Ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, two huge bulls named 'Bhoyonkor' (Fearsome) and 'Badsha Babu' have become the talk of Kalapara in Patuakhali. A total price of Tk 16 lakh is being asked for the pair.

Raised on the farm of Md Ibrahim Howlader, next to the Gabbaria sluice gate in Nij-Shibbaria village of Mohipur thana sadar union, the Friesian 'Bhoyonkor' weighs about 18 maunds, and Tk 9 lakh is being asked for it. The Sahiwal 'Badsha Babu' weighs about 17 maunds and is priced at Tk 7 lakh.

According to the farm, the two bulls were raised over about four years with care and natural feed. No harmful injections or artificial methods were used to fatten them. They were bathed, kept clean and given nutritious feed every day.

Farmer Md Ibrahim Howlader said, "The two bulls are like members of our family. I have raised them naturally from the start, on maize silage, green grass, straw, bran and various nutritious feeds. About Tk 12 lakh has been spent on them in four years."

He added, "I have prepared them for sale ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. Anyone looking for healthy and attractive cattle can come straight to the farm and see them."

Solaiman Khan, the worker who looks after them, said they had been raised through hard work day and night. It is because of regular care and special attention to feeding that the cattle have become healthy and attractive, he said, and he hoped they would sell for a good price at Eid.

Local resident Habib Sardar said, "Such big, beautiful cattle are not often seen in our area. Ibrahim has worked very hard to raise them. People come from far and wide every day to see them." Local youth Md Mainuddin Atik said, "'Bhoyonkor' really does look royal. Everyone is charmed by the beauty and health of the two bulls."

Local veterinarian Ahsan Habib, who monitors the bulls regularly, said they had been raised on entirely natural feed with proper care and were now fully healthy.

Upazila livestock officer Dr Maruf Billah Khan said, "This year 'Bhoyonkor' and 'Badsha Babu' have become among the main attractions of Kalapara's sacrificial animal market. No harmful hormones or special drugs were used to grow them; they were raised entirely naturally. This is a positive example for other farmers too."

He said more than 20,000 animals had been prepared for sacrifice in the upazila this year, including 12,000 cattle and a few buffalo, and 8,000 goats and sheep.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.