Breeding horses properly as a business
Animal husbandry, namely horse breeding as a business, is one of the most amazing things to do. Powerful and very intelligent cattle were tamed many centuries ago. Mankind used horses in agricultural work, as a means of transportation, and they also received various raw materials from them. The ability to properly feed and raise stallions can be turned into a very solid source of income. Whether horse breeding is profitable as a business, you need to look at the capabilities of the farmer himself.
Horse breeding as a business
Even a small farm with the right approach will not be at a loss. Horse breeding is a difficult and costly craft. Any competent calculation primarily relies on a detailed business diagram. The main purpose of a business diagram is to determine the benefits of investing in a project. With its help, you can determine what the initial investment should be, what difficulties may arise in this case, what are the options for eliminating them. Breeding horses for meat should pay off, for this you need to find points of sale and supply them with quality products, which must be periodically checked.
Household costs
The cost of running your own household includes a number of things, including:
- purchase (lease) of a plot of land;
- purchase of livestock;
- construction of a stable;
- feeding animals;
- staff salary (workers).
Registration of this type of activity is inexpensive, since such a business does not need any additional licenses. You can acquire a land plot in ownership if the registration took place as a legal entity. Also, the site can be partially or fully rented if the budget is limited or if suddenly the horse riding business does not work at first. A very important moment for the opening of real meat horse breeding is the selection of personnel.
In this matter, both professional grooms and simple handymen will be useful. Also, for regular preventive examinations, treatment and vaccination of horses, you will need the help of a veterinarian. At the very beginning of investing in the future meat from a horse may require several tens of millions of rubles. However, if you accurately and competently build a business scheme and spend the budget sparingly, the level of income will be high: it can reach up to 300%. If events develop successfully, then the costs will pay off in 5-7 years.
Earning options
As a production activity, horse breeding has several ways of implementation. The main part of the funds must be invested in areas that bring the greatest wealth. What is usually chosen as the main direction? Livestock breeding. If you breed and then sell thoroughbred stallions and mares, you can ensure yourself a high income. You can also breed horses for meat.Insignificant costs to provide livestock turn this direction into a very attractive and promising one.
The cost of feed is usually much lower than the income received from the sale of horse meat. But in this case, any farmer should know how to fatten his horses for meat. For this, professional breeders and stud farms have a table according to which they feed, depending on the age and condition of the animal.
The business of breeding different breeds of horses can also be about training. We are talking about areas such as riding school and hippotherapy. Often, townspeople are ready to learn horseback riding, as well as take part in various developmental activities, for which they gladly pay.
Many owners are trying to combine several directions. Most of the options for realizing profits can be both main and auxiliary. It depends on how you look at the situation.
Another option for running a horse riding business is renting animals. This includes horseback riding and caring for the animal by those who rent the horse. Sometimes it happens that a person is saturated with feelings for a particular horse and eventually redeems it.
Many owners are very fond of leaving their animals in stalls located nearby. You can also sell accessories. Selling products for livestock care and horse riding can generate additional customer flow.
Choosing the path of development, it is necessary to take into account the location of the economic site. Usually, representatives of large cities prefer developing and therapeutic activities. Horseback riding and trekking with a group are very popular in the resort areas. Places with a grazing area are ideal for meat horse breeding.
Buying horses
The horse meat business will be profitable if the breed is right. Pedigree animals are the key to valuable meat and good performance in races. The goal of horse breeding with the direction of marketing meat is to breed and fatten horses of meat breeds. If the business is based on breeding horses for meat, then it is recommended to immediately buy purebred animals with a good pedigree. Such animals produce more meat with better taste characteristics. Thanks to such an acquisition, the return on investment is increased.
To start meat production, you need to calculate everything before buying horses, evaluate the productivity of a particular breed. Each breed has its own nuances in both breeding and feeding, you need to understand that such a profitable horse business requires effort and a lot of work. At the beginning it is difficult to understand which breed to choose, whether it will be beneficial or not. Farmers have many concerns about this. In this case, you can consult with other breeders, chat on the forum, see photos and videos of the breed you like.
Choosing a breed of horses
Horses have a massive build, broad back and short legs. In Russia, many breeds have been bred that are grown specifically for meat, which include, for example:
- Yakutsk;
- Kazakh;
- Novoaltaiskaya.
It is more profitable to give preference to the breed that is adapted to a particular environment, where it is easiest to feed. Such animals are not too demanding, resistant to various viruses, and quickly gain weight. At home, these breeds of horses breed better and are considered not so whimsical.
Characteristics of meat
Horse meat is dense veined meat and has a dark red color. In terms of satiety, it is similar to beef, and this meat contains 5% fat, 23% protein and 70% water. The part of the back is recognized as the tastiest, and the neck and peritoneum give more fatty pieces. The classification of horse meat does not have strict standards, it is usually divided into 2 groups: marble (has the highest percentage of fat and is taken from adult animals 3-5 years old) and dietary (foal meat, whose age reaches 1.5-2 years).
Horse meat gained the greatest popularity among nationalities whose lifestyle was nomadic (Kazakhstan, Tatarstan, Kyrgyzstan).
