Music, sheep and chickens raised together, low-cost wheat straw feed

Growing up in the countryside, he has the most down-to-earth spirit of rural people; after graduating from university, he had a respectable job in the city, but his heart stayed with the countryside, and he resolutely returned home to start a business; during his entrepreneurial journey, he blended fashionable elements into Huai goat farming, leaving farmers from all the surrounding villages amazed.

He is Chai Tingting, the "shepherd" of Chaiying Village, Zhaodeying Township, 29 years old this year.

"These are all purebred Huai goats, with advantages such as fast growth and development, high meat production performance, and good pelt quality." When we met Chai Tingting, he was busy in his own farm. With skilled movements and professional explanations, the first impression he left on the reporter was that of someone shrewd and capable.

Speakers installed in the sheep pen, music helps the sheep grow strong

"The sheep shed is specially equipped with speakers. Every day at 11 a.m., the music starts on time, and the sheep that have been running around all morning run back to the pen one after another from the woods to 'rest'; at 7 p.m., the music sounds again, and the sheep fall asleep peacefully to the sound of nocturnes." When talking about his music-loving flock, Chai Tingting's face was filled with a happy smile.

"Playing music for the sheep is not just for fun, there is deep knowledge in it." Chai Tingting revealed the secret. He said sheep are timid, and listening to music can boost their courage; now the sheep "pay no attention" to any kind of noise; secondly, music can improve the sheep's mood, especially for ewes, whose pregnancy and birth rate has increased considerably after listening to music.

Raising native chickens in the sheep pen, multiple benefits and clever profits

The flock lies in the sheep pen enjoying themselves, while a group of native chickens "cannot stay idle," "walking back and forth" in the pen. Chai Tingting puts processed corn, sorghum, and bean meal into the feed trough, and the flock gathers around to eat. The native chickens chase after the flock, eating the grain the sheep drop on the ground, acting just like a "cleaner."

Chai Tingting told the reporter that the flock has a habit when eating: once food falls on the ground and is stepped on, they will not eat it anymore, which is both wasteful and hard to clean up. He had been thinking about how to make use of these scraps. A chicken that accidentally wandered into the sheep pen gave him the idea of raising native chickens in the sheep pen.

"Usually during the Mid-Autumn Festival, for New Year gifts, for women in confinement after childbirth, for the elderly to build up their health, and for betrothal gifts, people all buy native chickens, and the market is especially good. Now I can raise two batches of native chickens a year, more than 3,000 birds, which can bring in more than 100,000 yuan in extra income." Chai Tingting said happily.

Wheat straw turned into "coarse feed," turning waste into treasure and effectively increasing efficiency

Chai Tingting found that during the wheat harvest season, large amounts of wheat straw pile up in the fields, and ordinary people worry about having nowhere to dispose of it, but he saw a way out.

"Sheep are ruminants, and feeding them requires a mix of coarse and fine feed. Besides fine feed such as corn and bean dregs, coarse feed is indispensable. Next, I will use machinery to crush the wheat straw into a flour-like form and store it, mixing it with cornmeal and bean meal to feed the sheep. With a mix of coarse and fine feed, the sheep not only gain weight quickly but are also less likely to get sick!" Chai Tingting said cheerfully.

At present, he has already gathered nearly 50,000 kg of wheat straw. This wheat straw is the "coarse feed" for the more than 300 goats raised in his pen until the autumn harvest.

Chai Tingting said that this year he plans to double the number of sheep raised to more than 700. At the same time, he will establish a farming cooperative in Chaiying Village, hoping that through his leadership, he can change the traditional farming concepts of local farmers and help more ordinary people become well-off.