Making a fortune raising sheep and selling milk: supply falls short of demand, this is how a model of prosperity does it
Goat milk is warm in nature, nourishes the blood and moistens dryness, and can be used as an auxiliary treatment for conditions such as kidney deficiency, chronic gastritis and excess stomach acid. At the same time, goat milk is also a unique natural antibiotic, and has an auxiliary effect on preventing and treating pneumonia and other respiratory diseases, treating the stomach and intestines, and beautifying and calming the nerves. Feng Haijiang, who grew up in Xichuan County, Henan Province, noticed the natural benefits of goat milk and the characteristics of dairy goats being highly adaptable and easy to raise, so he contracted more than 50 mu of land in Yanjiagou Village, Maotang Township, Xichuan County, and in 2008 built a dairy goat farm. At present, there are more than 300 head on hand, 70 milk-producing goats, a daily output of 235 kg of fresh milk, sold at 11.5 yuan per kg, and still supply falls short of demand.
Feng Haijiang, 35 this year, worked in coastal cities after graduating from high school in 1996. The arduous experience of working away from home gave him rich social experience and also let him accumulate a certain amount of capital, and he began looking for a project to get rich. In 2008, he went to Fuping County, Shaanxi Province, the breeding source of dairy goats, and introduced 30 purebred Guanzhong dairy goats and 3 Swiss Saanen male goats. Feng Haijiang said: "In Fuping, dairy goats are mainly raised by free grazing. Although we don't have that much green grass here, we have plenty of alfalfa. Alfalfa is high in protein and is a superior feed for dairy goats." But due to lack of breeding experience, two goats died not long after he bought them.
Looking at the dead goats, Feng Haijiang was heartbroken, yet no matter how much he investigated, he could not find the cause of death. The next day, he went to the county animal husbandry bureau to consult experts. Through laboratory tests the truth was learned: it turned out that goats are ruminants, and after eating their fill they have a process of chewing the cud for digestion. Feng Haijiang did not understand this, and fed too much pure grain at one time, so the goats' stomachs became too full, the saliva stuck the grain together, it could not be brought back up, and they could not chew the cud, so the goats suffocated to death.
Having learned his lesson, Feng Haijiang consulted local goat raisers and learned a "folk" method of mixing feed, that is, after all kinds of feed are put in, stir them evenly with a wooden stick, and he also hired two technicians. At the same time, based on the milk-producing characteristics of dairy goats, he used local alfalfa and red dates to develop his own feed made by mixing alfalfa, corn, wheat bran, soybean meal, red dates and salt in different proportions, and the goats grew sturdy and produced plenty of milk. To let the goats live more comfortably, he built them a colorful panel goat shed open from north to south, and in winter he even lit a stove inside to keep it warm.
"This kind of goat is easy to raise, just feed it on time and in the right amount. Because of the need for milk production, the amount of feed given each day is 1.5 times the amount for an ordinary goat for one day. From birth to giving birth to kids, a dairy goat needs 1 year, more than 3 months longer than an ordinary goat. Twice a year for epidemic prevention, to prevent illness." As Feng Haijiang spoke, he looked at his watch, and it was already the afternoon milking time. "Goat milk should not be boiled; it is best steamed, because boiling will 'boil away' a lot of the nutrition. Many people don't like the goaty smell of goat milk. Just put a grain of almond in when steaming, and after it is steamed, the goaty smell can be removed."
This year, the fresh goat milk produced by his dairy goats is sold to Zhengzhou, Xi'an, Wuhan and other places, and the returns are very considerable. Facing the future, Feng Haijiang is full of confidence. He plans to study artificial insemination technology for dairy goats at Henan University of Science and Technology in a few years, to further expand the scale of his dairy goat farming.
Ren Zhenyu Yang Zhenhui