Video – Raising cattle on zero open grazing
Introduction
Cattle are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are also classified as ruminants just like sheep and goats, cattle are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus Bos. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult males are referred to as bulls.
Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle, particularly skeletal muscle. Humans have been eating beef since prehistoric times. Beef is a source of high-quality protein and nutrients and is the third most widely consumed meat in the world, accounting for about 25% of meat production worldwide, after pork and poultry at 38% and 30% respectively. In Nigeria Cattle are slaughtered for food nationwide and for ceremonies such as weddings and funerals especially in South Eastern Nigeria.
Uses
Cattle as a key ingredient for making:
- Milk
- Beef
- Hides
Supply of Cattle in Nigeria
Nigeria is one of the leading countries in cattle production in sub-Saharan Africa and has considerable livestock – over 21 million cattle as at 2018.
Fulani is the Hausa word for the pastoral peoples of Nigeria belonging to the ‘Fulbe’ migratory ethnic group. The Fulani rear the majority of Nigeria’s cattle, traditionally estimated at 83% pastoral, 17% village cattle and 0.3% peri-urban (Resource Inventory and Management 1992).
However, the Fulani nomadic system of production is increasingly coming under pressure from rapidly changing social, economic and political situations as Nigeria develops.
A small percentage of Nigeria’s cattle stock are produced through grass and concentrate fattening at homes. In grass fattening beef production programme, farmers and cattle dealers in northern Nigeria usually buy adult cattle (bulls and cows) that have good characteristics of gaining weights within three to four months of grazing.
Consumption of Cattle
Local consumption in 2018 – 390,214 tonnes
Imports – there are no official import records of slaughtered cattle, however observational surveys suggest that 30% of the live Cattle slaughtered in Nigeria are imported from neighboring West African countries such as Chad, Mali and Niger.
How long does it take to rear cattle?
Beef cows are normally first bred at 15 to 18 months. The gestation period is 283 days, and the interval between estrus, or periods in which the dam is in heat, is 21 days. Cows should produce a living calf every 12 months.
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