Liangshan Grain-Saving Cattle Farming Model Delivers High Profits

Farmer Zhang Fanchun of Houzhang Village, Quanpu Town, Liangshan County, has built a large-scale "grain-saving" cattle farm. His beef cattle are sold to more than 10 provinces and cities across the country, achieving notable economic and social benefits.

Shuipo Liangshan is located in the lower reaches of the Yellow River, near a lake and close to the river, with abundant forage and feed resources. It enjoys uniquely favorable conditions for raising improved breeds such as Luxi Yellow Cattle, Simmental cattle, Limousin cattle and Charolais cattle. Farmer Zhang Fanchun has built a large-scale breeding farm. His main practices are:

One: Making ammoniated feed from crop straw for scientific feeding.

Cattle should be given as much good-quality green forage as they can eat to satisfaction, while supplementary feeds for other essential nutrients are also provided. To improve cattle-farming profits, one must start with calf rearing, and in particular do a good job of supplementary feeding during the first and second winter-spring confinement feeding periods, so that the cattle reach a body weight of about 300 kg and are ready for market at 18-24 months of age; they can also be finished for a short period of intensive fattening and marketed at over 500 kg. After ammoniation, the crude protein content of rice straw and wheat straw can be increased, which not only lowers feeding costs but also raises the economic returns of cattle farming. Therefore, new straw-processing techniques such as straw silage, half-dry storage and ammoniation should be promoted and popularized, along with "grain-saving" cattle farming using straw.

Two: Strict disease prevention.

Preventing cattle diseases is also one of the keys to achieving higher profits in cattle farming. If disease prevention is not done well, all the earlier feeding efforts will be wasted. To prevent cattle diseases, in addition to doing a good job of cleaning, hygiene and disinfection of the cattle shed and the cattle themselves, ensuring the hygiene and safety of cattle feed and drinking water, and deworming, it is also necessary to do a good job of disease prevention and treatment. Remove manure at fixed times every day, ventilate at noon, brush the cattle's bodies, and regularly lead them outside the shed to bask in the sun. This strengthens their physique, helps them gain fat, and raises the economic returns of the farmers.

At present, Zhang Fanchun's "grain-saving" cattle farm raises more than 200 head of improved breeds such as Luxi Yellow Cattle, Simmental cattle, Limousin cattle and Charolais cattle. Each beef cow can earn more than 4,000 yuan, making him a veritable "king" of cattle farming.