Helping Livestock Thrive During the Dry Season
Many farming areas in Namibia have received above-average rainfall compared to some seasons in the past. The productivity of some rangelands has improved in some areas, although the quality of the grazing materials is still not the finest. However, the animals’ body conditions have shown improvement. It is important to note that the quantity and […] The post Helping Livestock Thrive During the Dry Season appeared first on The Namibian .
Many farming areas in Namibia have received above-average rainfall compared to some seasons in the past.
The productivity of some rangelands has improved in some areas, although the quality of the grazing materials is still not the finest.
However, the animals’ body conditions have shown improvement. It is important to note that the quantity and quality of available grazing materials directly affect livestock endurance until the next rainy season.
To this end, the next rainy season cannot be predicted with certainty, as information or warnings of a possible El Niño effect are being reported. Thus, farmers need to continuously ensure that the survival and performance of their livestock are not compromised by maintaining them in favourable health and nutritional conditions.
The normal dry season is basically characterised by two adverse conditions, namely, dry-cold and dry-hot, which threaten livestock health, nutrition, and reproductive performance.
Hence, livestock management approaches should be proactively responsive to prevailing environmental conditions.
On the topic of nutritional supplementation, livestock require a sufficient supply of nutrients throughout the year as a response to seasonal changes in rangeland conditions and body demands.
