GIBARA, Holguín.–«Here there are 200 calves up to ten months old. Only half of them are suckling, I mean, those who do not reach 180 days of life; but they are all pretty,” says Francisco Pérez Rodríguez, or simply “Fran”, as he is known in this territory and in many other places, in a low voice, for successfully leading the base business unit (UEB) of Genetics and Production The Steam.
“To achieve the health they have, you have to work hard,” he says and then focuses on the weaned calves, which they feed with feed made there.
As he senses the question on the way, he shares the formula of the aforementioned food: «It contains cane flour, crab and cassava roots, as well as moringa, tithonia, in such a way that they make up 60% of the prepared dough. The remaining 40% contains common salt, calcium and ash.
In order to offer other details, he suggests approaching the adjacent warehouse, where two workers are immersed in the process of making feed. «The cane, which is from our areas, is ground twice. The first is to leave it in naturally dehydrated conditions, with four suns, according to our experience. In the second it comes out very fine, and it is what we call flour, which provides energy.
The crabs and cassava roots, which also provide energy, come from the warehouse in which there are still three tons left, also dehydrated. This reserve, which can be stored for up to six months, is the result of the cassava harvest obtained on the two hectares planted periodically. Moringa and tithonia also go through a drying process before being integrated into the feed.
“These dehydrated products prevent the calves from suffering from diarrhea,” he confirms, highlighting his vision as a veterinarian, a university degree earned years ago, combining days of study and work.
Calcium comes in the powder of the oyster shells that we grind, common salt is purchased and the ash, which also provides minerals, comes from the burned firewood, he quotes.
He explains that “in dry periods, for example, we win the fight here in the three caballerías planted with king grass ct-115, which are handled in the same way as rice and other foods in the houses, stretching it and doing the math, to Let it last until it rains.
«If the lack of rain extends, we remove the animals from those areas and move them to those with other pastures, especially guinea grass, which we have planted steadily, until we have just over one hundred hectares. The varieties we have are tall, and no matter how ugly they get and seem dry, they provide food.
In the UEB there are still four caballerias of Leucaena (protein plant) that are exploited through a silvopastoral system, which consists of having large trees (in this case they reach seven meters high), under whose shadows there are others of the same species that are barely They reach the subway, and are mowed frequently, so that the shoots are consumed by animals, which also feed on grasses planted there, including the Estrella.
«Albizia Lebbeck, known in many places as ”rattle” or ”algarrobillo de aroma”, is also a rarely used protein plant, although it provides more shade than Leucaena and has the same 5% protein. Furthermore, at this time it maintains green foliage and is not affected by the pest that kills Leucaena. Taking into account this, we planted three hectares here.
«Once we made Creole feed by adding pods and seeds, we took it to a specialized laboratory in Havana and it gave good results. Then a boy who was here as an intern did a thesis with that feed, and it turned out very well. “I think we have to take those steps again.”
We must end the conversation. The colleague in charge of Accounting at the UEB has asked him to review the report that they are waiting for at the higher entity. She must also urgently diagnose a pregnant cow.
In the midst of such a rush, it offers information to take into account: At the time of the exchange, they deliver about 400 liters of milk to the State daily, but when it rains more, it is 600 or 700. This year’s production plan is 97,000 liters, and they hope to go above and beyond. In 2023, 102,000 were proposed, and nearly 150,000 were sold to the industry.
«We are sure that we can give more. With the land we are asking for, we would grow in the production of animal food,” concludes Fran.
