Categories: ZambiaPublished On: 23rd June 2016

The role of licks in animal production: Protein is important in winter

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The correct licks at the correct time can supplement shortages in the grazing to ensure maximal utilisation of the grazing in order to improve animal production. In this article, which appeared in ProAgri’s Feed Production Guide, 2012, Alina Taute, from KK Animal Nutrition (now Yara) discussed the importance of protein supplements in winter.

It is a well-known fact that the soil of Southern Africa is poor in phosphates. Apart from this shortage, the nutritional value of grazing alters according to the changing seasons. It is necessary to look at supplementation with licks in order to maintain optimal animal production on grazing with shortages and fluctuating nutritional values.

When we look at the profitability of animal production, it is obvious that fertility determines approximately 65% of the profitability, while growth contributes about 30%. Factors such as inter alia carcass quality and wool production make up the remaining 5%.

In short, the fewer cows or ewes coming into gestation, the fewer calves or lambs the farmer gets and the less money he makes.

Therefore, it is important that as many breeding animals as possible become pregnant and bear offspring.

One of the important factors that will determine whether a female animal will become pregnant or not, is her physical condition, as there is a correlation between condition score and the reimpregnation of the female animal.

Breeding primarily depends on the natural grazing to supply in their nutritional needs, however, the natural grazing cannot provide in these needs throughout the year. This is where licks fit into the production system.

However, it must be remembered that licks may under no circumstances replace the natural grazing. They may only supplement the deficiencies that may exist in the grazing in order to ensure that the animals will be in the best possible condition, not only during the mating season, but throughout the whole year.

Licks – what and when?

When the farmer decides to provide licks, it is important that he should know what deficiencies may occur during which times of the year, so that he can supply the correct licks to optimise the production and reproduction of his animals.

Licks during the wet season

Juicy, green grass can provide in both the energy and protein needs of grazing animals, but during the summer, animals in production need high levels of phosphate, and the grass cannot provide for this need. Therefore, phosphate must be supplemented during the wet season, and it primarily has an effect on the rumen functions, by stimulating the dry material intake. It consequently directly influences the physical condition of the grazing animal and leads to improved milk production and reproduction.

Licks during the dry winter season

When the grass begins to reach maturity, its fibre content increases, while the protein content drops. As the grass matures, nutrients move from the upper parts of the plant to the roots. By storing nutrients in the roots, the plant saves sufficient reserves to enable it to produce foliage in the following summer.

This process favours the plant, but unfortunately it leaves the farmer with grazing with a low protein content to feed to his animals. Due to its unpala-tability, there is a lower intake of this grass, and due to its fibre fractions it is less digestible, causing a drop in the animal’s total energy intake.

Research proved that protein supplementation becomes essential for optimal animal production as soon as the protein content of the grazing drops below 6 to 8%.

Rumen microbes have a certain basic need for protein to enable them to digest the grass that the animal has taken in. The supplementation of the correct quantity of protein is therefore essential to effect the maximum intake of grazing, and thus energy provision.

It has been proved that the supplementation of protein on winter grazing increased the average intake of roughage with 34,5% over the control group that received no supplements (Van Niekerk and Jacobs 1989).

Natural protein sources such as oilcake are expensive, therefore it is not economical to use them as the only rumen degradable protein (RDP) source. A less expensive alternative source is feed grade urea.

Urea consists of 46% nitrogen, which is equivalent to 287% protein. The rumen breaks down urea to ammonia, which is used by the rumen microbes (especially the fibre digesting microbes) to produce their own microbe protein. Microbe protein comprises approximately 60 to 80% of the total protein that reaches the small intestine, and therefore it is the most important source of protein for ruminants on natural grazing.

Sulphur is also important in winter licks containing urea. Rumen microbes employ ammonia to produce amino acids, which are the building blocks of microbe protein. Certain amino acids, namely methionine, cystine and cysteine, contain sulphur and can only be produced by the rumen microbes if they have sulphur available.

The relation between nitrogen and sulphur in the animal’s system is 10 : 1, and therefore the ideal relation of nonprotein nitrogen (NPN) to sulphur in licks is also 10 : 1. When licks are mixed, this balance can be obtained by mixing 2,5 kg of sulphur into the lick for every 50 kg of urea in the lick.

Production licks

This type of lick can be given to animals during both the wet and dry season in cases where more performance than the normal maintenance of animals is demanded. The composition of production licks will differ according to production aims, the type of animal and the quality of available grazing.

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With well-balanced licks, animals can be provided with sufficient protein during the winter months to produce more meat to make profit for the farmer.

Whenever more performance than normal is expected from animals, they should be provided with a suitable production lick.

Whenever more performance than normal is expected from animals, they should be provided with a suitable production lick.

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