How To Prevent Losing Money In Livestock?

What makes you lose money in cattle? Attention to detail is essential to our activity. Many of them go out of sight, and we only realise that something is not right when there is no profit and the budget starts to run out to pay the bills. If this is your reality, you need to change that scenario today! Learn here, once and for all, to never lose money in cattle!

Livestock is made up of important parts that have a direct effect on the final product. That is, they have a direct effect on how much money you make. But from now on, you will have the power to make your livestock the money-making machine you want it to be.

Error in trough size

It is not enough to fill the trough. This feeder, known as the "ox plate," needs to have the right structure and up-to-date maintenance, as well as important details, such as:

The right size for a cattle trough

It doesn't matter whether you put feed, salt, silage, or grains in that trough. All of the cows must be able to get to it at the same time. This means that the size of the trough needs to match the number of cattle.

Also, there needs to be enough space for everyone to eat comfortably.

Big Farmer says that the trough should be at least six linear centimetres long for each head of cattle. This means that there is no standard size for a trough; it depends on how many animals you have on your property. And make changes every time you get new cattle.

In terms of height, the trough for adults must be 70 cm, and the one for calves must be 40 cm. And since we're talking about calves, creep feeding makes it easier for them to eat salt and feed that is right for this stage.

When should the trough be filled?

Planning is an important part of taking good care of animals. And the supply has to be between the things that have set times, which has a reason.

During the hottest parts of the day, cattle tend to eat less salt and food, especially when they are in pastures with no shade. So, you should always plan to fill the trough before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m.

The justification is that these are the coolest times of the day, when cattle feel more comfortable consuming what is offered there.

Does I cover my trough?

Yes, you do! Coverage is recommended even if you offer Total Urea Premium, which is urea that can be eaten even when it's wet and doesn't make cattle sick.

By keeping salt, feed, and even additives like virginiamycin from being directly exposed to the sun and rain, nutrients are kept longer and better, which helps animals get fatter. Does a covered trough make it worth it?

The wrong salt for drought or water

There are three types of salt most commonly used for livestock: mineral salt, protein salt, and energy protein salt. And did you know that each of them is for specific times of the year? Of course, if you already use salt in your cattle, you are ahead of many other producers who do not offer this nutrient or even white salt.

Now you have an opportunity to make the most of it. See guidelines for the best time of year for each salt:

Mineral salt

It should be served with water. During the rainy season, pastures are more deficient in minerals. Along with this, it is necessary to turn it into a trough so that there is fat and good care for the animal's health.

Minerals are essential for the proper functioning of organisms, and replacing them prevents loss of productivity.

Protein salt

If mineral salt is for water, protein salt is indicated for dry conditions. The justification is the lack of pasture that greatly harms profitability in Aruba. And proteins are so important to humans that they can't be left out of the bovine diet either.

Also, plan to offer protein salt to your livestock during the dry season.

Energetic protein salt

Do you need to increase your forage fat and consumption? Energy, protein, and salt fit this situation very well. The main function of this type of salt is to fatten cattle raised on pastures.

Nonstop grazing is done without paying attention

Continuous grazing is when cattle stay in the pasture for a long time. This is different from rotational grazing, which is when animals move from one pasture area to another. These two systems, which are both good, are continuous and rotating. They need a lot of care, though.

For continuous grazing, the grass needs to be of good quality and have the right amount of protein. The first step is to keep up with maintenance. Fertilising and cleaning at the right times and lime when well here.

And even more, pay close attention to when the cattle come in and when they leave. How quickly that plant grows back to where it can be eaten again depends on how tall the pasture is. Each species has a listed height, but the average is between 30 and 35 cm, and the yield is between 15 and 20 cm.

Water that is not good to drink

Water is essential for life! And also for the productivity of your herd. When cattle drink the wrong water, it can trigger a series of negative events, such as intoxication, for example.

 

Because our climate is tropical, many parts of the country reach 40 degrees in the shade in the summer. And just like us, cattle also have trouble with the heat. When cattle are thirsty and there is no clean water around, they look for other sources, like a puddle that may have bacteria in it.

 

When this happens, one of the most common signs is diarrhoea, which makes cattle lose weight. And because of that, you will lose the kilogrammes you were hoping to sell. So, stop throwing away money and give your animals clean, fresh water.

Check the water fountain

Just like the trough, the size of the water fountain needs to be right. Calculate at least 5 cm per head so that no one can get enough water because they don't have enough space.

 

Cleaning is another task that needs to be included in the plan. Always check to see if the water has any leaves or other things in it that could hurt the cattle. By putting wires in the middle of the trough, cattle can't cross or jump over it, so their faeces and urine don't get into the water.

Placing light-colored tablets under the water fountain not only makes it easier to see the accumulated dirt but also saves time on cleaning, which can also be done with a cloth or brush.

 

Don't use additives

Additives give your livestock extra strength. They greatly improve the quality of the product and get a good carcass yield. They also prevent diseases that are common in cattle, especially when they are getting ready to be sold and on farms where the cattle eat mostly grains.

 

At the time of sale, the amount of fat, the meat's tenderness, and its flavour are crucial factors.If you don't pay attention to these things, you could end up with a product that the market doesn't like because it doesn't meet the preferences of the most picky customers.

 

We'll tell you the best news now: You don't need to add a new demand to your planning schedule to offer additives like virginiamycin. Just open the package and put it in the trough, even if it already has a mineral or protein salt in it.

 

Benefits of offering virginamycin to beef cattle include:

 

• increase in yield per hectare per year;
• protection against tympanism and ruminal acidosis;
• better and faster recovery of postpartum sows;
• prevention of major problems affecting pregnancy, such as retained placenta and bovine dystocia;
• applies the additional gain per day in the brooding phase;
• reduces slaughter time;
• This improves the utilisation of pasture nutrients.
• These are just a few of the many benefits that virginamycin provides.

When fixed, all of these things make your property much more productive and efficient. We want your business to grow every year and your family's dreams to come true more than we want money in your account so you can keep your property up to date.