In Northern Nigeria, grazing is plentiful in the rains and scarce for six months or more of the year. Animals that lose weight in the dry season give less milk, conceive late and are slower to market. A little planning at harvest saves a lot of money later.

Work out how much feed you need

Cattle, sheep and goats eat about 2.5 to 3% of their body weight in dry feed every day. A 300 kg cow needs about 8 kg a day, which is around 1.5 tonnes for a six-month dry season. Multiply by the number of animals and you know how much to store.

Store crop residues

  • Groundnut and cowpea haulms are the best residues: high in protein and well liked. Keep them for young, pregnant and milking animals.
  • Sorghum, maize and millet stover are lower in quality but fill the gap when supplemented.
  • Buy or collect residues at harvest, when they are cheapest.
  • Store them dry, off the ground and under a roof or shade so they do not rot or bleach.

Make hay

Cut grass when it starts to flower, usually in September and October. Dry it in the sun, turning it so it dries evenly, then stack or bale it under cover. Good hay is green and smells sweet.

Improve poor roughage

  • Add a protein supplement such as cottonseed cake or groundnut cake. Even 0.5 to 1 kg a day per cow helps animals digest dry stover.
  • Offer a mineral lick or salt block at all times.
  • Urea-molasses blocks can help cattle, sheep and goats on dry roughage. Introduce them slowly, and never give urea to pigs, poultry, horses or donkeys.
  • Plant fodder banks of Stylosanthes or lablab, or fodder trees, to cut during the dry season.

Water

Dry feed makes animals thirsty. A cow can need 30 to 60 litres a day, and more in the heat or when milking. Sheep and goats need 4 to 8 litres. Give clean water at least twice a day.

Put feed where it pays

When feed is short, feed milking, heavily pregnant and growing animals first. Sell old, barren or unproductive animals before the dry season, while they are still in good condition.

Use the Ration Mixer in FarmKit to plan a concentrate mix from the grains and cakes you can buy.

This guide is general information. It is not a substitute for advice from a vet who has examined your animals.