60s: I have a store

Chapter 524 New Varieties

Time passed quietly, and before I knew it, nearly half a month had passed.

The old branch secretary has always been thinking about the villages that bought feed from Zhoujiazhuang. He is well aware of the key role of feed in breeding, and he is also concerned about the effect of the feed supplied by the village in actual breeding.

So, Zhou Yimin was found and the matter was explained to him.

After hearing this, Zhou Yimin said: "Old Party Secretary, if you want to know the usage of feed, then just invite the village heads who buy feed to come over and ask them. I believe they will be interested."

The old branch secretary's eyes lit up. He had not expected that there was such a solution. It seemed that Zhou Yimin was smart, so he did as Zhou Yimin said.

So he sent invitations to various villages, hoping that the village heads would come to Zhoujiazhuang to talk about the growth of chickens.

As the news came out, it quickly received a positive response.

A few days later, the seven village heads arrived at Zhoujiazhuang, exhausted.

They come from seven different villages, each with its own unique breeding conditions, but what is the same is that they all have high hopes for Zhoujiazhuang's feed.

The old branch secretary warmly welcomed the village heads into a house in the village that was specially used for discussing affairs. There were a few simple wooden tables and benches in the house. Although it was simple, it was filled with a rustic and friendly atmosphere.

The village heads sat down one after another. Before the old branch secretary could speak, Village Head Tao took the lead and said, "Yimin, I have to thank you for the suggestions you gave us last time when you delivered the feed. Since we improved the storage point, the feed has been much less susceptible to moisture and mold, and the chickens are growing more steadily."

As he spoke, a grateful smile spread across his face, and the other village heads also nodded, expressing their approval of Zhou Yimin's help last time.

Zhou Yimin smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Village leaders are too polite. Only if we help each other can we do a good job in breeding. I invited you all here today mainly to understand how the chickens in Zhoujiazhuang are growing after feeding them for nearly half a month."

He leaned forward slightly, looking at everyone expectantly.

At this time, Village Chief Li frowned and said with a hint of worry: "Yimin, your feed is really good. The chickens grow very fast after eating it. But the situation in our village is a bit special. Sometimes the chickens still have some minor problems, such as their feathers are not shiny enough and the size of the eggs they lay is not uniform."

As he spoke, he gestured with his hands to show the difference in egg size: "We are wondering if we need to adjust the feed further?"

Zhou Yimin listened carefully, nodded and thought in his heart, his eyes focused and deep.

Village Chief Zhang spoke next. He shook his head slightly, with a regretful tone in his voice: "Yes, the chickens in our village are generally okay, but I feel that the utilization rate of feed can be improved. Sometimes you will find that the chickens have a lot of leftovers, which is a pity to waste."

He sighed helplessly, his face full of heartache.

Village Chief Wang couldn't help but interject, "The chickens in our village haven't had too many problems, but I found a problem. After changing the feed, the chickens seem to be less active. They stay in the chicken coop all day. I don't know if this has anything to do with the feed."

He scratched his head, looking confused.

The village heads talked one after another, describing in detail the growth conditions of the chickens in the village and the problems encountered in the use of feed.

Zhou Yimin listened very attentively, writing down key information in his notebook from time to time, and the pen in his hand made a rustling sound on the paper.

The old branch secretary and Zhou Zhiming were not idle either. They never stopped writing with their pens, for fear of missing anything.

After the village heads finished speaking, Zhou Yimin raised his head and said with a firm gaze: "The issues raised by the village heads are very important. They will be of great help to us in improving feed. We in Zhoujiazhuang will study these issues carefully and strive to make the feed more in line with the growth needs of chickens."

Just when everyone thought the discussion was about to end, Village Chief Wang suddenly sat up straight and said excitedly: "Yimin, we actually came here this time to discuss something with you.

You see, there are not only chickens in the village, but also pigs, cows, donkeys, etc. Especially pigs, if they can have the right feed, it will greatly solve the problem of meat shortage.

The village heads of several of our villages discussed on the way to see if Zhoujiazhuang could produce feed for other animals. "

There was a gleam of anticipation in his eyes and his body leaned forward slightly, as if he couldn't wait to hear Zhou Yimin's response.

