The Monastery's farm for daily production of meat & dairy

The farm is divided into several sections including:

1.    Wards:

a.    Breastfeeding calves ward: this includes newborn calves males and females until they are stopped breastfeeding at the age of 3 months after birth or at the weight of 90 Kilograms.

b.    Developing calves ward: This includes the feeding calves from the age 3 months until 6 months, males are separated from females.

c.    Male calves above 6 months old: those are set in special wards offering them a special dietary programme for their growth until they reach the weight 300-350 kilograms.

d.    Fattening calves: males above 300-350 kilograms follow a special diet programme for fattening, and are then slaughtered to cover the needs of the monastery or for sale once they reach the weight 500 kilograms and above.

e.    Female calves above 6  months: are offered a special dietary programme different from that offered to male calves, until they reach the weight 380 kilograms, to prepare them for the stage of pregnancy and delivery and for the production of milk.

f.    Dairy cows ward: milk producing cows from original imported breeds (Friesian- Braun- Holstein) to cover the monastery needs for milk, cheese and margarine, those are cows after giving birth.

g.    Last stage Cows ward: cows in the last stage of pregnancy, they are set aside and are stopped from milk production as of the seventh month of pregnancy until delivery, in order to be prepared for the new season of milk production after delivery.

 

2.     Farm extensions:

 

The farm consists of several extensions to facilitate the workflow, this includes:

a.    Italian origin Mahlab with capacity of 350 cows per hour

b.    A slaughterhouse used to slaughter calves

c.    Veterinary pharmacy includes medicines and vaccines for farm animals

d.    Bunker for storing silage corn for a year to be used to feed the farm animals