by Mulele Nakweti

With the onset of the dry season, grass and other vegetation become dry and scarce in Zambia. As a result, it is not easy for cattle farmers to keep their animals in a good condition.

Cattle, which are ruminants, can utilise roughage as a source of food. Unlike monogastric animals (chickens and pigs), ruminants need roughage to help keep their stomachs in a healthy, functional state. Therefore, a farmer cannot wholly rely on raw materials such as soya beans, maize, and sunflower oilcake as their only source of feed. Cattle require a well-balanced ration to grow and perform to their full potential.

During the winter months, grass does not grow back after it has been grazed. Therefore, grass becomes scarce as the dry season progresses. Farmers will then need to purchase hay to feed their cattle. However, cattle will always prefer fresh grass over hay, and they will still struggle to consume the latter.

To help improve the intake o f hay, a farmer can sprinkle molasses onto the hay. The sweetness of the molasses is more palatable for the animals, and they will then consume more of the dry roughage. There is a tendency amongst Zambian farmers to add salt to the hay to increase intake, but cattle can become salt saturated. As soon as this happens, the animal will lose its appetite to consume more of the hay.

The nutritional value of roughage will vary depending on the season. In the dry season, grass tends to lose most of its nutritional value, and as a result, cattle should be supplemented with a lick or feed to meet their nutrient requirements.

To help farmers supplementing their cattle in the dry season, we advise using the Novatek Winter 100 concentrate. This concentrate will help to minimise weight loss of grazing cattle during the winter months. Feeding this concentrate stimulates the rumen’s microbial action by supplying protein and all the required minerals and vitamins.

To achieve good results, cattle farmers must ensure that they are procuring high-quality raw materials to get the most out of their feed. It is also essential to ensure that there is adequate feeding space for all the animals to prevent competition, as the dominant animals will always push the smaller cattle away. This can be fatal for the larger animals as it can potentially lead to overfeeding or urea poisoning.

Generally, when licks contain urea, it is recommended that salt is mixed into the lick to help prevent the cattle from overfeeding. However, Winter 100 can also be mixed and fed without salt, but first seek technical advice from the Novatek Technical team for details.

In conclusion, it costs less to supplement cattle in the dry season than spending a lot of money feeding cattle to bring them back into shape after they have lost their body condition during winter.

You may contact Wiehan Visagie at wiehan.visagie@novatek.co.zm or Marné Visagie at nutritionist@novatek.co.zm for any information on feeding and feeds