Utilising encroacher bush in animal feeding
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Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer
Abstract
Livestock production is a major economic and livelihood activity in
Namibia which contributes at least 75% to total agricultural output. The industry
faces challenges including prolonged droughts, increased production costs, bush
encroachment, variable climatic conditions and disease outbreaks. Bush encroachment and prolonged drought spells pose a major concern as they result in reduced
carrying capacity of rangelands. The encroacher woody browse plants are potential
animal feeds as they provide considerable amount of biomass from leaves and small
twigs as well as pods that provide nutrients to ruminant livestock during the long dry
season. Converting the biomass from the encroacher bushes into livestock fodder is
one best management practice of controlling bush encroachment while increasing
the availability of ruminant feeds sustainably without competing with human food
production. Our chapter provides data on the nutritional content of encroacher
bushes in different seasons and feeding value of bush-based feeds as an alternative
feed resource for ruminant livestock. The chapter presents the opportunity and
evidence that shows that utilising encroacher bush-based feeds in ruminant livestock
feeding results in animal growth and the production of quality carcasses that
contribute to human protein food. We conclude that the utilisation of rangeland
encroacher bush species in sub-Saharan Africa in bush-based feeds provides sufficient nutrients to support improved ruminant livestock production and contributes to
rangeland ecosystems restoration
Description
The chapter presents the opportunity and
evidence that shows that utilising encroacher bush-based feeds in ruminant livestock
feeding results in animal growth and the production of quality carcasses that
contribute to human protein food. We conclude that the utilisation of rangeland
encroacher bush species in sub-Saharan Africa in bush-based feeds provides sufficient nutrients to support improved ruminant livestock production and contributes to
rangeland ecosystems restoration
Keywords
Animal growth, Bush feed, Carcass, Carrying capacity, Herbaceous vegetation, Nutrient content, Rangeland ecosystems