Elders Senior Livestock Production Advisor Mark Dearing advises producers to be prepared for the season break and the change in feed profile it will bring.
While there may seem like there is no finish line in sight for some, regarding desperately needed rain, the smart operators will be prepared for the change in feed profile and its implications.
Green feed not the instant solution
It seems cruel, that after such prolonged drought, much needed green feed is not the instant solution to nutritional issues, but it’s true. There’s a sobering saying that “you may lose more stock at the end of a drought than during it.” This is because until the feed “gets some guts” in it, the overload of biased elements in this feed, as well as the nature of the changing environment, can cause a range of issues that include:
- Parasite outbreaks – worm larvae hatch and can quickly multiply, causing production loss.
- Scours and lameness – green pick is high in Nitrogen, which causes damaging scours to sheep and cattle, that can have life-long implications leading to production loss and disease. It can also cause “hot feet” that leads to damage and infection.
- Birthing difficulties – the sudden rush of Nitrogen can lock up Magnesium availability in lambing ewes or calving cows, which in turn inhibits their calcium mobilisation – leading to Hypocalcaemia, or Milk Fever as it is commonly known.
- Wool breaks – the stress of the sudden change in feed profile affects the wool staple with a break.
- Toxic weeds – the emergence of undesirable and dangerous weeds to hungry stock is an exposure. Outcomes can include sick or dead stock.
- Bloat and grass tetany – immature green feed high in Nitrogen and low in Magnesium, can expose animals to these deadly conditions – especially in cattle.
Livestock eventually begin adapting to the green feed on offer, but an animal that has been well managed over the often, detrimental transition period, exceeds in weight gain and general health. This is due to having not suffered a set-back during the change period.
How do we best prepare our stock for the season break and resulting green pick?
Worm drench – test to establish the burden and requirement for a drench. Ensure you use an effective, multi-phase drench for the job.
Supplementation – firstly, think fibre! Offering roughage will allow stock that are suffering from an overload of Nitrogen, to gain some fibre fill, that they will crave. This helps dilute the intake of excess Nitrogen. Secondly, whether it be via grain, or a quality, carbohydrate-based loose lick, smart supplementation can help avoid scouring and weight loss by having stock utilise the potential protein in those first few inches of green feed.
Magnesium for birthing – again, smart supplementation at the right time can help lambing ewes or calving cows access their calcium reserves, which are critical for muscle function, including the uterus to ensure quick and easy births.
Vaccination – check on vaccine history and consider another treatment, especially for young, growing stock on new, rich feed.
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Elders provides recommendations to the best of its knowledge and based on assumptions and information which it understands to be up to date, complete and accurate. If you are aware of any error or inaccuracy with the information on which this recommendation is based, you must immediately bring this to Elders’ attention. This recommendation is provided for your use only, and not that of any other third party. In some circumstances, the information Elders provided may be in summary form or derived from information sourced from third parties, however, Elders has not independently verified the information and cannot guarantee its accuracy.
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