Prolick Product Guide

SUPPLEMENTATION ON VELD OR PASTURE

The objective in supplementary feeding programs is to correct deficiencies and/or imbalances in nutrients and minerals in the forage made available to livestock. Due to the seasonality of our rainfall, natural veld or planted pasture goes through periods of ample growth followed by dry spells where not only availability of forage is scarce but the nutrient content and digestibility of the forage decreases.

The challenge of supplementary feeding is to optimize animal condition and mineral status for maximum conception, calving/lambing percentage, weaning percentage and weaning weight. Animal condition is determined mainly by the availability of forage and the effective supplementation of phosphate in summer and protein in winter.

SUPPLEMENTATION VERSUS SUBTITUTION

Supplementation involves contributing nutrients to correct deficiencies in nutrient content of natural veld or planted pasture. Substitution is where the natural veld or planted pasture intake is reduced and displaced in favour of the compound/home-mixed feed that is given to livestock.

Fattening livestock on natural veld and planted pasture usually requires some form of supplementation. A guideline is 25-30% of total intake, and not exceeding 1% of body weight, should be supplemented otherwise substitution of the natural veld or planted pasture takes place (see Production Licks).

RUMEN STIMULATION

South African soils and natural veld are extremely phosphorus deficient. Phosphorus supplementation has a large impact on cow/ewe weight, reproduction and calf/lamb performance. The best time to supplement phosphorus is on green summer veld or planted pasture when animals are in a positive mass balance (gaining weight

The better the quality of grazing and thus the potential for production, the better the effect of phosphorus supplementation and the efficiency of phosphorus utilization. Conversely, supplementing phosphorus at high levels during the winter (dead or dormant forage is available) induces weight loss in livestock and should thus be limited. The aim with phosphorus supplementation is to achieve intakes of 12 grams of P/cow/day and 1.5 grams of P/sheep/day.

PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTATION ON DRY WINTER VELD

The primary nutrient shortage in dry winter forage is protein. When the protein content of dry winter forage declines below 7% (dry matter basis) the digestibility of the forage decreases which can lead to lower intakes. This results in reproductive animals losing weight and calving/lambing in poor condition with lower milk production and low weaning weights.

Protein supplementation in the form of non-protein nitrogen (NPN) has proved to negate the loss of weight in livestock over the dry winter months. The supplementation of NPN (mainly urea) increases the digestibility of the winter roughage and increases intake to prevent weight loss. Protein supplements are often called Winter or Maintenance licks. The aim with winter licks is to supplement 150 to 220 grams of crude protein/cow/day.

The prevention of weight loss in winter months (±180 days, April to September) leads to reproductive livestock calving or lambing in better condition with heavier weaning weights and better re-conception rates. The objective of protein supplementation is therefore to prevent weight loss, but also to supplement trace minerals and Vitamin A in order to maximize re-conception in the following mating season.

Various methods are used to gauge when to start feeding protein during autumn:

ammonia nitrogen in rumen fluid is less than 8mg/100ml;
blood urea nitrogen falls below 8mg/dl;
condition of livestock.

When body condition is used as the criterion, mistakes can be made due to weight loss having already occurred by the time you notice (up to 20 kg loss in beef animals). This is where TRANSITION LICKS have their application:

Salt hunger and salt quality are important aspects to take into consideration when feeding winter licks. In order to facilitate the transition from summer phosphate supplementation to winter protein supplementation and to avoid salt hunger-urea poisoning (due to high intakes of the winter lick where the predominant protein source is urea) the following two strategies can be adopted:

A 3% phosphate lick (50kg Summerphos P9 + 100kg salt) can be fed for the last two weeks of the summer before feeding winter licks. Ensure that intakes are at least 200 grams of this “transition” lick.
A three phase approach:
1. 50kg Summerphos P9 + 50kg Winterbreker Readymix for two weeks;
2. 50kg Summerphos P9 + 100kg Winterbreker Readymix for two weeks;
3. Feed complete Winterbreker Readymix or home mix Winterbreker 80 Concentrate into a Maintenance Lick

LATE WINTER OR PRODUCTION LICKS

The ideal is always to have enough winter forage available till August/September where winter licks can be fed until green summer forage is available. If available forage runs low by June/July, winter lick supplementation will be insufficient to prevent weight loss and late winter or Production Licks will be required.

Production licks partially substitute forage by supplementation of energy by means of grains and their by-products (wheat bran, hominy chop). Production licks can also be used to prevent weight loss during the first two months of lactation in order to increase conception rates in the following breeding season.

CROPS RESIDUES

Fattening/over-wintering of cattle and sheep on crop residues such as maize and sorghum stover plus grain kernels spilt during harvesting and the post-harvest residues of soya beans, beans and legume crops should be encouraged.

Maize residue is available in abundance, but an understanding of the nutritional value and their proper supplementation is essential for their economic use either for fattening or maintaining the breeding herd. Sheep fatten more successfully on maize crop residues than cattle, because they can pick up wasted kernels. During the first two or three weeks on maize crop residues, their diet consists almost exclusively of kernels, even to the extent that acidosis may result.

Buffer Lick has been specifically designed to alleviate the negative effects of acidosis through the use of buffering and rumen stimulating agents.Standing crops (un-harvested or partially harvested dried out) are gaining in popularity and the same principals apply as in the use of post-harvest crop residues.

