LIVESTOCK
From page 30
in the growing season every
second or third year. Seasonal
rest not only allows plants to
rest, but also to recover by
building root reserves.
One should also consider the
period of stay. The number of
days stock are kept in a camp
should be controlled, so that
grazing of regrowth during the
period of stay and grazing
intensity are reduced to a
minimum. The period of stay
would vary according to the
stocking density, the veld
type, quantity of grass
available and the growth rate
of the palatable grasses.
ample grass volume, it might
look like the cattle are getting
everything they need, but this
is not the case. As the grass
matures the less digestible
fibre component of the grass
will increase and overall
digestibility will suffer. This
means that more time is
required for digestion and the
animal compensates for this
Cattle devour ~ and thrive on ~ green barley feed.
by lowering its intake. Lower
One should also consider the longer in sweetveld. In
grass intake can lead to an
sourveld this period should be
period of absence, because
energy shortage as not
after grass has been grazed, it 25-35 days, in mixed veld
enough grass is ingested to
about 42 days and the
initially grows slowly before
provide the animal with
sweetveld 56-70 days.
entering a rapid phase of
enough energy.
But grass does not give all the
growth. After this phase,
One way to ensure quality
nutrition that cattle need, as
growth slows down and
nutrition is through the use of
most roughages are low in
reserves are replenished. As
licks.
quality, and supplementation
grass grows out, its quality
Phosphate and trace eleis necessary in the form of
deteriorates. This occurs
ments are the most limited
rapidly in sourveld and more licks and concentrates.
nutrients on green natural
slowly in sweetveld. (Sourveld Pastures are deficient in
veld and the purpose of the
tends to consist of coarse grass phosphorus, crude protein
summer licks is to maximise
and other growing plants that and in certain areas sodium,
for a period ranging from five growth. In autumn temperaare poor feed for livestock.)
tures start dropping, rainfall
to nine months of the year,
The period of absence,
declines and the veld grows
therefore, should be relatively depending on the area.
more slowly. It is recomEven in summer when there is
short in sourveld and much
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