GUIDE 1: STARTING THE BASICS OF CATTLE FARMING FOR QURBANI FOR HAJJ

Cattle farming is a competitive and complicated business at the same time. You must start off with various knowledge. Be it the variety of cattle, taking care of the cattle, housing system, cultivation management, environmental issues, and up to looking for the right place to sell your cattle. You may have your own planning, but in this post, I'd like to give you some ideas such as:

1. In-depth knowledge about livestock especially for Qurbani for hajj animals; As the cattle farmers, you must pay attention to every detail of the cattle farming. You should learn the process from the experts in this specialized field, in order to get the best results for your business.

2. Preparing your cash for the estimated costs; Another important aspect of cattle farming for Qurbani animals is the right calculation of costs. From foods, housing or barns, wages (for workers), specific land to build your cattle barns, and other facilities to support your business. Also, prepare extra money for additional risks that may occur in running your business.

3. Selecting trained and adept workers.; Growing your cattle from calves to be ready-for-sale cows need so much care from experienced workers. Cows are animal which really needs special care. They have to move regularly and like to stretch their body. They also need to be cleaned from their wastes to keep them healthy and free from bacteria.

GUIDE 2: DECIDING POTENTIAL SPECIES FOR QURBANI FOR HAJJ

There are strict rules for Qurbani animals based on Islamic sharia. You have to check the qualifications for Qurbani worshiping. Just because you want to do a profitable business, it doesn't mean you refuse to follow the rules. Make sure your business relies upon the guideline for the urban animals.

The first thing is to observe the physical of the Qurbani cattle. The healthy cows can be inspected from their movement. If they're actively moving, it's a good sign. You can see from the appearance too. For example, they have a pair of clean and glowing eyes as a sign that they are healthy. The eyelids are fully open. These eyes are calm and not wild. Furthermore, the good standardized beef cattle have a strong and agile body, no defects, no limp, mature and overall are in the good condition.

The variety of cows for Qurbani for hajj in Indonesia, including:

1. Limousine Cattle; They are so big muscled cattle from continental breeds. The price is quite expensive. No wonder if they become favorite as a choice of Qurbani animals for the upper class in the Indonesian Muslim market.

2. Brahman Cattle; They are quite popular breeds of cattle in Indonesia. They have the color of light brown to dark brown.

3. Madura Cattle; They are the humped cattle from crossbred of Bali cattle and zebu cattle (Javanese cattle or Sinhala cattle).

4. Bali Cattle; This type of cattle can be found in the Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, and South Kalimantan region. It's often called the indigenous local breed cattle in Indonesia.

5. Ongole Crossbred Cattle (OC); OC is known as the second most important breed after the Bali cattle. OC has a white character with black in several parts of the body. Its fat is sagging and there is a hump on its back.

GUIDE 3: FATTENING THE CATTLE

The simplest and fastest way to get profit from selling Qurbani for hajj animals especially for beef cattle is by implementing the half process of cattle farming. You can do this by fattening the average cattle and upscale their weight in a shorter time. Approximately you will need about 3 to 5 months to fatten the mature cattle. Cattle with superb quality and huge weight are so expensive.

The super low price last year was 2,603 - 2,814 US$ in Indonesia. Although the price is depending on the fluctuating currency, the trend is always increasing. You don't have to worry to find the market because if you understand the annual season of Qurban, you can adjust it with your production. Selling Qurbani animals is a huge advantage because it has specific demands every year with multiple profits to reach.

Pure Breed or Crossbreed?; It’s much faster to fatten the cows starting from crossbreed. But the quality of crossbred cattle isn't the same with the purebred cattle. The price of crossbred cattle is also a bit cheaper. In running your farm, you have to see the potential cattle that easier to be absorbed in the Qurban market. Do some small market research in this area with other fellows in the same business. After you find the insight, you can try to apply it in your business.

GUIDE 4: PREPARING THE APPROPRIATE BARN FOR CATTLE

Each cow needs a large place to move, lie down and stretch the body. Active cows will be physically and mentally healthy. Although the barn with many cows is more cost-effective, this barn model also has disadvantages. One problem is the difference in weight due to competition between cows. The dominant cow will eat more and grow faster than the weaker cow.

Apart from the size of the cattle housing, you must focus on hygiene. A dirty cattle barn will get the cow exposed to bacteria from its own feces. You may notice it from flies around the barn. Make sure you have another place to treat the waste so that the smell does not disturb the environment. Keeping the atmosphere of the barn fresh and clean.

Other sanitary tips for your cattle barns are adding several ventilations or vent holes on the siding. This can make the barn not smell and avoid high humidity.

GUIDE 5: FEEDING AND DRINKING

Providing your cattle with appropriate foods and drinks will give optimal weight to your cattle. Try to combine the foods for fattening purpose. If you do it right, you will be amazed at how your cattle increase their weight in quick time. What's the secret anyway? I tell you that there's no secret to fatten the cattle. You only need to combine food. It's already supported by research. Try to give your cattle with a combination of greenery and concentrates. Then do a little bit of math to do the magic.

At least, every cow needs food about 2.5% of its body weight. You may use natural foods with low-budget medium quality food like rice straw, sugar cane leaves, corn leaves, reeds, and wild grasses. If you want more, try to give a high-quality food. For drinking, you can give your cattle fresh water in the barn. Place it in the right position so it's easier for your cows to drink the clean water.

In conclusion, the Qurbani for hajj animal business is very promising. The price of cows that continue to rise is related to the difficulty level of the care of these ruminants. But this cattle business never stops developing. That's why every year Muslims as the biggest market can help farmers to get profitable income in this field.