GRASSLOTTING OR VELDLOTTING

Grasslotting entails the growth and fattening of cattle to their maximum potential on green summer veld/pasture with minimum inputs. Beef farmers keep their weaners back in April/May and over-winter on a Winter Lick (Meadow Winterbreker Readymix) for the months of April to September.

At the beginning of October, “long weaners” weigh approximately 240kg and are implanted with a growth stimulant and supplemented with a Production Lick (Meadow Beef Booster 18) to maximize growth on early, green summerveld or pasture.

The optimal strategy for grasslotting is:

ensure weaners are on good quality green summerveld/pasture;
Use of a growth stimulant and Production Lick is synchronized with the green summerveld and/or pasture;
To ensure that animals are free of parasites

It is of great importance that livestock be fed supplements every second day and that there is sufficient trough space to ensure even intakes across the whole herd.

MINERALS FOR OPTIMUM PRODUCTION AND REPRODUCTION

It is of utmost importance that the total mineral status of the livestock operation is adhered to when the supplementary program for a full year is planned.

The macro minerals are Calcium (Ca), Phosphorus (P – the most important), Sodium (Na), Chlorine (Cl), Magnesium (Mg), Potassium (K), and Sulphur (S). Salt is used as an intake regulator and therefore sodium and chlorine are adequately supplemented. Phosphate supplements and protein supplements all contain phosphate, calcium, magnesium, potassium and sulphur at different levels.

Six essential trace elements are added to all the licks, namely Copper (Cu), Cobalt (Co), Zinc (Zn), Manganese (Mn), Iodine (I) and Selenium (Se). Iron (Fe) is omitted as there is sufficient in drinking water and forage in South Africa.

With phosphate supplementation during summer and protein supplementation during winter, calving/lambing percentages can often be increased to 80-85%. It is only when an efficient mineral/trace element supplementary program is added to the phosphate/protein program that calving/lambing percentages can be increased to above 90%.

INTAKES OF LICKS

It must be noted that lick intakes are variable. In years with good winter grazing (even rainfall throughout the summer or late summer) intakes of licks can be lower than expected. This should be seen as a positive effect, which will result in a saving to the farmer.

Beef animals have the ability to regulate their intake of Winter Licks according to forage quality. Ensure that forage is always available ad libitum. The problem exists that if insufficient forage is available, excessive Winter Lick intake results, which can lead to urea poisoning. Trough space requirements:

SHEEP	CATTLE
Intake (g) / dayTrough space required / sheep cm	Intake (g) / dayTrough space required / cow (cm)
5025	25025
10050	40050
15075	100075

The nutritive value of sweetveld and sourveld varies extensively and supplementation programs of energy, protein and minerals should be based on fluctuations in specific locations. Grass and/or pasture species differ in quality and amount of dry matter yield which will determine which supplementary feed is required.

The production status of the livestock will also determine which products to use, whether fattening on the veld / pasture or feeding the breeding herd. Consult your Meadow Technical Advisor for judicious use and planning of a supplementary program and bespoke supplementary products.

UREA

The following factors are important

The synthesis of microbial protein in the rumen from urea is assisted by rapidly fermentable carbohydrates (starches and sugars) which degrade at about the same rate as urea. This not only lowers the pH of the rumen and thus lowers the urease activity which influences the production of ammonia, but also activates and increases the microbial population.
Urea intake should be gradual and over a long period to increase its efficiency of utilisation and decrease the chances of poisoning. Twelve to 14 grams of urea intake at once would be fatal to a 50kg sheep, however, urea intake of 55 grams over a whole day have shown no negative effects. The safety margin for cattle is 120 grams of urea.
The presence of natural protein in the licks improves the utilisation of urea.
Urea is water soluble. Licks that become saturated with water dissolve the urea. Livestock that drink this solution can be poisoned. Ensure that licks are protected from rain.

Given the above factors, the risk of urea poisoning is still omnipresent and care should be taken to use licks as prescribed.

Limit lick intakes to that which is expected. Make sure adequate forage is available at all times and that licks are protected from becoming wet and that troughs have sufficient drainage. Take note of the transition lick strategy to prevent salt hunger and excessive Winter Lick intake.

UREA WARMING

This feed contains feed-grade urea and thus must be mixed and fed strictly according to recommendations:

Vinegar is an effective remedy against NPN (non-protein nitrogen) poisoning. Mix with equal amounts of water. Dose half a bottle per calf or large sheep or 2-4 bottles per head of cattle. (1 bottle = 750ml)
Protect these feeds against rain. NPN is soluble and animals drinking such a solution can be poisoned.
Do not feed these feeds indiscriminately with other feed containing NPN. Consult an Animal Scientist.
Mix concentrate thoroughly with the prescribed ingredients.
This is a supplement and not a feed. Sufficient grazing and/or roughage must be available at all times.
Ensure that feed troughs are always full and give animals free access to grazing.

CHEMICAL FRICTIONS

All chemical fractions referred to in this guide, are on an “as is” basis and not on a dry matter basis.

NAMIBIA

Registered products for Namibia does not contain forbidden substances as prescribed by the registation authorities of that country.