Muong Khuong prevents cold for livestock

Mrs. Chan's family's livestock area with buffalo pen, pig pen and chicken coop are designed in a continuous manner, ensuring no drafts on cold days. Developing livestock in the same area also makes daily livestock care more convenient for Mrs. Chan's family.

Developing livestock farming in the same area makes daily livestock care more convenient for Ms. Chan's family.

Ms. Liu Su Chan, Lung Pau village, Tung Chung Pho commune, Muong Khuong district shared: "It's too cold, just lock them in the barn. Pigs, chickens, and buffaloes are all in one place, so when it's cold like this, we have to close the barn around them to keep them from getting cold."

Ms. Ha Thuy Nhiem, Head of Lung Pau Village, Tung Chung Pho Commune, Muong Khuong District added: "Only on sunny days will people take their buffaloes out to the fields to both exercise them and reduce the amount of food stored, in case of severe cold."

Many communes in the Muong Khuong highlands can only grow one rice crop, so after the harvest, farmers collect straw and stubble to dry and store as animal feed in the winter (photo above). On days when the temperature drops, Mr. Lu's family locks the buffalo in a windproof barn, feeds the buffalo dry straw supplemented with fresh grass and gives them warm water mixed with diluted salt to increase the resistance of the large herd.

Mr. Giang Seo Lu, Hoang Phi Chai village, Ta Ngai Cho commune, Muong Khuong district said: "When it's cold, I tie it up at home to feed it, I don't let it go. When I have time, I go cut grass, when I don't have time, I give it dry straw."

Through screening, Muong Khuong has more than 11,000 large livestock, including more than 8,200 buffaloes, the rest are cows and horses.

Through screening, Muong Khuong has more than 11,000 large livestock, including more than 8,200 buffaloes, the rest are cows and horses. The total number of households with standard large livestock barns is 2,849 households, accounting for 95.41% of livestock households. Before the cold season, the district organized vaccination for livestock, reaching nearly 90% of the plan, ensuring prevention and control of some common diseases in livestock.

Mr. Le Thanh Hoa, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Muong Khuong district said: “Each household now has about 3-5 animals, and has the conditions to keep them in captivity. We grow grass to take care of them and almost completely abandon the habit of letting them roam free. In particular, people’s awareness of preventing and fighting the cold is much higher.”

In addition to food reserves, Muong Khuong farmers have also proactively planted more grass and corn at high density, timely supplementing green food sources for livestock in winter. Muong Khuong district has also established 16 working groups to directly direct communes and towns to implement measures to protect crops and livestock during cold days.

Ngoc Ha - Nong Quy - Manh Cuong

Source