Smart Licks, Healthy Herds: Unlocking Livestock Nutrition

This episode dives deep into the world of animal feed supplements, known as 'lekke,' explaining how understanding your animals' changing nutritional needs can significantly boost your farm's bottom line.

Discover the four essential categories of licks – mineral, protein, energy, and production – and learn how to choose the right one based on your animals' production stage, the type and quality of available pasture (whether green or dry), and even seasonal variations.

 

 

Mineral licks (Phosphate Licks): Understand their crucial role in animal health and economics. These licks typically contain macro-minerals like calcium (12%), phosphorus (6%), magnesium, sulfur, and potassium, as well as trace elements such as manganese, copper, zinc, cobalt, iodine, iron, and selenium. They are most effective when pasture is in its active growth phase, as this is often when phosphate and other trace elements are deficient. Phosphate supplementation offers significant economic advantages, including increased calving percentage (reproduction), weaning mass, milk production, occupation, and growth, primarily by stimulating increased grazing intake. However, phosphate licks should not be used as the sole supplement on dry pasture and need to be supplemented with protein and energy when low-quality roughage is used.

 

 

Protein Licks: Explore how to effectively supplement dry, low-quality forage. Protein licks typically contain around 25% protein, less than 45% total digestible nutrients (TDN), and a maximum of 10% urea, alongside other minerals and Vitamin A. They are essential when animals graze on stubble land, dry ryegrass, straw, and dry veld where dry, low-digestible feed is abundant. The sources distinguish between protein licks that are primarily urea-based (more than 80% of protein from urea) and those with more natural and bypass protein (less than 60% of protein from urea). Urea-dominant licks benefit maintenance animals on pasture or roughage containing less than 1% nitrogen or approximately 6% protein. Protein licks with less urea and more natural protein are better suited for young, growing animals and wool sheep on dry pasture. Signs of protein deficiency include significantly reduced grazing, even with ample dry roughage, and small, black, very dry, and hard manure.

 

 

Energy Licks: Learn when to use these for animals on protein-rich green pastures or when forage intake is low. Energy licks usually provide 15–16% protein, more than 45% TDN, and 8 MJ ME/kg energy, along with various minerals. Some energy licks include an ionophore, which inhibits less efficient rumen microbes, improves digestion, and increases energy release from feed, leading to better feed conversion. These are advisable for animals grazing on protein-rich green pastures like lucerne, medics, and ryegrass, or when dry matter intake is low due to pasture shortage. Green pasture is typically low in energy but high in soluble and degradable protein, and rumen microbes require energy to convert ammonia-nitrogen into protein. Energy licks fed with green pasture should preferably not contain non-protein nitrogen (NPN).

 

 

Production Licks: Uncover how these nutrient-dense supplements support growing young animals, late-pregnant, and lactating livestock. Production licks generally contain about 20% protein, more than 54% TDN, and 8 MJ ME/kg energy, in addition to essential minerals. They are excellent for animals with high nutritional demands due to their production status, such as growing young animals and late-pregnant and lactating animals on dry pasture. These licks must contain sufficient bypass protein to meet the higher protein needs of these animals. While production licks are more expensive due to their higher intake (approximately three times that of maintenance licks), their strategic use for the shortest possible period without sacrificing efficiency is crucial. The potential loss of income from, for example, a cow failing to conceive, far outweighs the cost of a strategically used production lick.

 

 

Safety First: Get vital advice on handling urea-containing licks, including adaptation periods and avoiding toxicity. It's crucial to remember that excess urea is toxic, and rumen microbes need to adapt to it. Animals receiving urea supplements for the first time are more sensitive than those on a continuous urea regimen.

For animals unaccustomed to urea-containing licks, it is recommended to provide only a salt lick for about seven days beforehand to prevent a salt craving when the urea-containing lick is introduced. Always ensure that licks do not get wet, as urea dissolves easily in water that collects in the troughs, which can lead to poisoning if animals consume the water.