Dry season feeds and feeding: a threat to sustainable ruminant animal production in Nigeria

Abstract

Review of dry season feeds and feeding as a threat to sustainable production of ruminant animal production in Nigeria. The concept of dry season nutrition and challenges posed on ruminant production such as reduction in general performance of animal, increased susceptibility to diseases, reduction in palatability and acceptability of available forage, reduction in digestibility of forage consumed, migration of flock and herd’s men, overcrowding of available graze land, sales of animals at loss and increased cost of production were critically dealt with. strategies such as Forage conservation, utilization of crop residue, agro industrial by products, cultivated fodder crops, culling and sales of unproductive animals in the flock, utilization of browse plants, uses of concentrate feed, integration of ruminant production with crop production, improved pasture yield through fertilizer/manure application and supplementation of poor forages with nutrient supplements as means of ameliorating the adverse effects of dry season feed and feedings. Conclusively dry season feeds and feeding pose a great threat to ruminant animal production and for the sustainable production of ruminant animal products (wool, milk, meat, meat, hide and skin) and by-products (blood meal, bone meal and manure) efforts should be geared towards adoption of strategy recommend in the paper.

Keywords: Ruminant animal, production, sustainable, dry season, feeds and feeding