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Supplements
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Where cattle are on veldt grazing, it is common practice to provide them with supplements. The objective is to add to deficiencies that may exist in the feed available to them and thus prevent losses. It can happen that severe deficiencies exist on a specific farm and farmers should always monitor their livestock to determine the presence of specific problems on their farms. On the other hand, supplements can be used to enhance animal performance. Enhanced animal performance is only advisable when gains provide greater financial returns than the associated input costs.
Summer Supplements
In many parts of KwaZulu-Natal, shortages of iodine, zinc and magnesium limit the growth of livestock. In addition, on almost all farms in the region, phosphorus and salt should be provided, although, in many areas close to the sea, salt inhibits lick intake when added to the licks in even small amounts.
A mature cow requires about 30 g of salt and 10 g of phosphorus per day.
Many commercial summer licks are available, but the most commonly used is to mix dicalcium phosphate or P12 with salt. The salt usually comprises 50% of the lick but must be reduced where lick intakes are too low. Intakes of 170 g per cow per day can be expected.
Winter Supplements
With winter feeding of beef animals, the objective is to maintain adequate body condition for cows so that they can calve down during the subsequent summer and re-conceive as well. The main deficiency in winter veldt, more specifically in the sour veld, is a protein deficiency. The general recommendation is to provide 200g of crude protein per adult dry cow per day. This could be achieved by the provision of winter licks or the feeding of oil cakes. Many licks are available, and advisors should be consulted. Whichever lick is used, it must be remembered that enough roughage must be fed with the lick because licks are additives and the bulk of an animal’s diet must be provided by relatively cheaper feed. Some examples follow:
Example:
Winter lick 1:
Feed 2 kg poultry litter per cow per day.
Caution: Livestock being fed poultry litter must be vaccinated for botulism and the litter must be free of maduramycin.
Winter lick 2, for sour veld:
Maize meal 20.2%
Salt 46.2%
Feed lime 16.8%
Urea 16.8%
Intake should be 0.4 kg per cow per day.
Caution: This lick contains non-protein nitrogen (urea) and the necessary precautions must be taken, including that livestock must be adapted to the lick and the lick must be kept dry. This lick does not contain phosphorus and is suitable for mature animals, whereas growing animals should still be fed phosphorus.
Winter lick 3, for sweet veld:
Maize meal 35.8%
Salt 30.0%
Feed lime 17.1%
Urea 17.1%
Intake should be 0.385 kg per cow per day.
Caution: This lick contains non-protein nitrogen (urea) and the necessary precautions must be taken, including that livestock must be adapted to the lick and the lick must be kept dry. This lick does not contain phosphorus and is suitable for mature animals, whereas growing animals should still be fed phosphorus.
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