Feasible cash return from modified feed formula for small farm cattle fattening

On-farm research on using concentrate feed for fattening beef cattle by small farmer was undertaken in 1988-1989. Sixteen village farmers of Suwannapoom district, Roi-et province and Phukiaw district, Chaiyapoom province, were selected and trained to fatten their own cattles. Each farmer owned a Native+American Brahman crossbred with average weight of 242 kg and 1-2 rai of pasture (with ruzi and hamata). Two groups of cattle were fed ad libitum of fresh grass and supplemented with 2 formulae of concentrate feed which contained cassava chips, cassava leaf, molasse and urea in formula and cassava chips, ground corn and urea in formula 2. For 210 days of fattening. The average final weight was 366.63 kg. There were no significant difference in average daily gain (ADG), feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) from both feed formulae. The ADG was 0.60 kg/head/day. High growth rate was obtained in the first four months which had plenty of grass in rainy season. In each day; a cattle consumed 1.81 kg of concentrate and 5.01 kg (DM) of grass. Total dry matter intake was 6.82 kg/head/day or 2.31 % of body weight. FCR was 12.43. Fattening a steer needed the cost of 6,692 and 6,633 baht/cattle for group 1 and 2, respectively. At selling price of 24 baht/kg live weight, the farmers received the net profit of 2,083 and 2,190 baht/cattle or 31.13 and 33.02 % of the capital investment. The finished steers were slaughtered to study carcass characteristics and income from different cutting styles of carcass. The average dressing percentage was 55.1 % (53.3 % in chilled carcass). The slaughter house received the net profit of 2,272 and 3,321 baht from cutting of carcass using Thai and United States cutting styles, respectively. For fattening cattle of the Northeastern small farmer, the feasible cash return could be increased whereas there is a certain high class market and the farmers have good quality pasture, cheap feed formula and source of money for investment.