By Chipfuwo Agriscientist |16 Sept 2024 | 07:40 am
Cattle are considered to be one of the highest contributors of local livelihoods and a cushion to climate change economic impacts in most developing communities of Zimbabwe. In most cases, proceeds from these animals are channelled towards school fees and other household needs. According to the Zimbabwe Livestock Market Assessment Report produced by ILRI (2020), about 90% of the national cattle herd is in the hands of communal owners. If these folks are heavily affected by production challenges at a massive scale, then the nation’s herd is heavily impacted.
El-Nino induced drought is still a state of national disaster as declared by the President towards the end of the first quarter of 2024. Cattle deaths due to starvation also known as poverty deaths, are increasingly recorded across all provinces. Communal farmers are still holding the biggest chunk of cattle populations which translates to them being on the high-risk end as compared to commercial farmers. What notable steps should these farmers take?
Seek Knowledge
Knowledge is key in overcoming challenges. It starts with efforts from these communal/ smallholder farmers’ willingness to acquire and adopt technologies at their disposal. Knowledgeable teams or family members will know how to respond and prepare for upcoming challenges whilst maintaining their cattle herd in good condition.
El-Nino induced drought is not something that wipes cattle in one morning. It takes time for a cow to lose condition before it succumbs to the ravages of prolonged poor plane of nutrition. Emaciation/excessive loss of condition results in the animals’ inability to stand on its own or loss of strength to manoeuvre through day-to-day dry season muddy conditions experienced at most water points.
Excessive Loss of condition in cattle is a result of two key factors: Inability to utilise the available feed resources– Feed of good to average quality might be available for the animal. However, this does not guarantee the animals’ positive response to such a treatment. Factors such as age (old animals lack the capacity to chew dry feed like hay into required particles before taken down into the rumen). In my experience as a field agriscience consultant, most cattle classes that succumb to drought, are old and nursing cows.
Dietary deficiencies during these trying times are common. Poor quality vegetation normally lacks the required minerals such as phosphorus and salt. If farmers are not aware of the need to supplement, animals will be found wanting leading to a condition called Pica. Pica is a mineral deficiency scenario where animals are found eating inanimate objects such as plastics, wire, decaying carcasses and faeces just to mention a few. A few months ago, I did a postmortem on a two- and- half year heifer that revealed a gastro- intestinal obstruction by a 4.6kg mass (wires, nylon ropes, plastics) pictured below. In addition, most farmers fail to formulate animal health programs that keep cattle in check and promote eradication of internal and external parasites at specific property/ production site level. During an El-Nino induced drought season, such animal production issues worsen the animal’s ability to utilise the little feed resources leading to its failure to sail through.
Lack of the right quality and quantity of feed. Poor rainfall in 2023/24 season led to reduced vegetation production for animal sustenance. This is worsened by the natural loss of quality as seasons graduate from wet into dry. Cattle are prone to a change in body condition during the dry season. This year’s case is exacerbated by the El-Nino induced drought.
Sustainable advice…
***Supplement. A wise farmer always plans for the dry season. Consider harvesting or buying hay from nearby farmers. This will provide with a base for the much-needed roughage, carbohydrate and bit of protein- plant type will determine the composition quantities and quality of each nutrient. For instance, those with access to Lurcene hay would understand that its quality surpasses that of the common veld hay. Veld hay can be of good quality if harvested at the right time as shown: https://fb.watch/uDwsoUKuqI/. I always advise farmers not to act when disaster is already striking. Prepare in advance.
There are alternatives like distiller’s brewers spent grain (also known as Masese in Shona). These are always available during the rainy season because farmers do not see the need to stock this by-product. Stock the product during the rain- season and ensile in preparation for body condition maintenance in the dry-season.
It should be borne in each and every smallholder farmer’s mind that climate change is real. Keep up with current trends within your locality. Government in partnership with development partners is working to maintain and upgrade early warning systems that provide a basis for planning purposes. Information from these knowledge bases should be taken seriously. No farmer should lose an animal due to avoidable situations.
It is far much better to sell one and save ten than to keep ten and lose all.
Urea Treatment of all available roughages at the farm is a good idea that comes as a low-cost feed alternative. I am working with a client in Mhondoro, people laughed when we were doing urea treatment of maize stover from our one-hectare pfumvudza plot. As I’m writing this, the 2 tonne (pictured below) underground bunker is maintaining a herd of 12.
Blocks/Licks. These are compressed cattle feed products that are designed to supply specific nutrients such as protein, phosphorous, salt etc. As always, farm input should be acquired at the lowest cost possible without compromising on quality. Take a closer look at your specific farm needs and related mineral deficiencies before acquiring blocks. Salt and or mineral blocks will afford you an opportunity to fight the vice called Pica thereby improving feed utilisation.
How to manage recumbent cattle and reduce poverty deaths:
Poverty death is a simple term referring to cattle deaths as a result of malnutrition, characterized
by excessive loss of flesh (emaciation) and depletion of bodily energy reserves. Most animals
become recumbent (unable to stand) before death. If a proper diagnosis is done and the recumbency is nutritionally related with possibility of recovery, the cow can be nursed:
- Examine the animal for any physical damage taking note of the initial recumbency time. The longer the recumbency time, the lesser the chances of recovery. If there is suspicion of nerve damages or other physical damages and experts/ extension officers are unavailable to assist, consider slaughtering the animal to reduce the losses.
- Inject Multivitamins such as Vitol for supportive care.
- If the animal still has the ability to feed on its own, try and provide good quality feed, water, a shade and comfortable ground for resting.
- Consider getting manpower to hoist the animal by a farm-made hoist designed from either Hassain sacks or any other material that is comfortable. Hoist the animal after every six to eight hours to avoid chances of damaging the nerves due to weight related issues.
- There are traditionally accepted practises such as use of Fermented beer particularly chibuku, african 7 days beer to provide the much-needed fermented sugars. I have used this method with 90% success rate. The animal normally gets on its feet within 24 to 48hrs.
…Chipfuwo Agriscientist…
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Chipfuwo and Chirimwa: The Agriscience Focus is a weekly agriscience article extracted from Chipfuwo Agriscience®️ field files. It focuses on critical analysis of challenges faced by farmers based on the company’s consultancy work.
Email: nyasha@chipfuwo.co.zw