‘Why livestock farmers should embrace feedlot’

Dr John-James Adamu, farm manager, Iyafin Feedlot Production Hub, Badagry, Lagos, has urged livestock farmers to embrace establishment of feedlot/ranching programme in the state. Adamu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that a feedlots programme was the best way to protect animals from spreading and contacting parasites and diseases. He said a […]

Dr John-James Adamu, farm manager, Iyafin Feedlot Production Hub, Badagry, Lagos, has urged livestock farmers to embrace establishment of feedlot/ranching programme in the state.

Adamu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that a feedlots programme was the best way to protect animals from spreading and contacting parasites and diseases.

He said a feedlot programme was obtainable and achievable in the state if properly set up, adding that managing it is affordable and better than open grazing.

He said feedlot/ranching helped to control the spread of diseases and parasite among animals and that it could provide a safe and conducive environment for the animals.

“Managing and operating a feedlot/ranch is affordable and better than open grazing because it prevents clashes between farmers and herders.

“In the feedlot programme, it takes about three months to breed a cow to full size and be ready to be sold for consumption.

“Once you are able to establish a feeding system, there is no problem in establishing a feedlot/ranch.

“Animals consume the ruminant feed, which is known as commercialised feeds for animals, as well as forage feed.

“The programme allows the animals to stay in one place where they can be taken care of, fed and nurtured in terms of diseases. It also controls the spread of diseases.

“When herders go grazing, they contact so many animals outside. In the process, they bring diseases back home and contaminate more animals, which is not the case in feedlot.

“The animals also get some of these parasites when you go grazing. So in ranching, the spread of diseases is more controlled and easily managed,” he said.

He urged farmers to also embrace forage farming in order to grow feed to supply livestock farmers to feed their animals.

He said that once the herders were able to establish a feeding system for the animals, it would be very easy to operate and manage. (NAN)