Winter can be the most challenging time for the farmer, his cattle and his land. Not only is this the most challenging time, but it is also the most expensive due to the need for supplementary feeding.

It is common practice to allow the cattle to graze maize stover which can be defined as the residues of the maize plant after harvest, such as stalks, leaves, husks and cobs. Maize stover will benefit the cattle, but only to a certain extent as the nutritional value is limited. Maize stover is generally low in protein and high in indigestible fibre, and thus an additional source of nutrition is required to ensure maximum performance from your cattle herd.

The cows are usually pregnant during the winter and if you want them to produce healthy, strong calves, they need to maintain a good body condition. The animals face numerous challenges during this time, and to sustain long term production, supplementing your animals is crucial. The aim would be to ensure that the cattle are in a good condition before winter commences.

Novatek Winter 100 will help you to reach the right condition score for cattle during the overwintering period. Normally, you look at the amount of fat and muscle on the animal and score them on a scale from one to five. The best score is above three, because lower condition levels will reduce fertility and increase the susceptibility of the animals to parasites.

So, what should you supplement your cattle to help them thrive through the winter months? A good supplementary feed, such as the Novatek Winter 100, supplies energy and readily available protein sources to the rumen to help the microorganisms in the rumen to break down the low-quality winter feed. The rumen is the first stomach of the ruminant where fermentation occurs. It is this compartment of the digestive system that is unique to ruminant animals such as cattle and sheep that makes it possible for them to utilise grass efficiently. The microorganisms require protein to make this possible and that is what our Novatek Winter 100 will provide.

The readily available protein comes in the form of urea which is classified as a Non-Protein Nitrogen (NPN). NPN is highly efficient to supply nitrogen to the microorganisms in the rumen, but the animals should be allowed to adapt to a diet containing NPN to prevent urea poisoning. There should also be adequate feeding space to prevent overeating.

When you are able to match the animal requirements to the supplements available during the winter times, it will help you to keep all feed costs manageable. Production will then be optimal during the next calving season and higher profits can be expected. Each producer must develop his own feeding system that best suits his situation.

Novatek appointed two new animal nutritionists to strengthen the team and provide on-farm formulations for all cattle breeds.

Please feel free to contact Wiehan Visagie at wiehanv@novatek.co.zm or Marné Meyer at nutritionist@novatek.co.zm for all information on feeding and feeds.

Are you satisfied with the condition of your animals during winter times?

Novatek’s Winter 100 supplies all the extra nutrients for your gestating cows and other animals during winter times.