Cattle breeding is an industry that has always been very widespread in our country, giving work to almost the majority of the population in rural areas. Unfortunately, in recent years, animal husbandry has become far less attractive. We will try to prove that beef cattle breeding, the business plan of which will be considered in the article, is a profitable business.
Foreign experts believe that for at least some interest of the head of the economy in his development, profitability should be at least 25%. However, after 2008, the situation in our livestock production has become somewhat better, which is associated with the introduction of a support program for domestic producers. One of its points is the support of farmers who restore abandoned livestock buildings.
It is not surprising that this industry begins to attract not only domestic but also foreign investors every year. However, many problems are quite relevant to this day. Particularly hard hit manufacturers can afford the lack of normal support from engineering. This leads to an extreme degree of deterioration of fixed assets.
Meat and dairy cattle
If you ask the same American or European about what kind of meat he mainly eats, he will probably tell you about beef. In our country, for the most part, old and sick dairy cows are sent for meat. As a result, beef cattle breeding (a business plan for which it is not so difficult to draw up) is in disgrace.
As a result, consumers in our country have a completely erroneous opinion that beef is second-rate meat. This is due to the fact that meat products are obtained from culled dairy livestock.
The taste characteristics of such meat are extremely low. It is difficult to heat-treat, too hard, and also poorly absorbed by the human body. So the prospects for the development of cattle breeding in order to produce high-quality and tasty products in Russia are very high.
From this it follows that if you want to engage in beef cattle breeding, you will have to purchase specialized cattle breeds that are characterized by early maturity and high slaughter yield.
Accordingly, to get a large amount of milk, you will have to look for thoroughbred dairy cows. Remember that universal breeds do not exist. We will consider mainly beef cattle breeding. Business plan for enterprise on milk production it is much more difficult to make, and a lot of money is spent on it.
Characteristics and composition of cattle meat
Its composition depends not only on age and gender, but also on livestock. So, the amount of muscle tissue proper in the carcass ranges from 42 to 68%, the fat contains from 9 to 30%, the amount of bone tissue can reach 20%. The tenderness of meat depends on the amount of connective tissue fascia in the muscles. As you can guess, in meat animals this indicator is minimal, while in dairy animals, up to 15% of connective tissue can be in the muscle.
In the best and most expensive meat products, the ratio of protein to fat is 1: 1-1: 0.7 (protein - 21%, fat - 18%).
The amount of muscle mass obtained by fattening depends on many factors. So, in limousines (French cattle) and charolais in the carcass can contain up to 65% of pure meat! Thus, beef cattle breeding, the business plan of which we are considering, can be extremely cost-effective.
Milk characteristics
In specialized breeds, the fat content in milk may exceed 5.5% (Jersey cows). The product has a lot of protein, micro and macro elements, as well as vitamins. It is much more profitable to produce cheeses and butter from this raw material, since it takes a lot less.
A little bit about feeding meat breeds of cattle
You need to know that meat bulls in fattening should contain at least 75% of plant products in feed, while the specific amount of concentrates cannot exceed 25%. Otherwise, the level of fat in meat rises sharply, and its taste is greatly deteriorated.
The sex of animals also greatly affects the performance and speed of fattening. For example, castrated gobies by 18 months overtake heifers by weight by 20%, and their “courageous” counterparts - by 10%.
You think you don’t need to know all these numbers? In vain, since all this must be taken into account when organizing feeding and picking herds. Only if you take into account all the little things, beef cattle breeding will bring you tangible profits.
After all of the above, we can conclude that most of all we are directly interested in the meat productivity of livestock. It is estimated by the growth rate, meat yield and feed costs per kilogram of final products.
Feeding Methods
As for the content, they distinguish between a tethered and a free method of growing. In recent years, the free growing method has become extremely popular, in which animals are kept in fenced pens on a deep litter, which changes only after sending the next batch of animals for slaughter or another stage of fattening. This makes beef cattle farming very profitable in terms of minimizing labor costs.
Bulls are rarely kept on a leash: in this case, not only a specialized room with automated manure removal is required, but also quite reliable leashes. In addition, each animal must be detached and attached manually, which is very laborious and dangerous.
The advantage of the method is an individual approach to livestock, as well as a 100% guarantee of the reliability of veterinary treatments. You don’t have to spend a lot of time on corral animals, and they get an order of magnitude less stress when injected with a vaccine or vitamins.
Dairy Cattle Maintenance Methods
In general, they are exactly the same. In the mass consciousness, the stereotype that a dairy farm is necessarily a tethered content has steadily entrenched. But in recent years, the loose version has been used much more often. Despite some inconveniences (which we spoke about above), it provides high productivity and the best physical condition of animals. Thus, meat and dairy cattle breeding in many aspects is quite similar.
What determines the cost of cattle feeding?
Most of the expenses are spent on feed. If it takes up to 50-60% when receiving milk, then in meat cattle breeding they have to spend at least 70% of the funds that were laid down even at the stage of writing the business plan.
Many farms find themselves in a situation where the cost of hay and root crops is constantly growing. Naturally, this also increases the cost of the resulting beef.
It is not surprising that in terms of meat export we lose by head to Argentina or Brazil: livestock are on pastures there year-round, which reduces the total cost of raising and feeding them by 30%.
In addition, you should not even compare climatic conditions. In general, modern cattle breeding in developed countries is thoroughly subsidized, supported by the state at all levels.
Space requirements
All premises in which you plan to keep cattle for fattening or dairy cows must meet the requirements for livestock complexes. Location - not less than a kilometer from residential buildings. Farms are necessarily equipped with manure removal systems, storage facilities for slurry.On the territory should be equipped with a place for burning dead animals. Each building needs access for transport.
What equipment do you need to purchase?
It all depends on the direction of your economy. In this connection, we strongly advise you at first to engage in beef cattle breeding, since the costs will be much less. Judge for yourself.
For the feed complex, you will have to purchase manure removal systems, lighting fixtures, iron for the construction of pens. Feeders and drinkers will also be required. Total costs are unlikely to exceed three to four million rubles.
But in the case of dairy farms, you need to buy equipment for milking, milk pipelines, tanks for cooling and mixing milk.
Conclude agreements with manufacturers on the maintenance of all equipment. In addition, the same conveyors for manure, drinking bowls and feeders are needed. So the organization of cattle breeding of this kind will easily “eat” 40-50 million rubles.
Staff
It will require handymen, livestock specialists and veterinarians, machine operators and animal feeding specialists. The cost of their wages depends on your region and the wage index in it.
What documents will be required?
Oddly enough, but their list is relatively modest:
- Passport.
- A statement to the administration of the MO on the opening of a feed mill.
- Certificate of registration of IP or LLC.
- Permission from the local architecture department.
- Fully completed business plan.
- Permission from SES, fire inspection and Rospotrebnadzor.
- Permission from the MO administration.
Is it profitable to livestock? Definitely yes!
I offer joint business to large livestock complexes in the Krasnodar Territory for cattle fattening with a livestock of at least 1000 heads. We guarantee an increase in J.M. on the average weight category 275 kg. meat and milk breeds not less than 1.2 kg. per day. and feed margins of at least 30% on feed at market prices.
For our part - the production of feed by our own technologies (patent for an invention). Technologies have been repeatedly tested in industrial conditions.
There are documents on the safety of feed and meat from the state. vet. laboratories and recommendations from research institutes.