Cost Reduction Solutions in Livestock Farming
Feed
Feed accounts for a significant portion of production costs. Therefore, finding optimal solutions to minimize costs and enhance feed efficiency for livestock is crucial.
Breeds
- Source breeds from reputable suppliers and implements strict breed management practices. Poor-quality breeds can increase input costs and lower efficiency.
- Consider culling low-quality breeds with poor growth performance.
Feed
- Implement a combination of commercial and traditional feeds. For poultry feed, utilize rice bran, corn, and mixed greens.
- For free-range and hill chicken farming, utilize locally available corn, rice, vegetables, and grasses to maintain weight gain while maximizing resource utilization.
- Self-mixing concentrate and compound feeds are recommended. Numerous formulas are available for poultry of different ages and growth stages.
- Mixing methods can be semi-industrial or manual, depending on the scale and conditions of each farming operation.
- Ensure that feed ingredients are fresh and have not spoiled, discolored, changed odor or flavor, or developed mold. Avoid using feed with reduced nutritional value.
- Select mixing ingredients (such as corn bran, rice bran, broken rice, oyster shell powder, fishmeal, vitamins, and mineral premix) to ensure a balanced diet.
- We feed animals on time to stimulate appetite and increase digestive enzyme secretion, leading to better nutrient absorption.
- Avoid abrupt feed changes. If dietary changes are necessary, do so gradually to allow animals to adapt to the new conditions.
- Ensure animals have access to clean water at all times. Utilize automatic drinking troughs whenever possible.
Microbial Additives
- Supplement with microbial additives to enhance nutrient absorption and leverage beneficial microorganisms (including in fermented green feeds and urea-treated straw).
- Avoid using antibiotics when adding microbial additives to animal feed, as they can counteract the beneficial effects of microorganisms and reduce their effectiveness.
- Refrain from using disinfectants if microbial additives are being used by spreading them on the barn floor or misting them inside the barn.
Disease Prevention
- Implement comprehensive disease prevention measures, encompassing barn construction, barn equipment, breed selection techniques, animal care and rearing practices, disease prevention, and animal sales.
- Ensure barns are suitable for the type of livestock, providing ventilation and warmth during the upcoming winter months and isolation from the surrounding environment.
- Regularly disinfect barns after each batch of animals, and clean and disinfect the surrounding areas.
- Before introducing a new batch of animals, ensure that all facilities, utensils, and equipment are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
