Steps to ensure your livestock stay alive during the drought

Some of crossbred cows of Chairlady of Esupuko CBO Brookside in Kajiado,Laisa Mpoye,drinking water at her home in Kajiado on 6/July/2016. PHOTO BY EDWARD KIPLIMO

Drought is here once again punctuated by low rainfall and hot weather conditions. Pastoralists are feeling the heat.

Drought doesn’t only affect pastoralists, even zero grazing farmers will feel the effects as food is on a low supply yet demand is the same level. Readjustments must be put in place if production and health is to be maintained.

Animals are normally negatively affected by drought as it slows or stops completely regeneration of pastures and within no time livestock may have nothing to eat.

Drought conditions require good planning using early warning systems from relevant authorities. Prediction of drought can assist farmers in planning well in advance and to put in place strategies to maximise utilisation and minimise losses of already scarce feeds.

It is unacceptable to let animals starve to death, if in doubt of your capacity to take care of them through drought the best strategy is to sell them when they are still in good body condition.

Supplemental feeding regimes

Supplemental feeding is done in an attempt to maintain production rate by the gap left by reduced pasture availability.

Animal feeds conserved as either silage or fodder finds great use during drought. Because it is a time of scarcity feed saving measures must be observed at all times, hay is thus better served on hay feeders to avoid wastage.

Molasses is a good source of energy during drought; it has an added advantage of increasing palatability of feeds.

In prolonged drought conditions animals should be given Vitamin A, selenium, copper, calcium and phosphorus supplements as dry feeds contain little of these essential minerals.

In addition, drought affected forages are often deficient in energy and protein, a reason you should consider supplementation with concentrates.

To further assist the animal to conserve energy, reduce the distance they have to cover to get the feeds.

Ground grazing due to low level of pastures will result in ingestion of a lot of soil and can predispose the animal to diseases like anthrax.

Sharp shrubs and grasses will also pierce the animal’s mouth parts and feet. The farmer is therefore supposed to closely monitor animals for any signs of sickness during drought.

A disease like anthrax can take a short course and if the farmer isn’t keen the animal can die within hours of showing clinical signs or can die without any visible signs.

Copper deficiency will clinically manifest in diarrhoea, low immunity, bone weakness in calves and can cause sudden death in adult animals. Selenium deficiency will result in lowered immunity and can cause white muscle disease. Vitamin A deficiency is common in beef cattle on dry range pastures. Its clinical signs include night blindness, dry eye, retarded growth rate, reproductive failures and increased mortality.

Give vitamin A injections

Vitamin A deficiency in cows will cause abortions, stillbirths, or calves born blind and weak and may within one to three days.

Cows should be given an injection of vitamin A (and D) about 30 days prior to calving and calves should be given a vitamin A injection immediately after birth.

Consider culling, early weaning

Lactating animals losing body weight during drought should be weaned immediately and the young ones provided with good quality feeds.

Calves as young as three or four months can be weaned, but will need a diet composed of high quality grains. If in a ranch setting you can have up to six calves on one acre of pasture.

When weaned at six months they will perform better on hay with a little concentrate supplementation.

With little forage available the stocking rate needs to be reduced. Consider retaining the breeding stock to ensure breeding continues after the drought. Get rid of excess animals.

Old animals, those with poor production records can be quickly fattened and sold off to be slaughtered for meat before the drought advances.

Plant poisoning

During drought conditions, farmers or the animals themselves will feed on poor quality forages or switch to alternative feed sources. Both can affect animal nutrition and increase risk for poisoning.

In nature, poisonous plants have a tendency to remain green during extremely dry seasons. Animals can easily feed on these poisonous plants leading to fatal consequences.

Ingestion of these poisonous plants is a common occurrence during drought conditions.

The farmer needs to identify where these plants are located and ensure that animals’ don’t have access to them especially when they are hungry.

Examples of poisonous plants include lantana, castor oil plant, bracken fern and datura.

Provide plenty of clean water and shade

During drought, the ambient temperatures are high, livestock will lose a lot of water from their body this will subsequently increase their thirst and thus animals will take high amounts of water. Water is therefore a critical factor in an animal’s diet during this period. Poor water quality can result in intoxications and poor feed intake further worsening the animal’s body condition.

Provide the animal with good shade when the temperatures rise to daily maximum readings from around mid day to 2.00pm.

Animals may be trapped in drying water sources like dams and water pans when searching for water especially in free range or ranch systems.

Nitrate poisoning is common when animals drink poor quality water. Clinical signs of nitrate poisoning include among others sudden and unexplained deaths of one or more animals, drowsiness, weakness, and shaking. Nitrate concentrations can be easily and cheaply determined from samples submitted to a veterinary diagnostic lab for testing.

Consider diversifying and insurance

There are livestock insurance plans today in Kenya which farmers can obtain to guard against drought and uncertain weather conditions.

Diversifying by have several enterprises can cushion farmers against losses, for example keeping small stock like goats which can get through drought conditions for example can offer a live bank that can be converted into dairy enterprise once the drought is over.

(The writer is a veterinary surgeon working with the Kenya Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Council –KENTTEC)