What are the common misconceptions about raising cattle in rural areas?

The farming industry has always been a sector prone to problems, and cattle raising is a prime example. In fact, many problems arise from inadequate management or human error. Some economic losses that could be avoided end up being amplified because people overlook certain details. Today, Qinnong Network will explain how to avoid some of these misconceptions.

1. Blindly building cattle sheds

Before raising cattle, a cattle shed generally needs to be built, but some farmers, influenced by inaccurate information, blindly invest money in building unnecessary sheds. For free-range farmers, it is enough to act according to their local conditions: if the temperature is high, build a shed with good ventilation; if the temperature is very low, build a semi-open shed; for calving, just make a simple isolation area. Everyone raises cattle to make money. Isn't it a big loss to blindly build a luxurious cattle shed, invest a large amount of money, and then find that it is not very useful? Moreover, the shed can be renovated later; this is not difficult, so build it when needed.

2. Following the trend when selecting breeds

This is still the most common problem in rural areas. Some friends blindly trust the breeds recommended by others and make a special trip to buy them. But they forget to learn about the habits of that type of cattle, and after buying them back they find that the cattle cannot adapt to the local environment, resulting in heavy losses. Generally speaking, every place has cattle breeds suitable for local breeding; if the benefits were poor, no one would raise them. Therefore, it is recommended to buy breeding stock nearby, as this greatly reduces the risk compared with purchasing from outside.

3. Poor feeding habits

Feeding cattle is a very important issue; only with good feeding can there be good returns. But now many farmers, due to their level of feeding knowledge, pay no attention at all and think that as long as the cattle are fed, it is fine. This mistake is very serious. First, feeding times must be punctual. Second, what is fed to cattle at different stages must change, and different types also require different changes. Would you not change what you feed calves and adult cattle? If pregnant cows and bulls are fed the same thing, how can you ensure the cattle's health? Cattle need different nutritional elements supplemented at different stages, and everyone must keep this firmly in mind.

4. Mixed breeding

Mixed breeding is a common practice for many friends, and it is also the point most easily overlooked. The general view is that cattle are herd animals anyway, so raising them together is more convenient. In fact, this causes great harm to the cattle. For example, cows during pregnancy generally need clean sanitation and a quiet environment, and after giving birth they need an environment where they can recover, while bulls need to maintain their activity to improve immunity. The two are in a conflicting state. Another example is that some bulls are relatively strong and can easily cause injuries to other cattle. Therefore, cattle should be handled according to their individual needs.

5. Lax disease prevention

Many farmers only give some vaccines when they first buy cattle. Later, they only vaccinate when they hear they should, and otherwise avoid it if possible. For sick cattle, they generally use one medicine to solve the problem, and only when it is especially serious do they check what the disease is and then treat it. These are all things that easily cause economic losses. Generally speaking, when any cattle are found to be somewhat abnormal, they must be closely observed and possible diseases investigated. If observation is inconvenient, they can be marked. For cattle diseases, once symptoms are obvious, they are generally very difficult to treat.

The above are some aspects that people do not pay much attention to when raising cattle. Everyone must take these seriously and not wait until they suffer losses to deal with them, as that is not worth the loss. Raising cattle also requires a lot of management. Being careful is also for the sake of achieving better returns.