Livestock
and young smallstock during the dry
choice of feed, resulting in poor body
quality of livestock as they burn energy
season and ease feed shortages, in
condition, low weight gains and a
travelling,” said Mr Mwandifura
particular for poor households.
higher predisposition to endoparasites
In some cases water points are limited,
Many animals receive maintenance or
during the dry season.
compelling large numbers of animals to
below maintenance levels of nutrition
The crop residue or stovers have low
stampede them and therefore, leading to
resulting in low levels of production.
nutritional value — six percent protein
high chances of spreading diseases.
Increasing the quantity of feed by
— if fed as they are.
Many young animals die of disease
reducing the number of animals does
Since these farmers lack money, they
before they can lactate, reach slaughter
not provide a solution as the nutritional
can still improve of the quality and
weight or reproduce.
value of the available feed is low. The
digestibility of the stovers through a
Mismanagement and poor welfare
addition of a small amount of higher
three-week fermentation period using
render animals susceptible to parasites
quality feed can have a large effect on
a urea-water solution.
and diseases.
production in this situation. In the case
The crude protein content of stovers
Diseases account for high animal
of milk production, the use of cattle with
and straws increases when treated with
mortality and management must
a small body size would result in
urea. There is also increased dry matter
improve to contain transmissible
reduced maintenance requirements of
intake, live weight gain and milk
diseases.
the animal, thus enabling more efficient
production from urea-treated stovers
Makoni District veterinary officer, Dr
use of available feed for milk
compared to untreated material that
Edwin Kupahwana, said animal
production.
our small-scale farmers are
husbandry can be improved through
accustomed to.
dosing and multivitamin supplements.
Case study-Manicaland, Zimbabwe
The stover enrichment process involves
Dr Kupahwana said dosing is done to
A survey by The Manica Post in
a dug trench which is inserted with a
reduce the worm burden and poor feed
Manicaland shows that rural farmers
plastic lining. The stovers are cut into
utilisation. Farmers can use medicines
were doing nothing to improve the
small equal pieces.
like Albex, Closavet and Runox.
health and management of their
The farmer mixes a kilogramme of
Multivitamins reverse vitamins
livestock this winter.
urea, which contains 46 percent
deficiency and improve feed conversion.
Most communal farmers in Manicaland
nitrogen, with 10 litres of water. The
They remedy poor feed utilisation and
have indigenous breeds. They prefer
solution is sprinkled uniformly to treat
poor body condition. Medicines include
them because of their superior genetic
16 to 20kg of straw.
Vitol and Multivite.
traits that include high fertility, high
Then the straw is put into the trench
“Farmers need to adhere to the usual
tolerance to diseases, heat and low feed
and covered with plastic, and the edges
dipping every two weeks until November
requirement.
sealed with soil for 25 days under the
and then from November to March it will
These animals are reared through
temperature of 20-30ºC.
be weekly. Farmers need to guard
herding during the day before penning
The farmer can open the trench f