For those who is far fr om the agriculture and has a very vague idea about the livestock farming, it is hard to imagine what work is performed by the livestock specialists in order people to have the quality meat. Today, we spend one working day with the representative of such profession and see the peculiarities of this work inside and out.

The livestock specialist is a person, who arranges, supervises, guides and sets the work process of the whole staff, i.e. he is in charge of the principal tasks.

Head of Farm ‘Zhake’ and his Chief Livestock Specialist, Aidyn Albakai, notice that it is important for this sector to be fond of land and animals, otherwise you could not master the craft.

‘I am fr om aul myself, born in Zhanaarka, Karaganda region. I’m the shepherd ancestor, my grandfather had the Red Banner of Labour in this field. When from your childhood you are growing close to the nature and living things, then you are reluctantly starting to like it. I believe that the ability to deal with the land and nature: it runs in the Kazakh people’s blood’.

The feedlot at Farm ‘Zhake’ is designed for 10 thousand head of cattle. Now, they keep 2 thousand head here, which were delivered from all over Kazakhstan. The stock is increasing each time.

In the morning, Aidyn, first-of-all, supervises the new cattle incoming. The selected animals are thoroughly inspected by the veterinarians, and at first, they are kept separately. 

Then all animals are labelled with ear tags. This process is called as labelling, i.e. the livestock is assigned a number label – individual number.

Labelling is made by the special forceps. They choose the place with the least blood vessels for notching. They preliminarily clear, wash and disinfect the ears, Aidyn says.

After labelling, the question of the cattle vaccination comes up. At the veterinary station, the animals are obligatorily vaccinated against salmonellosis, rhinotraheitis, viral diarrhoea, anthrax and other common and rapidly transmittable diseases.

According to Aidyn, if the cattle has some serious disease, then they dispose of it as soon as possible. To prevent such cases the animals are inspected all the time.

The cattle is forced into the special equipment such as a race, which is designed for the mass veterinary and livestock manipulations. The machinery fixes the animal and the veterinarian may easy vaccinate.

The livestock specialist notices that the vaccination is made at certain intervals. All information on vaccinations is recorded in the veterinary passport.

Then Aidyn deals with the cattle feeding. There is a granary in the territory of the Farm, wh ere almost all feed is kept.

The cattle feed, mainly, consists of the feed grain crops as wheat, oat, barley. They are used as an additional energy source.

‘Now our Farm has no tillable lands that is why we purchase the feed from many regions. We spend KZT7 milliard per year for the feed only. In future, we want to ensure the feed ourselves. Thus we will be sure for the quality of the feed base and its preservation’, Aidyn says.

For better digestion, the grain crops are milled in the grinder, then all is loaded into the feed dispenser.

The hay also plays an essential role in the cattle ration. During the winter, it is one of the main source of sugar and protein. The store cattle should be kept at least 100 days.

Further we go to the barns – the shed loafing and feed yard. Here the cattle is free in its moving.

It is time to have a dinner. All the workers take their way to the Cattle Breeder House. There are the rooms, wh ere the specialists live, some of them with their families as well, and the dining room, bathroom and etc. in the house.

The workers are provided with food three times a day for the Farm’s account.

The agenda also contains the issue on the cattle breeding. According to Aidyn, he wants to create the beef cattle pedigree reproducer farm.

‘Now we are developing the ways of the productivity improvement and the breeding stock, i.e. the so called reproduction stock’.

What trend will be followed by the Farm, as well as what volumes and turnover lie ahead of it, depend on the Chief Livestock Specialist’s decision.

‘We are going to become the largest feedlot in Kazakhstan to supply with meat not only our region, but also the whole country. We have the good opportunities for exporting the meat products. We would like that the state supports us in our initiatives, since meat is that product, without which our people could not live, and we are ready to supply a good quality meat’.