Disease Prevention and Deworming Before introducing new shelf cows into the farm, a thorough health inspection is essential. Healthy cattle should be vaccinated with hoof-and-mouth disease, brucellosis, and clostridium perfringens vaccines. A deworming treatment should be administered one week before moving them into the fattening area. Three days after deworming, it's recommended to give them a stomach tonic such as artificial salt or other digestive aids. Newly arrived cattle are often stressed due to transportation, environmental changes, and unfamiliar surroundings. To ease this stress, you can add 0.5% salt and 1% brown sugar to their drinking water for one week. Encourage them to eat more grass or hay. Two days after arrival, introduce small amounts of bran gradually, leading to a transition into the feeding phase. Throughout the fattening period, monitor their eating habits, waste output, and overall behavior to ensure they remain healthy. Scientific Feeding Shelf cattle fattening is typically divided into three stages: the pre-fattening (adaptation) period, mid-fattening (transition) period, and the finishing (growth) period. The adaptation period usually lasts about 15 days. During this time, ammoniated straw and silage corn stalks are used as roughage, combined with locally available concentrate feed. Cattle should have free access to these roughages and sufficient clean water. Starting from day two, gradually increase the amount of concentrate feed. By the end of the adaptation period, the daily concentrate intake can reach around 2 kg, or approximately 0.8% of the animal’s body weight, averaging about 1.5 kg per day. A typical concentrate formula includes 45% corn flour, 40% wheat bran, 10% cake, 2% bone meal, 2% urea, and 1% salt, plus 2 ml of cod liver oil per kilogram of feed. In the mid-fattening stage, which lasts about 30 days, the ratio of roughage to concentrate shifts from 3:1 at the start to 2:1 in the middle and finally 1:1 by the end. Feed twice a day, with each portion ranging between 4–5 kg, and provide water 2 hours after feeding. During the finishing period, which usually lasts around 45 days, the diet should be mainly concentrated. The concentrate should make up 70–80% of the total diet, with high energy content (60–70%) and low protein (10–20%). The feed amount should be around 1.5–2% of the animal's body weight. The ratio of roughage to concentrate should be 1:2 to 1:3. Increase the number of feedings per day to ensure proper nutrition. Provide clean water at all times. A suitable feed formulation for this stage could include 2–3 kg of cornmeal, 20–25 kg of molasses residue, 15–20 kg of distillers’ grains, 10–15 kg of silage straw, 50g of salt, 20g of mineral additives, and feed once in the morning and evening. Another option is a mix of 56% corn flour, 10% cottonseed cake, 8% wheat bran, 23.5% ammoniated wheat straw powder, 1% auxin, 1% salt, and 0.5% sodium bicarbonate, totaling 6–7 kg per head daily. Use of Growth Promoters Rumen-based growth promoters like monensin and lasalocid are commonly used to enhance weight gain. These are typically mixed into the feed at a rate of 40–60 mg per kilogram of concentrate. Additionally, using urea can significantly improve weight gain. It is recommended to add 0.25 kg of slow-release urea per day. Urea should be fed during the night, and animals should not drink water for at least two hours afterward to avoid toxicity. Proper Management The ideal ambient temperature for cattle is between 5°C and 21°C. During the fattening period, create a warm, quiet, and comfortable environment. Regularly brush the animals 1–2 times a day to keep them clean. Ensure the barn has openable windows for ventilation, and maintain cleanliness by removing manure daily. Keep the barn dry and well-ventilated to prevent dampness and disease. Timely Slaughter When shelf cows are fattened for 2–3 months, they should be slaughtered when their weight reaches 500 kg or more. There are two main indicators for determining slaughter time: first, if the cattle’s appetite decreases and cannot be restored even after adjusting the feed; second, if the hand feels fat when touching the lumbar region or the ear, indicating good muscle development. At that point, it’s time to proceed with slaughtering. White Pepper,Strong Aroma White Pepper,Herbs Flavoured White Pepper,Bell Pepper Granules White Pepper Sichuan Liuhang Agriculture Co.Ltd , https://www.lhagriculture.com