Supplementing cow diets
For the best lick schedule for your farm, you need to know your cows - and get your veld facts straight
It plays a key part, that of carrier of the energy source adenosine triphosphate for cells, hence its importance in converting energy obtained from grazing to usable body-metabolic energy.
Supplementary licks have become part and parcel of stock-farming operations. In fact, they seem to be so inherent in farming practice that farmers seldom stand back and ask themselves if they're using the correct licks and if they're using them in optimal ways.
In order to choose the best product for your herd and to use it in the most effective way, it's vital to take into account two key aspects of your farming operation: the production cycle of your cows and your veld condition.
Both these aspects are discussed below, but first it's worth recapping some facts about supplementary licks.
About licks
There are two main reasons why cattle diets are supplemented with licks:
- Licks boost nutrient intake:: Roughage such as natural pastures, established pastures, stubble and silage are the main components of the natural ruminant diet. The roughage the animal consumes very rarely contains adequate levels of all the necessary nutrients, so the diet has to be supplemented.
- Licks keep rumen microbes healthy and active: The main ingredient in roughage is fibre, which on its own is indigestable and useless for both animal and human. But the animal rumen - part of the ruminant digestive system - hosts millions of micro-organisms that are able to digest fibre and break it down into amino- and essential fatty acids, amongst other things . These amino- and essential fatty acids work towards body maintenance and growth or production. The micro-organisms need nitrogen to function, and when there is a nitrogen shortage (when levels dip below the 5.50% level), the microbes become inactive, and their numbers dwindle drastically, which obviously results in slower digestion of energy and other nutrients found in the fodder. The animal starts relying on its own body reserves and ultimately starts losing weight. Nitrogen-rich licks compensate for shortages in the rumen, ensuring healthy and active rumen microbes.
Traditionally, there were two main kinds of licks: those for the green season and those for the dry season. Phosphate licks were applied when the grass was green, and protein licks when the veld was dry and ripe.
Modern-day supplementation regimes are no longer so rigid. Individual farm-management systems (which are, of course, based on the veld condition) are taken into account in the quest for the perfect diet-supplementation solution.
To tailor-make a supplementation solution for your farming operation, you need to take into account the production cycles of your cows as well as your veld condition.
Cow knowledge
In a way, stock farmers sign a contract with their animals. The cows contribute reproduction, mothering qualities and milk production. The farmer's contribution is correct care.
A higher conception and calving percentage can be ensured with the correct feeding regime and management. Take exceptional care of your cows before and during mating season. A cow with calf at foot in good condition will produce adequate milk levels for her calf, which leads to higher weaning mass, and this will also result in good condition for the next mating season, which in turn will yield improved reproduction.
The most important stages of a cow's cycle are the last trimester of gestation and the first half of lactation. To be expected from her is a strong, heavy calf, the production of adequate milk levels for this calf and the return to regular oestrus cycles with reconception taking place three months after calving.
During the middle trimester of the next gestation period, the cow should be dry and the heifer growing. The feed requirements are at their lowest levels at this point, which makes it an ideal period to build mineral levels and condition.
During the first trimester of the next gestation period, the cow is in the second half of lactation and the heifer dry but growing. Within the 14 days following conception, before the attachment of the impregnated ovum, the cow is very sensitive to dietary shocks, which have a direct impact on calving percentage.
To understand the fluctuation in nutrient needs during a cow's production cycle, consider the following figures:
- Protein needs can vary between 150 and 1 000g per day.
- Phosphate needs can vary between 6 and 36g per day.
The most important - and cheapest - food on the farm still remains the veld. The better your cows' needs are met by farm-produced roughage, the less you'll need to spend on supplements. If your veld management is sound, you will most definitely spend less on supplementary licks.
A first step in a sound veld-management system is considering the phosphate levels in the plants to be found on the veld. The phosphate level of the plants depends on the phosphate status of the soil in which these plants grow. Young plants have high phosphate levels, but these start to dwindle as plants mature. Most of South Africa's natural veld has been found to be particularly phosphate-poor in winter, which implies that phosphate supplementation should be considered during the colder months.
Keep in mind that once a shortage has been established, it takes up to four months of high phosphate intake to correct, so it's best not to find yourself in that position at all. Try and proactively determine potential shortages and supplement accordingly. It's not only veld's nutrient value that fluctuates according to the season but also its digestibility. As the digestibility declines following maturation and seeding in the wake of the winter months, you'll find your cattle's veld-consumption levels dwindling.
Consumption declines from 10 to 12kg young grass during the early summer months to levels as low as 5 to 6kg towards the middle and end of winter.
The best way to ensure that your diet-supplementation system is the best one for your farm is to ask the experts. Call BioMinerale's Paul Britz at 082 388 3343 or the head office at 013 246 7451.
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