WildLife Group of the SAVA
Please note grazer ’ s and browser ’ s nutrient requirements are completely different , ensure the diet being fed is suitable for the particular species .
• Full or boma feeds should never be in a pelleted form .
• The roughage component should be longer than 2.5 to 3.5 cm in length .
• If full feeds are considered as an option , rather use the semi adlib argument mentioned above .
Available forage / Roughage The cheapest source of roughage in the dry or winter months is natural veld – so try to stock the farm or camp to the calculated carrying-capacity suggestions for the area .
If it is necessary to purchase roughage ( e . g . lucerne , grass , oat hay ): 1 . Purchase it from a reputable source . 2 . When purchasing lucerne ask for a certificate of analysis . Lucerne quality varies with the age of the plant at cutting and bailing , with different cuts , and from supplier to supplier . For farms that make self-mix feeds , it is critical to know what the quality of the product is before use . If possible , do the same for the grass hay .
3 . Do not use any roughage that has any visible signs of fungal growth / mouldiness . Mould / fungus is often associated with mycotoxins and mycotoxicosis .
4 . When using roughage sources like soya bean , peanut and other legume hays , please be aware of possible fungal growth in the bean pods or hulls . When in doubt use a mycotoxin binder when using these roughages as part of a self-mix feed or as a roughage source .
5 . Estimating intake of roughage for game animals for good production :
• Due to the moisture content varying in dry veld , browse , purchased hays including Lucerne , intakes are given on a dry matter basis ( DM ) - the amount of grass minus the moisture .
• DM intakes vary with body size , physiological state – dry , pregnant , lactating and age . When considering a typical animal on average , the following categories exist ;
• Very large animals ( 700 kg and bigger ) tend to eat between 1.2 and 2 % of their body mass daily .
• Large animals ( 100kg to about 700kg ) eat between 2 to 2.5 % of their live weight on a daily basis .
• Smaller species ( smaller than 100kg ) eat about 3.5 to 4.5 % of their live weight daily .
• In situations where there is limited or no natural forage , take the desired species weight multiply it with the above mentioned intake percentage ( average value ), multiply this with an approximate moisture value , and subtract the supplement or semi adlib feed amounts .
• For example , a 220kg animal that gets 1.5kg pellets ( as recommended by feed company / nutritionist ) will need :
• 220 kg animal x ( 2 + 2.5 ) % ( average intake ) = 2
• 220 x 2.25 % = 4.95kg DM total feed intake
• 4.95 DM hay x 1.12 ( moisture ) = 5.54 kg hay on as is basis assuming the dry hay has 12 % moisture
• Hay amount of 5.54kg – 1.5kg pellets
• 5.5kg hay – 1.5kg pellets = 4 kg roughage
• Please add a small amount of hay extra to compensate for wastage .
Purchasing Supplements , meals and blocks 1 . When purchasing locally available feed products , purchase from a reputable feed firm that can guarantee quality and consistency , that follow strict protocols in terms of purchasing raw materials , safety , transport and technical on the farm back up .
2 . Ensure the supplements or self-mix diets are designed by an animal nutritionist that has a lot of on the farm experience with wildlife .
3 . If rhino or any horse like animals are being fed , ensure feed is ionophore free . Possible contamination of feed with an ionophore ( Monensin ) can kill the animals .
• Ensure game pellets or meals are made in a ionophore free factory .
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