Feed & nutrition3 min read
Safe cattle fattening: a 90-day plan for Qurbani without steroids
Choose the right animal, prepare it in the first week, feed a balanced ration and track weight gain, so you sell a healthy bull at a good price.
Fattening bulls for Eid-ul-Adha can be very profitable when it is done the right way: with good feed, clean water and healthy animals. This 90-day plan works for small and medium farms.
Never use steroids, dexamethasone or other hormones to fatten cattle. They make the animal look heavy with water, not meat; they can kill the animal, harm the people who eat the meat and are against the law. Buyers increasingly recognise and avoid such cattle.
Step 1: Choose the right animal
- Age 1.5–2.5 years. Young bulls convert feed to meat best.
- A long, broad frame that is thin but not sick. A big frame gains more.
- Healthy: bright eyes, wet nose, good appetite, normal dung.
- Local, crossbred and Sahiwal-type bulls all do well; choose what your market wants.
Step 2: The first week
- Quarantine new animals away from your herd for 7–10 days.
- Deworm on day 1–2 (internal worms and, if needed, ticks and lice).
- Vaccinate about 7–10 days later as your vet advises (FMD, and others for your area).
- Start feed slowly: mostly roughage at first, adding concentrate over 7–10 days so the stomach can adjust.
- Weigh the animal (scale or measuring tape) so you can track gain.
Step 3: The daily ration
| Feed | How much (per day) |
|---|---|
| Green grass (Napier, maize fodder, German) | As much as it eats, often 10–20 kg |
| Rice straw | 2–4 kg, chopped |
| Concentrate mix | About 1–1.5% of body weight (3–4 kg for a 300 kg bull) |
| Clean water | Always available, 40–60 litres or more |
An example concentrate mix (per 10 kg):
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Wheat bran | 4 kg |
| Broken maize | 2.5 kg |
| Mustard or sesame oilcake | 2 kg |
| Pulse bran (khesari/mosur) | 1.2 kg |
| Salt | 100 g |
| Mineral–vitamin premix | 200 g |
Feed concentrate in 2–3 meals a day. Increase it slowly. Ask your livestock officer about adjusting the mix to the prices in your area.
Step 4: Housing and care
- A dry, airy shed with shade; about 2–2.5 m² per bull.
- Clean the floor daily; dampness causes foot problems and disease.
- Wash or brush the animals regularly in hot weather.
- Limit walking: a calm animal puts energy into growth.
Step 5: Track the gain
Weigh every 2–4 weeks. On this plan a healthy bull typically gains about 0.6–1 kg a day, which is 55–90 kg in 90 days.
If an animal is not gaining:
- Check for worms and deworm again if needed
- Check the feed and water really eaten
- Look for limping, coughing or diarrhoea and call a vet
Step 6: Know your profit before you sell
Profit = Sale price − (Purchase price + Feed + Medicine & vaccines + Labour + Transport and other costs)
Write every cost down from day one. Many farmers believe they made a profit until they add up the feed bills.
Do it with FarmFlows
Add each bull under Cattle, record weights with the tape calculator, deworming and vaccines under Health, and every feed purchase under Finance. The finance report then shows your real profit per batch.
Quick checklist
- 1.5–2.5 years, long frame, healthy
- Quarantine, deworm, then vaccinate in the first 10 days
- Plenty of green grass + concentrate 1–1.5% of body weight + water always
- No steroids or hormones, ever
- Weigh every 2–4 weeks; record every cost