When Zhou Yimin heard this, his eyes lit up. He had indeed not thought much about this issue before, but after hearing what Village Chief Wang said, he felt that it made sense.

He said, "Village Chief Wang, your idea is very good. In fact, feed is basically the same no matter how it is changed. As long as it is slightly improved, it should be feasible."

Other village heads also agreed, thinking that this was a good idea that would boost the village's economic development.

Village Chief Li slapped the table excitedly and said, "Yes, if we have pig feed, the pork production in our village will definitely increase significantly, and then life will be better."

His face was filled with a longing smile.

Zhou Yimin continued, "How about this, the village heads first tell us about the usual feeding conditions of pigs, cattle and donkeys in your village, as well as the problems encountered in the breeding process, so that we can conduct targeted research."

Village chief Tao was the first to speak: "The pigs in our village are usually fed some rotten vegetable leaves, plus some sweet potatoes and corn grown at home. But the pigs grow slowly and are prone to illness. We don't know if it's because of the wrong feeding method or the feed."

As he spoke, he shook his head helplessly, his face full of worry.

Village chief Li also said: "We raise cattle in our village, mainly by letting them graze on the mountains. But in winter, there is not much grass on the mountains, and the cattle will lose weight. There is no good way to deal with it."

He frowned, and there was a hint of anxiety in his eyes.

Village chief Zhang added: "The donkeys in our village are usually fed with hay and a small amount of beans. When they are working, I feel that the donkeys are not strong enough. I don't know how to improve it."

He spread his hands, a confused look on his face.

The village heads spoke in turn, giving detailed introductions to the breeding conditions of different animals in the village.

Zhou Yimin carefully collected everyone's opinions. He realized that developing new feed was not an easy task. It was necessary to take into account the growth habits, nutritional needs and seasonal changes of various animals.

But he still promised the village heads: "Don't worry, village heads, as long as we develop suitable feed, we will inform you as soon as possible."

After seeing off the village heads, Zhou Yimin fell into deep thought.

He knew that developing feed for a variety of animals would require more than just his own efforts.

So he found the old branch secretary and told him the village heads' proposals and his own ideas in detail.

After hearing this, the old Party branch secretary nodded repeatedly: "Yimin, this is a good thing! If we can develop feed for various animals, our Zhoujia Village will have made great contributions to the surrounding villages. If you have any plans, just tell us, the village will definitely support you with all its strength."

Zhou Yimin said, "Old Party Secretary, I want to first organize a meeting of people in the village who are familiar with breeding to summarize everyone's experience. Then, I will go to the surrounding breeding farms to learn how they prepare feed." The old Party Secretary patted Zhou Yimin on the shoulder and said, "Okay, I'll do as you say. If you need any resources, just let me know."

With the support of the old branch secretary, Zhou Yimin quickly organized a breeding experience exchange meeting in the village.

Zhou Zhiming and other breeding experts came, and everyone sat together and had a heated discussion on how to develop new feed.

Zhou Zhiming said: "Yimin, I have been raising livestock for so many years, and I know that different animals have different food needs. Pigs like to eat things with more starch, cows need to eat nutritious grass, and donkeys need to be fed with concentrated feed. But to make these into feed, I have to think carefully."

Other villagers also spoke up. Some suggested trying to use common crops in the village to make feed, while others suggested referring to the recipes in some breeding books.

Zhou Yimin listened and took notes, and sorted out everyone's suggestions.

After the meeting, Zhou Yimin decided to start the research and development with pig feed.

Based on the suggestions provided by the villagers and his own thoughts, he came up with a preliminary recipe.

The formula includes soybean meal, bran and some mineral and vitamin additives.

He thought that soybean meal could provide energy and be rich in protein, the bran would aid digestion, and the minerals and vitamins would ensure the healthy growth of pigs.

With the recipe in hand, Zhou Yimin began to take action.

Together with several villagers, he mixed various raw materials according to the recipe proportions, and then crushed and stirred them using the village's simple processing equipment.

The production process was not smooth. Due to the simple equipment, the raw materials were not mixed evenly, and the machine got stuck during the crushing process.

