Preparing livestock for the cold while it is still warm

Healthy cows reaching the people

Implementing Project 2, "Diversifying livelihoods, developing poverty reduction models" under the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction for the period 2021 - 2025, aiming to support poor and near-poor households in agricultural production for socio-economic development in the locality, Phu Binh District Agricultural Service Center (Thai Nguyen province) has developed a plan, conducted a survey of the needs of households, then organized livestock training and distributed 40 breeding cows to 40 households in 4 communes of Dao Xa, Thanh Ninh, Ha Chau, and Nga My.

As a household receiving support for breeding cows in Nga My commune, Tran Thi Vinh said, “One of the issues that not only me but many people are concerned about is how to care for the cows to grow healthily and reproduce well”.

The family is on the poverty side, and Vinh’s husband had just passed away not long ago, so the family’s situation has become even more difficult. Having a healthy cow that reproduces well and does not require too much care will somewhat reduce the burden on her.

Before being distributed to the people, the cattle have been vaccinated against infectious diseases as well as internal and external diseases. During the breeding process, farmers will also be supported with periodic vaccinations for the cattle according to the season, and the veterinary staff of Phu Binh District Agricultural Service Center will also regularly monitor the cattle’s growth.

"It has been nearly a year since the people received the cows, and there have been no serious outbreaks of disease in the local herd. The fact that the cows are growing and developing healthily has helped the people feel more secure in their production," said Nguyen Van Khiem, Deputy Director of Phu Binh District Agricultural Service Center.

Making sure the cows stay healthy during the cold winter

A recent forecast from the hydrometeorological agency notifies that the northern provinces are likely to experience severe cold spells in the near future, causing disadvantages for agricultural production activities of the people.

As an area in the North with the characteristics of high mountains, Thai Nguyen people often have to face this harsh weather as the temperature drops so low in winter. Particularly in the field of livestock production, proactively preventing hunger and cold for livestock is considered a vital mission to minimize damage to people’s farms.

As a cousin trusted by Tran Thi Vinh to take care of the cows, Nguyen Van Thuong has already started to renovate the barn, prepare tarpaulin to cover the barn and keep the cattle warm. “In the cold winter, the source of feed for livestock will be limited. Therefore, along with covering the barn and keeping the cows warm, we farmers also need to take advantage of the source of straw, storing it in warehouses to use as feed. Next winter, I won’t have to worry too much because I have grass and straw in reserve,” Nguyen Van Thuong said.

Regarding the prevention of hunger and cold for livestock, during the training sessions on breeding cows, the staff of Phu Binh District Agricultural Service Center and the veterinary system of communes all instructed people to pay special attention to the health of the cows when the weather turns cold.

To increase livestock resistance, farmers need to feed cows with adequate nutrients according to the instructions. The barn area should be covered carefully so the weather cannot affect the health of livestock in general and breeding cows in particular.

“In the cold winter, the reality shows that green feed for cattle will not be in short supply considering the current amount of natural grass as well as cultivated grass. Farmers can completely reserve enough to feed their cattle, so this is not a worrying issue. However, farmers should not be negligent because ensuring nutrition will greatly contribute to increasing the resistance of livestock,” said Deputy Director Nguyen Van Khiem.