Mountain people proactively prevent cold for livestock and poultry

In Nghia Dan district, the temperature is below 13 degrees Celsius. The district People's Committee has directed specialized departments to coordinate with localities to deploy cold protection plans for livestock and poultry.

The buffalo and cow pens are carefully covered. Photo: Ba Hau

Nghia Hung commune has a total herd of over 1,700 buffaloes and cows, over 11,000 pigs, and over 45,000 chickens. To prevent hunger and cold for livestock and poultry, the commune guides people to implement many measures such as: planting elephant grass for buffaloes and cows to eat, covering barns, and lining the floor with straw for buffaloes and cows.

Currently, Nghia Dan district has more than 27,000 buffaloes and cows; 37,000 pigs; 980,000 poultry; and 31,000 goats.

Mr. Cao Minh Duc - Head of Nghia Dan District Veterinary Station said: During these cold days, the Station has directed communes and towns to propagate and announce daily cold prevention and control lessons on loudspeakers to villages and hamlets and also advised livestock farmers to proactively prevent epidemics, not to let buffaloes and cows out, to stock up on food and protect livestock and poultry from the cold...

During these days, the temperature in Con Cuong sometimes drops below 10 degrees Celsius, so Con Cuong district has directed localities to urgently prevent hunger and cold for livestock.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thang - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Chi Khe Commune (Con Cuong) said that in order to effectively prevent hunger and cold for over 3,000 buffaloes and cows, the People's Committee of the commune has mobilized people to properly store concentrated feed, store grass, and keep buffaloes and cows in captivity during low temperatures. Agricultural extension officers and veterinarians are regularly sent to households to inspect and urge the cleaning of barns and fully vaccinate livestock.

Cutting grass to feed cattle on cold, rainy days. Photo: Ba Hau

Ms. Le Thi Cuc, Bai Oi village, Chi Khe commune, usually grazes on hills and mountains. However, in recent days, when the temperature drops sharply, her buffalo and cows have been kept in barns, covered with tarpaulin, and the cows are fed both roughage and starch to increase their resistance. Along with taking advantage of food sources such as straw, banana trees, corn plants, etc., the family also grows 3 sao of elephant grass, as well as reserve food sources to supplement the cows. Along with that, proactively clean the barns, light fires to increase the temperature, and comply with regular vaccinations for cows according to the instructions of the veterinary station...