But Zhou Yimin was not discouraged. He worked with the villagers to find a solution and adjust the parameters of the machine. After many attempts, he finally produced the first batch of pig feed.

In order to test the effectiveness of the feed, Zhou Yimin plans to conduct experiments in the village pig farm.

When the old branch secretary heard this, he frowned and looked worried at first.

He found Zhou Yimin and said with a hint of hesitation, "Yimin, the pig farm in our village is related to the livelihoods of many villagers. If we use untested feed, if something goes wrong and the pigs get sick or their growth is affected, the responsibility will be huge. I think you should reconsider it."

Zhou Yimin understood the old branch secretary's concerns and patiently advised: "Old branch secretary, I understand what you are worried about. But if we don't try it, how can we know whether this feed is effective?
When I was making the feed, I referred to a lot of information and also communicated with the breeding experts in the village, so I had a certain degree of confidence.

Moreover, I will keep an eye on the pigs and take immediate action if there is any problem. If this new feed is successful, the efficiency of our pig farm will be greatly improved, which will bring many benefits to the development of the village."

The old branch secretary listened to Zhou Yimin's words, lowered his head and thought for a moment, then slowly said: "Yimin, I understand what you said, but this risk still makes me feel uneasy."

Zhou Yimin went on to say, "Old Party Secretary, I promise you that I will be careful. We can try it out on a small number of pigs at first, and then gradually expand the scope. If there are any signs of trouble, stop immediately. Do you think this will work?"

The old branch secretary raised his head, looked at Zhou Yimin's determined eyes, sighed and said, "Okay, Yimin, I believe you this time. But you have to be more careful, and tell me if there is any situation in time."

Zhou Yimin nodded quickly: "Okay, old secretary, don't worry."

With the consent of the old branch secretary, Zhou Yimin brought the first batch of pig feed to the village pig farm.

He communicated in detail with the staff at the pig farm and developed a trial plan.

He would come to the pig farm early every day, carefully observe the pigs' eating habits, and conscientiously record the pigs' feces status and weight changes.

At first, the pigs seemed to be uncomfortable with the new feed and their feed intake was not high.

Zhou Yimin carefully analyzed the reason and found that it might be because the taste of the feed was not very good.

So he adjusted the recipe and added some sweeteners to improve the taste of the feed.

After a period of observation and adjustment, the pigs gradually adapted to the new feed, their feed intake increased, their feces became normal, and their weight began to increase steadily.

Seeing these changes, Zhou Yimin and the villagers in the pig farm were very happy and couldn't wait to tell the old branch secretary the good news.

This is to avoid letting the old branch secretary worry all the time. After all, not all the pigs in the village are private property of the villagers. Most of the pigs have to be handed over, and there are not many left in the village.

After hearing the good news, the old branch secretary finally felt relieved.

"Yimin, since it's effective, let all the pigs use it."

After all, if it is used one day earlier, the pigs can gain one more day of meat.

Zhou Yimin nodded to show that he understood.

But Zhou Yimin knew that this was only an initial success and that the formula needed to be further optimized to improve the quality and effectiveness of the feed.

After more than a month of hard work, Zhou Yimin finally developed a relatively complete pig feed.

He once again invited the seven previous village heads to Zhoujiazhuang to show them the newly developed feed.

The village heads were very excited when they saw the feed.

Village Chief Tao said: "Yimin, you are amazing. You developed pig feed in such a short time."

Zhou Yimin smiled and said: "This is not the credit of me alone, but the result of everyone's joint efforts. These feeds still need to be further tested in actual breeding. I hope that the village heads can give more valuable suggestions after taking them back."

The village heads all said that they would use the feed carefully and provide timely feedback on the results.

This is a good opportunity. If pig feed is really useful, we can adopt more pigs next year. In this way, there will be a lot left after the village completes the task.

By then, the village will be able to have a prosperous year. Now, let alone eating meat, even thinking about having enough to eat every day is a problem, let alone eating meat.

Then each village chief bought two or three bags of pig feed, thinking of trying it out first. If it really works, they will continue to buy it. Anyway, Zhoujiazhuang can deliver the feed to their door.

(End of this chapter)