If animal husbandry cannot move towards intensification and integration, it is indeed difficult to obtain considerable profits by relying solely on first-class breeding and mountain stocking. Let me break it down for you, taking a herder or farmer raising cattle as an example, where their money mainly goes:
1. Buy breeding cattle.
To get started, buying breeding cattle is the first step. In order to expand the size of the herd, it is not possible to buy just one cow, but usually in a herd, with a minimum of 4-5 cows, and it is necessary to be sexually mature, young and healthy. Even if you buy it through an acquaintance, it will require an investment of about 100,000 yuan.
2. Site construction.
Once the cattle have been purchased, they need to be provided with shelter, the barn. Daily cleaning and maintenance of the barn is also essential. Even if your yard is large enough and doesn't need to rent additional land, you'll need to buy materials like wood, bricks, cement, and more to build a cowshed.
3. Feed costs.
Cattle need food, and pastures are not unlimited**. In order to ensure food for cattle**, it may be necessary to purchase feed. Especially in the case that the pasture can only provide forage for half a year, the remaining half a year needs to buy feed. Moreover, cattle need to eat about 60 catties of high-quality forage every day, and the cost of feed for a year is considerable.
4. Vaccinations and medical expenses.
In order to protect the health of cattle, they need to be vaccinated, such as foot-and-mouth disease, brucellosis, etc. In addition, cattle can also get sick, such as bovine stomatitis, bovine pica, etc., which need to be carried out**. If left untreated, it can lead to more serious consequences and even lead to the death of the cattle.
5. Respond to unexpected situations.
In addition to illness, other accidents can occur, such as cattle being lost, stolen, and killed by a car. These unexpected situations can lead to financial losses for farmers.
6. Fertility and reproduction costs.
The gestation period of cattle is about 283 days, and only one litter is usually born. In order to ensure the stable reproduction of cattle, it may be necessary to ask a professional for guidance, which is also an additional expense.
Next, let's take a look at the revenue:
Once the calves are grown, they need at least 10 months to be slaughtered. At this point, you can choose to keep breeding them and give birth to calves, or sell them outright. If you choose to sell it, it can sell for as much as 10,000 yuan per calf. Note, however, that pastures, fodder, etc., can account for more than half of the total expenditure. In the event of an accident or illness, etc., it may result in a loss.
If you choose to continue farming, you need to continue to invest money. Human energy is limited, and long hours of farming work may lead to physical exhaustion and even chronic diseases. And, even if you're successful, you may feel helpless when someone asks you why you still look poor when you have tens of thousands of dollars.
Therefore, if the animal husbandry industry cannot achieve intensification and integration, it will face many challenges and difficulties.