Rations. Feed for the dry season. Fodder trees

Rations

A daily ration is the amount of feed an animal needs every day. A good ration will contain all of the nutrients. Some nutrients are found in large amounts in some plants:

Nutrient	Plants
Carbohydrate	maize, sorghum, wheat, oats, rice, grass
Protein	lucerne (alfalfa), clovers, beans, grass
Fats	cotton seed, sunflower seeds, grass, groundnuts

An example of a good ration which can be given to animals not on pasture is 3 parts of maize, part sunflowers and 1 part unshelled groundnuts. The ration is fed at the rate of 2 - 3% of body weight each day.

Green growing grass contains all the nutrients but in the dry season grass contains little protein and vitamins.

Feed for the dry season

In the dry season grass becomes scarce and is low in nutrients. When grass is plentiful in the wet growing season you can cut grass and store it until it is needed in the dry season. The grass can be kept as hay or silage.

Hay is dried grasses. The best hay is prepared from young grasses. Cut the grass and leave it to dry in the sun for several days turning it over to make sure it is completely dry when it can be stored until needed. Do not try to make hay in the rainy season.

Silage is grass or other plants which are cut while green and stored without air. To make silage you will need an airtight container or pit to store it in.

Fodder trees

In some communities people traditionally cut tree branches to feed their animals. We now know that some trees are better than others for feed. The best trees are leguminous trees. These trees can be grown in rows 4 m apart. Other crops can be grown between the rows of trees. The leaves and branches of the trees can be cut through the year and used as animal feed.

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