Lick supplementation makes up for poor grazing

Lick supplementation makes up for poor grazing ELLANIE SMIT

WINDHOEK

Over the years lick supplementation has become a customary practice among farmers in Southern Africa as it increases production from poorer grazing conditions.

This is according to Meatco bursary holder Olebile Olibile, who is a veterinary science student at the University of Pretoria and is completing his sixth year of studies.

Olibile explains that lick supplementation refers to the provision of nutrients that are deficient in the grazing provided to livestock, thereby completing, without substituting, the readily available forage that alone may be inadequate to maintain the productivity of the herd.

He says this practice is not just applicable on poorer rangeland, but also crucial in intensive farming systems where high-pressure grazing is implemented to maximise the utilisation of the available forage independent of the quality of the veld.

This practice became popular after multiple research studies were performed over the years and revealed that most Southern African soils are poor in certain nutrients that are essential to livestock.

Vital minerals

Two such major nutrients are salt and phosphorus.

Olibile says the availability of salt has a direct impact on the feed intake and grazing behaviour of livestock.

“Salt deficiency might lead to reduced water intake, which in turn further decreases the feed intake, leaving the farmer with a sub-optimally performing herd of cattle.”

Phosphorus is not only important for skeletal development and the maintenance thereof, but it plays a vital role in metabolic functions.

A phosphorus deficiency has been associated with poor conception rates, sub-optimal overall growth performance and decreased feed efficiencies.

Pica (consumption of foreign objects which are of no nutritional value such as stones and other solid objects) has also been associated with severe phosphorus deficiency, but it is a non-specific sign of a possible nutrient deficiency in livestock as it can be a result of many other factors

Olibile says that compared to sheep, cattle are more commonly found to have a phosphorus deficiency as they have a selective grazing habit, which enables them to choose the more nutritious parts of a plant.

“Arguably, phosphorus deficiency is the most economically important widespread mineral deficiency of grazing livestock in Southern Africa, as pointed out by multiple researchers.”

Another important nutrient that requires attention with changes in seasons is protein, especially during the dry winter months when the veld is dormant and grass is less nutritious.

However, Olibile says that many of the above-mentioned deficiencies can be curbed through the implementation of modern lick supplementation programmes put together by animal nutritionists, which can drastically improve the overall productivity and health of a herd.