Chapter 57

"Boss, we need to decide on the fattening method for our beef cattle," Garcia said to Liu Yuxuan after sending off today's vegetable transport truck.

"Oh, is there anything to consider?" Liu Yuxuan asked.

"There are roughly two fattening methods," Garcia explained. "One is to continue free-range farming. The advantage is low cost, and the cattle will have a larger frame when they are ready for market. The downside is that the meat quality will be slightly lower after slaughter."

"What about the other method?"

"The other method is to concentrate the cattle in a fattening facility and feed them concentrated feed. The advantage is that the meat quality will be better after slaughter, with marbling. The selling price will be higher, but the cost during the fattening stage will be higher," Garcia continued.

Liu Yuxuan thought for a moment but was still unsure.

"Garcia, which fattening method do you think is better for us?" Liu Yuxuan asked.

"I think we should try concentrated fattening. Since we don't have many cattle, less than 100, and if we select some for breeding, the number of cattle available for sale will be even fewer. Also, you might have noticed that our calves have larger frames than normal for their age. We can aim to sell them around 12 months old. If we're lucky, we have a good chance of getting a high rating," Garcia suggested.

This was also what puzzled Garcia. He had raised many herds of cattle, but he had never seen them grow so fast.

"Let's do it that way. When the time comes, you and Rodriguez can select any suitable breeding cattle. If there are any, set them aside, and the rest will be fattened in the concentrated method. We have a lot of earthworms from the fertilizer plant. We can consider grinding them into powder and adding them to the cattle feed," Liu Yuxuan decided. With the space water, the meat quality should be good, and the earthworm powder would keep the feed costs relatively low.

"Okay, boss, I'll start the selection," Garcia replied and walked towards the cattle.

After a day of selection by Garcia and Rodriguez, they chose about 20 calves for breeding. The remaining 69 cattle would be fattened in the concentrated method.

The feed was simple, mainly barley and wheat, with some earthworm powder added. The earthworm powder was very palatable to the cattle, and they eagerly ate the mixed feed from the troughs.

"Boss, I didn't expect the earthworm powder to be so appealing to the cattle. I wonder how it will affect the meat quality," Garcia said as he watched the cattle eat.

"It should improve it. Earthworm powder is rich in protein," Liu Yuxuan replied. He wasn't entirely sure but remembered reading that it was quite beneficial.

Liu Yuxuan's main confidence came from the effects of the space water.

"Yunxuan, are you aiming for a high rating?" Michelle asked, holding a fawn named Bambi.

Michelle was learning Chinese from Liu Yuxuan. Knowing that "Liu" was his surname, she insisted on calling him by his given name, Yunxuan, to show intimacy. Although her pronunciation was still a bit off, it was understandable and had a bit of a Mandarin feel.

"Yes, I think our pasture is excellent, and the calves are growing well. I decided to give it a try. After all, everything from our pastoral farm is top-notch," Liu Yuxuan said with a smile.

"Right, we have top-tier vegetables, and we should also sell top-tier beef," Michelle said, fully embracing her role as the ranch mistress.

"By the way, don't you find it tiring to carry Bambi?" Liu Yuxuan asked, puzzled.

Michelle looked down at Bambi in her arms, nuzzled him affectionately, and said, "It's because it's tiring that I often carry him. In a few days, I probably won't be able to carry him anymore."

Bambi was no longer a small fawn. When he first arrived at the ranch, he was tiny, but now he was almost half-grown. Drinking space water and eating top-tier pasture grass, he would soon be called a fat fawn.

"Should we get a Chihuahua or a Teddy dog?" Liu Yuxuan asked, seeing how much Michelle enjoyed holding small animals.

"No, Yunxuan, if we get a dog, it should be a herding dog. I don't like small dogs," Michelle shook her head. Growing up on a ranch, she was naturally closer to herding dogs.

"Alright, let's go to the pet store and see if we can find a suitable one," Liu Yuxuan suggested.

