef, especially high-quality beef, will increase day by day.
Feeding of beef breeding bulls:
The key points of nutritional needs for breeding bulls are protein, carotene and minerals. In production, energy is generally easily satisfied and sometimes even exceeded, resulting in excessive fatness. Therefore, concentrate feed should focus on protein, preferably accounting for 40%-50% of the total nutritional value, while energy feed should mainly be barley, wheat bran, etc., and corn should be fed less to avoid making the bull too fat and affecting its breeding performance. During the peak breeding season, eggs, cow milk, fish meal and other feeds rich in animal protein should also be allocated as appropriate. Roughage should mainly be high-quality legume hay, and the supply of corn silage and root and tuber succulent feeds should be controlled.
For adult breeding bulls, the feeding standard for concentrate and roughage can be approximately 0.5 kg of concentrate feed and 1 kg of roughage per 100 kg of body weight per day. In production practice, this can be handled as appropriate according to different bulls' body condition, sexual activity, semen quality and breeding tasks undertaken. In addition, sufficient and clean drinking water is also essential for breeding bulls, but note that they should not drink water within half an hour before and after mating.
Management of beef breeding bulls:
1. Tethering: Breeding bulls should be haltered at 6 months of age and have nose rings put in at 8-10 months for control.
2. Weighing: Weigh once every 2-3 months to check changes in body weight so as to adjust feeding and management. Beef breeding bulls should be prevented from becoming too fat.
3. Exercise: Insufficient exercise is a common problem in production. They should exercise at least 2 times a day, for about 2 hours in total.
4. Brushing and bathing: Persist in brushing at fixed times every day, with special attention to key areas such as between the horns, the forehead, the neck, the flank and the base of the tail. In summer, bathing should be carried out, which can help cool them and keep them clean.
5. Hoof care: Concentrate hoof trimming in spring and autumn. Keepers should pay attention at all times to conditions such as abnormal hoof shape.
6. Use of breeding bulls: The appropriate number of semen collections is especially important for breeding bulls. Too many collections cause a decline in the bull's physical condition and poor semen quality, while too few collections affect the bull's sexual reflex and reduce semen quantity and vitality. Generally, semen can be collected 2-3 times per week, while in the hot summer and cold winter it can be collected once per week. The specific use should also depend on the actual situation.