Kalybay, born on January 11, 1972, into a teacher's family, has raised three children with his wife Rima. He has two daughters: the elder, Roza, is in Moscow, while the younger, Malina, works at the Kyrgyz State Technical University named after I. Razzakov. His son Emir studies at the history faculty of the Kyrgyz State University named after I. Arabayev and simultaneously works at the National Bank.
Saralaev was a delegate at the First and Third People's Kurultai. Four years ago, he decided to start breeding Arashan sheep to improve the quality of his livestock, having previously kept 150 ordinary sheep.
Currently, their number has reached 20. He spoke about the advantages of this breed. "I used to have 150 sheep, and their maintenance and feeding caused a lot of trouble. Sometimes, when selling, the price did not cover the costs and turned out to be too low. For the last four years, I have focused on quality rather than quantity and the pedigree of the sheep. I started crossbreeding them with Kochkors of the Arashan breed for improvement. Last year, I bought a seven-month-old Kochkor named Ryzhik for 100,000 soms. Arashan sheep often give birth to twins. Now, out of 11 sheep, four have given birth to twins. Such sheep require more feed. Already, orders for male lambs are coming in. Sheep of this breed produce a lot of milk. When the lambs suckle, they cannot drink all the milk, and if the ewe is not milked, the lamb may not cope. Last year, I lost two lambs due to poisoning from stagnant milk — the milk had soured and caused their death. My wife milks the sheep and prepares uuz (colostrum, a dairy product) for the children," the villager recounts.
According to the farmer, while lambs of ordinary sheep sell at the market for 7,000–8,000 soms, a lamb of the Arashan breed costs no less than 25,000 soms. "I am currently breeding second-class Arashan sheep, but I plan to gradually transition to first-class. Arashan sheep eat slightly more feed than ordinary sheep, depending on their weight. In the summer, we take them to the jailoo. They graze just like ordinary sheep. I do not let the Kochkor near them. When we return home, I conduct mating. I give the sheep hay three times a day and grain once. I no longer keep ordinary farm sheep," Kalybay Saralaev said.
In addition to breeding sheep, Kalybay also raises foals for sale. "I start feeding the foals from the beginning of December, tying them in the stable. By February, they gain weight and are ready for sale. I used to fatten cows, but they have an unpleasant smell and require more effort. A cow needs to be kept for four months to gain weight, while a foal can be fattened in three months. I keep one foal for three months. It costs about 15,000 soms to feed it, and I can sell it now for 60,000 soms. I give grain twice a day and hay three times. I have covered the floor in the pen with wood and regularly clean the manure. I continue to fatten and sell foals until July, replenishing their stock," he says.
Kalybay is assisted in his work by his wife Rima Asanova.
Rima was born on September 5, 1974. She works as a teacher's assistant at the Saparbek Esenaliev kindergarten in the village of Don-Alysh. In her free time, she helps with her husband's farming business.