As for Europe, horse meat is mixed there with various sausages, but its pure appearance is not particularly welcome. Thanks to her, meat delicacies become more elastic and have a special taste.But Muslims do not at all recognize horse meat for food use, while there is no strict ban on it. It is extremely important to remember that agricultural labor negatively affects the mass growth and characteristics of horse meat, so at the same time it will not work out both nutritious meat and a good worker.
Raising horses in pastures and stables
In the herd
Horses are herbivores, and grassland is best suited for their diet. Nutritious perennials are added to the grass to improve the characteristics of the green mass. To survive cold periods, stalls or corrals for the herd are built near the pastures. These buildings must be provided with a supply of water, feed and salt. To raise horses in a herd, you need to draw up a detailed plan, as this is a rather difficult way for a novice farmer.
In the stall
To increase the profit from horse breeding, animals are fattened and kept in stables. The building is designed in such a way that one animal is allocated from 6 to 10 square meters. m. Heating in the stables is not necessary, however, the horses should be provided with high-quality thermal insulation and protection from drafts. For the start-up stage, the purchase of expensive automatic equipment (feeders, drinkers) is not necessary: over time, materials can be purchased in addition. However, it is extremely important that the livestock are always well fed and kept clean.
Before purchasing animals and expensive equipment, you should draw up a business plan and calculate the possible costs and profits.
What is more profitable
Pasture maintenance pays off within 1-3 years. Horse meat is very tasty and dense meat, but it is a little harsh. Due to its low fat content, it has dietary properties. When divorced in a stable, horses gain weight faster, and the meat turns out to be more fatty and tender. Despite the high costs of providing animals with feed, the efficiency of this type of breeding is more profitable.
Basic principles of feeding
The quality of horse feed should be exceptionally good. On an industrial scale, horse breeding is a complex undertaking: these animals are fastidious and demanding of food. To breed them, you need high-quality feed without possible solid additives (thorns, mold). This also applies to home breeding.
Feed composition
- Basically, the diet includes grass and hay. They are enriched with many components that serve to gain body weight.
- Barley, oats, clover are used to store energy, which allows you to gain live weight.
- Green food and ready-made vitamin supplements supply the animal with vitamins.
- For better digestion, bran is introduced into the diet.
- Horses need about 1 kg of rock salt per month, but mineral supplements are an excellent substitute for it.
The meat yield with proper feeding is the following: horses reach a weight of 400-450 kg if they are kept in the pasture. Usually these animals are slaughtered at the age of three, maximum - five years of age. From the carcass, you can get 56-62% of high-calorie meat. The pulp yield is 80%.
Prebiotics
Today, modern technologies are used for faster fattening. Along with hay, prebiotic feeds are included in the diet. Unlike standard mixtures, they are 30-40% better digested, which contributes to faster muscle building. Prebiotic feed improves the implementation of the body's internal resources:
- serve to stimulate the vital activity of the body and microflora;
- lead to the neutralization of toxic components;
- accelerate fermentation processes.
At the age of six months, the weight of foals reaches 200 kg, and at one-year-old animals weigh about 400 kg. Some species are capable of reaching 600-800 kg. After slaughtering this type of cattle, the meat yield is 54-62%.
Due to the accelerated fattening, horse breeding is considered to be just as effective as raising cattle. It is extremely important to promptly request expert advice on the correct feeding of the horses. Especially you need to be careful in the period before slaughter. The order of proper nutrition is based on the conditions of detention, the state of health and the breed of horses. Feed suppliers need to be selected verified who will be responsible for the quality of the individuals.
Extraction and sale of horse meat
Preparation for the winter
Horses are usually slaughtered just before winter. 3-4 months before slaughtering, the animals are intensively fed: in addition to the daily diet, corn, turnips, carrots are added. The animals begin to gain weight at an accelerated rate, resulting in increased meat yield. This is also beneficial because due to the reduction in the number of livestock in winter, the remaining livestock will need a smaller amount of feed. In addition, it is much more convenient to store meat during cold periods of the year.
Nomadic tribes passed on their knowledge of the correct killing of horses from father to son. Having previously tied the horse, they cut its neck. Most of the time, the chopping work was done on the ground, which caused the meat to become dirty. Today, in production, an animal is immobilized by a powerful blow to the head area or by a discharge of electricity. After that, they are engaged in cutting. The greatest benefit can be expected when slaughtering a horse of a meat breed, but sometimes sports or old draft animals are handed over for meat.
Sales
Horse meat is sold through retail trade; it is preliminarily sent to meat processing plants frozen or chilled. In medical institutions and sanatoriums, dietary meat of young stallions is used. One of the most effective investment options is the acquisition of a personal sausage production workshop.
Conclusion
The horse requires very careful care, but it is more than interesting to engage in animal husbandry. On the one hand, meat horse breeding dictates its own requirements regarding how to properly feed, care and slaughter, but on the other hand, such a business can bring great profits, as well as please by communicating with graceful and amazing animals.
Novice businessmen may be scared off by the high cost of the venture, however, the start-up capital will begin to pay off in a couple of years, thanks to taking into account the characteristics of the area chosen for breeding and a flexible approach