Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Various game animals roam the vastly different landscapes of South Africa. Looking back at history, large numbers of these animals moved freely from place to place. These great migrations allowed animals to search for better grazing and browsing opportunities as the seasons changed. This strategy enabled them to have access to enough, relatively good-quality feed throughout the year.
However, by fencing in wild game animals, this migratory behaviour is no longer possible, and animals are now subjected to seasonal changes that affect available grazing and browsing material.
Meeting of requirements
Game ranchers are responsible for ensuring that animals have access to sufficient sources of additional feed to satisfy their requirements. This can be accomplished through different methods depending on the farming setup and the types of animals.
- Firstly, ensure that proper veld management is being practised to maximise and preserve natural feed resources sustainably. Good grazing/veld management will ensure that animals require minimal supplementary nutrition, saving money on one of the most expensive components of animal production.
- Secondly, make sure the types and numbers of animals do not exceed the carrying capacity of the area the animals are kept on.
The goals of the producer and the type of animals he or she keeps have a sizable impact on supplementary feeding. With the game industry becoming increasingly popular the last few decades, there is more pressure to speed up animal breeding and improvement. This is where proper nutrition and parasite management come to the fore. Animals need to be healthy above all else.
Licks for game is an excellent way to supplement the nutrients that are limited in the natural environment. This can be provided as a meal, block, or liquid on a lick wheel. When choosing a lick, be aware of what type of animals are kept together in camps and what sensitivities they may have. For instance, ruminant game can utilise small amounts of urea (up to 10%), but this can be dangerous to smaller game and animals that have similar digestive tracts to, for instance, horses.
Dry-season nutrition
During the dry season, the quality and quantity of available grazing and browsing material decline, and the variety of feedstuffs available is also limited. As animals cannot roam to look for more or better feed, it is important to start supplemental feeding.
During this season the protein content of the available natural veld declines. An easy way to supplement protein in large camps where animals roam freely is with protein lick blocks in cement or rubber feeding troughs, or lick wheels placed strategically throughout the camp. In more intensive setups where animals are tamer and kept in smaller camps, lick meals can be fed in small portions three times a day. This will prevent old lick from building up in feed troughs, causing low intake or mould. When animals consume mouldy feed, it can lead to diarrhoea and other negative effects on their health.
As the volume of dry matter (DM) available to the animals decreases closer to the end of the dry season (especially during drought conditions), it may be necessary to supplement animals with a high-quality roughage. It is important to maintain the DM intake of the animals to ensure they have enough energy for maintenance.
In addition to protein supplementation, it is important to ensure that licks have a macro- and micromineral component. The latter will help improve the immune system and fertility of the animals. A calcium-phosphorous ratio of 2:1 is recommended throughout the year.
Wet-season nutrition
During the wet season, grazing and browsing material generally have enough energy and protein for the animals’ maintenance. Where animals are kept in smaller camps, with a smaller variety of plants and a reduced volume of material, good quality palatable roughage can be freely supplied along with a phosphate lick. – Mari Bronkhorst, Voermol Voere
Send an email to Marí Bronkhorst at mari.bronkhorst@tongaat.com or visit www.voermol.co.za for more information.
