STRIP GRAZING - THE ROLE OF SUPPLEMENTING A DIGESTIVE MODIFIER TO OPTIMIZE ANIMAL PERFORMANCE

Strip grazing essentially involves the abnormal increase in stocking density, on a relatively small area, for a relatively short period of time (with long rest periods between uses).

Strip grazing is accompanied by:

• Increased management inputs and infrastructure (electric fences, water supply etc.)
• Adaptation of animals in such a system (selection NB)
• The utilization of all (as much as possible) plant material (non-selective grazing): 
  • Increased total production per hectare (kg meat / ha)
  • Lower individual animal performance
• Increased stress levels due to competition between animals for:
  • Available grazing
  • Lick supplementation troughs
• Pressure on immunity
• Pressure on reproduction

A tool that can play a major role in addressing the optimal utilization of grazing, is the supplementation of a digestive modifier.

The use of a digestive modifier. 

• Aims to:

  • Ensure optimal digestion of plant material
  • Neutralize harmful anti-nutrients
  • Optimize availability and utilization of nutrients 
  • Support body condition
• Why necessary:
  The following factors have a negative effect on digestion and utilization:
   
  • Utilization of plant material that will not be regularly selected
    • Animals are forced to graze less palatable and less digestible plant material
  • Physiological growth stage of grass
    • If the grass has made seed, it translocates nutrients to the roots and the fibre content of the leaves and stems increases drastically. It becomes more difficult to digest, resulting in a slower rate of passage through the digestive system and reduced availability of nutrients
  • Presence of anti-nutrients - which can limit the utilization of nutrients and cause damage to the rumen e.g. 
    • tannins, 
    • terpenes and 
    • resins
  • Suboptimal rumen microbial population - caused by the factors mentioned above. Rumen microbes play a major role in the process of digestion. It is therefore a vicious cycle that needs to be stopped and Browse Plus can help alleviate the negative effect of the above mentioned factors.

• When does supplementation works the best:
  Under all unfavorable conditions, which impacts the utilization of grazing e.g.

  • Green season - when very poor / less palatable grazing must be utilized
  • Transitional season (from green to dry grazing) - when the fiber content of grass increases so that it complicates digestion
  • Dry season - when plants are physiologically mature or dead after frost and the digestibility is reduced
  • Transition season (from dry to green season) - until sufficient new green pasture is available
  • Utilization of low quality crop residues
  • During backgrounding /  feedlot induction
  • When the dung of animals become hard and dark in color (Figure 1)

Figure 1. Notice the difference in dung -  below, right needs Browse Plus!

• What to supplement:
  Browse Plus -   

  • contains 4 active ingredients in a fine powder form (Figure 2), that optimizes solubility,
  • can be supplemented through 
    • water or 
    • mixed into licks
  • at a dose rate of 2 - 4 g / animal / day (depending on species and quality of grazing)
  • safe to use in cattle, sheep, goats and wildlife
  • zero milk and meat withdrawal

Figure 2. Product A is Browse Plus - see difference in appearance / fineness vs other products             

SUMMARY

Supplement Browse Plus to:

• Improve digestion and optimize nutrient utilization
• Support body condition (limit weight loss)
• Ensure better animal performance