When they arrived at the pet store in town, Liu Yuxuan was surprised. There were all kinds of pets, from fist-sized spiders to three-meter-long pythons and crocodiles that looked like logs.

"Are you Liu from the pastoral farm? Welcome to my pet store," the owner greeted Liu Yuxuan with a smile.

Since his vegetables were certified, Liu Yuxuan had become a local celebrity. Even those who hadn't met him knew that the owner of the pastoral farm was an Easterner.

Liu Yuxuan was dressed like a cowboy, so the owner immediately recognized him.

"Hello, we're looking to buy a few herding dogs, preferably purebred," Liu Yuxuan said to the enthusiastic owner.

"We have many breeds of herding dogs. How many do you plan to buy?" The owner led Liu Yuxuan to the back where the dogs were kept.

Since the town's economy was based on herding, the store sold a lot of herding dogs, and the owner had many puppies.

"Michelle, which ones do you like?" Liu Yuxuan didn't care much, as he already had Da Huang and Ban Li. This time, he was mainly buying for Michelle.

"Let me look first. How many should we buy?" Michelle asked.

"Let's start with four. When I go back to China, I can bring two more," Liu Yuxuan thought for a moment and said.

"Okay, you can look around while I make my selection," Michelle dismissed Liu Yuxuan to keep him from getting bored.

Liu Yuxuan wandered around and eventually reached the cat section. The pet store was quite impressive, with over a dozen breeds of kittens.

A kitten in an incubator caught Liu Yuxuan's attention. It was about the size of a palm. Unlike other kittens that curled up to sleep or played, this one had a yellow and white body, a yellow tail, yellow fur above its eyes, white fur below, and a yellow chin that looked like a small mustache. It lay flat in the incubator, its front paws stretched out in a straight line, its wrinkled face, and round eyes, making it look very amusing.

Liu Yuxuan leaned in to take a closer look. The kitten noticed him, twitched its ears, and meowed, then stood up and walked to the window of the incubator.

Finding it interesting, Liu Yuxuan decided to play with it. He extended a finger and pressed it against the transparent barrier of the incubator. The kitten lifted a paw and pressed it against Liu Yuxuan's finger through the barrier. When Liu Yuxuan moved his finger, the kitten followed.

They played for a while until Michelle, having selected the puppies, called him over.

"Michelle, what do you think about getting this little kitten too?" Liu Yuxuan asked. He thought Fangfang would be happy to have this little kitten to play with, and he liked it too.

Michelle looked and said, "Yes, this Persian cat is quite cute."

"Is this a Persian cat? I thought Persian cats were usually fat and yellow," Liu Yuxuan asked curiously.

Michelle gave him a look of disdain before explaining, "Persian cats come in many colors. In movies and TV, the yellow ones are more common."

Liu Yuxuan realized his knowledge was lacking.

"By the way, what do you think about getting a Husky?" Liu Yuxuan suddenly asked Michelle.

Michelle was a bit confused. They were just about to buy a kitten, and now he was thinking of a Husky. Huskies are sled dogs and not very suitable for herding.

"Sure, we can get one, but we need to take good care of it in the summer. Texas summers are very hot, and we need to keep it from running around," Michelle suggested.

Back in China, he often heard people talk about Huskies, calling them silly and even mistaking them for wolves. That's why he thought of getting one.

"Alright, let's get this little kitten, the dogs you selected, and a Husky," Liu Yuxuan said happily.

He imagined how funny it would look to put the Persian cat on the Husky's head.

They also selected a Husky, which did look a bit like a wolf. However, a closer look revealed that the Husky's facial features were not as rugged as a wolf's, and its expression looked more like a smile, no wonder people called them silly.

With the dogs selected, Michelle chose two Border Collies, two German Shepherds, and a Persian cat. They also bought some dog toys, pet houses, cat trees, cat food, dog food, and other items, filling a large cart.

Since they were all purebred, the total cost was over $6,000. The owner didn't charge for many of the small toys.

Michelle wasn't surprised. Purebred puppies, especially those whose parents had won small competitions, were naturally more expensive.