Mountainous districts strengthen hunger and cold prevention for livestock

These days, the cold air has intensified and affected Thanh Hoa province, the temperature dropped sharply at night and early morning, affecting livestock farming activities in mountainous districts. With the characteristics of high mountainous terrain, the temperature is often lower than other localities, currently, the work of preventing hunger and cold for livestock has been actively implemented in the districts of Nhu Xuan, Lang Chanh, Ba Thuoc...

People in Hoa Quy commune (Nhu Xuan) increase grass reserves for livestock.

Nhu Xuan district has a total herd of about 9,000 buffaloes and cows; about 53,500 pigs; 3,925 goats; about 521,000 poultry. To proactively protect livestock, the District People's Committee has developed a plan to implement measures to prevent hunger and cold for livestock right from the beginning of the season. Especially on days when temperatures are forecast to drop sharply, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the District Agricultural Service Center have sent officials to communes and towns to remind people to take measures to prevent cold for livestock and poultry, especially in remote communes such as Thanh Son, Thanh Phong, Thanh Lam... In particular, focusing on instructing livestock households to store concentrated feed, silage, and make use of available agricultural by-products such as sugarcane leaves, corn leaves, banana stems... to process reserve feed for livestock during cold days. In addition, do not graze or let buffaloes and cows work when there is severe cold; cover the barns tightly and keep them warm; apply a late grazing and early return regime. For poultry, it is necessary to increase heating with light bulbs and bedding; clean barns regularly, spray disinfectants, disinfect and vaccinate according to the instructions of veterinary staff. Through extensive propaganda, up to now, livestock households in the district have covered barns, implemented measures to warm their livestock; proactively stocked available food sources, ensuring enough for cold days.

Mr. Do Ke Tuan, a resident of Binh Luong commune, said: "When we heard about the prolonged cold weather, my family proactively cleaned the barn, locked the cows in the barn and prepared food reserves. In addition, my family also pulled and installed light bulbs to help increase the temperature to warm the livestock, and used tarpaulins to surround them to avoid wind and rain. Thanks to that, my family's herd of more than 30 cows is still healthy and is being cared for so that they can be sold in time for the Lunar New Year."

In Ba Thuoc district, most of the local livestock farmers have experience in preventing cold for their livestock. Through propaganda and guidance, people in communes and towns have proactively stocked food sources, renovated and covered barns to ensure windproof, avoid rain, keep the barn floor dry and clean; use light bulbs or light fires to warm livestock in barns with rice husks, sawdust, charcoal... Livestock farmers have also strengthened the care and feeding regime for old and weak buffaloes, cows, and young livestock. The district is continuing to direct communes and towns to proactively monitor weather developments to have propaganda measures and urge people to prevent hunger and cold for buffaloes and cows, contributing to minimizing damage to people.

Mountainous districts such as Lang Chanh, Ba Thuoc, Quan Son... have large livestock herds; raising buffaloes and cows has contributed to stabilizing people's income. Therefore, disease prevention and livestock care are always focused on by people and local authorities. In the face of unusual weather developments, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has requested districts, towns and cities to focus on directing and implementing synchronous and effective solutions to prevent and combat hunger and cold for livestock, especially in mountainous districts with highland areas and border communes. Localities need to continuously update weather and climate developments, provide timely and regular information on mass media so that livestock farmers know, not be subjective and passive in preventing hunger and cold for livestock. In particular, for poultry, there must be heating lamps; strengthen livestock barns, cover and keep the barn floor dry, closed, warm and ensure barn hygiene; Mobilize breeders not to let buffaloes and cows work or graze freely when cold weather occurs; bring buffaloes and cows to controlled confinement; apply measures to keep buffaloes and cows warm, especially calves and young calves; at the same time, supplement minerals and concentrates, vitamins during cold days, especially days with temperatures below 12 degrees Celsius. At the same time, strengthen disease prevention and control for livestock, carry out full vaccination; deworm buffaloes and cows.

Article and photos: Le Ngoc

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/cac-huyen-mien-nui-tang-cuong-phong-chong-doi-ret-cho-vat-nuoi-233554.htm