
The effect of dry-season supplementation of White Fulani cattle in northern Nigeria with legume standing hay (fodderbanks) was investigated. Over 430 cattle were recorded in 8 herds over 2.5 years. Fodder bank supplementation may have reduced weight losses in calves and breeding females during the dry-season. Emergency sales of immature animals were lower on fodder banks (6.5% vs 14.3%, P < 0.01). There was no evidence that fodder banks reduced cattle mortalities during the dry season. Fodder banks may have had a deleterious effect by encouraging dry-season conceptions. Resulting dry season calvings led to calving percentages of 36.9% on fodder and 60.3% on no fodder (P < 0.05). Calf mortality was also higher on fodder banks; animals not reaching their second year were 13% on fodder bank vs 3.9% on no fodder (P < 0.01). It was concluded that dry season nutrition interaction with the agro-pastoralist livestock system needs further investigation.
Livestock management, supplementary feeding, Nigeria, Fodder, Pasture management, Poaceae, Pregnancy, Weight Loss, Animals, Birth Weight, Mortality, Animal Husbandry, parturition, Tropical Climate, Farm/Enterprise Scale Field Scale, Plants, Medicinal, Forage, Reproduction, agropastoral systems, birth weight, Fabaceae, Conception, Animal Feed, Management, Agro-pastoral management, Cattle feeding, Animals, Newborn, cattle, Food, Fortified, growth rate, Cattle, Female, Seasons
Livestock management, supplementary feeding, Nigeria, Fodder, Pasture management, Poaceae, Pregnancy, Weight Loss, Animals, Birth Weight, Mortality, Animal Husbandry, parturition, Tropical Climate, Farm/Enterprise Scale Field Scale, Plants, Medicinal, Forage, Reproduction, agropastoral systems, birth weight, Fabaceae, Conception, Animal Feed, Management, Agro-pastoral management, Cattle feeding, Animals, Newborn, cattle, Food, Fortified, growth rate, Cattle, Female, Seasons
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