Making the most of home-grown forage

The rainy season is a good time to grow forage. This is because during the dry months, livestock demands often exceed available pastures.
Therefore, livestock farmers are faced with the decision of over utilising pastures, untimely selling of cattle or finding alternative feed resources.

Although most pasture grasses are quite resilient, it is common to expect that production following a drought will be reduced, even with average rainfall.
Management 
Recommended grazing management including avoidance of repeated grazing on the same pasture will significantly reduce grazing stress but having a plan in place is key.
Animal forages can be hayed or used as silage to increase its efficiency in terms of consumption and production potential.

According to scientists, dairy cows require the absolute minimum amount of fibre up to 30 per cent of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) or 17 per cent crude fibre (CF).
Maize stover and alfalfa are the main sources of high digestible dry matter that meets the needs of high-producing dairy cows. But whole cottonseed and soybean hulls are recommended non-forage fibre sources.

Dr Hussein Kato, a livestock nutrition scientist at the National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI), Namulonge says forage fibre largely determines the “filling” effect of the ration.
The fibre component also provides ample energy to the cow as the animal begins its lactation.
Taddewo Ssenyonyi, a goat farmer in Kakumiro District, who also deals in commercial pasture that is used to make forage says that livestock farmers should increasingly care about sustainable production.

“With the current climatic changes, alternative feeds are not an option but they are necessary to any livestock farmer,” he says.
Forage, according to another farmer, James Mugerwa, a retired extension worker, is necessary in dairy farming because results can be observed instantly.
“In beef production, he says, it takes a longer time for animals to reach the slaughter stage,” he says.
Mugerwa notes that finding the right crop variety to suit forage requirements is critical to successful growing of forage.

“With many grass and maize management decisions, timing is critical,” says Mugerwa.
He says that although maize is the most common crop, sorghum, millet stalks, Napier, Guyana, sweet potato vines, lab-lab and calliandra cuttings are smart options for fodder.
Mugerwa stresses that feeding dairy cows on inadequate and low-quality fodder results in low milk production.
Dr Kato explains that fibre must be assessed for quality benchmarks to understand when it can be used.
“Some forage can best be used as fresh, others dry while others are useful at the peak or mid-lactation of animals,” Dr Kato says.

But he cautions farmers to seek advice of extension workers on fibre characteristics of forage varieties before deciding what to plant.
Dr Kato suggests that smaller particle size of the forage may allow for greater feed intake and higher milk yield when compared to coarsely chopped forages.
“Maintaining normal chewing behaviour, rumen fill, and intake are critical for fresh cow success. In order to promote intake, farmers must also be cautious of too finely chopped forages. They must allow the right size for good chewing activity and rumen health,” he says.

Weed burden
Mugerwa says that every forage type comes with a unique set of management challenges.
He says that growing forage with irrigation would of course, greatly increase yield during dry spells. He says that if hybrids are planted, they need to be protected from undesirable weeds.
Forage  
Animal forages can be hayed or used as silage to increase its efficiency in terms of consumption and production potential. According to scientists, dairy cows require the absolute minimum amount of fibre up to 30 per cent of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) or 17 per cent crude fibre (CF).