Have you ever watched a group of animals put into a fresh and diverse paddock of pasture – especially one that might have some odd flowering species or ‘weeds’ among the mix?  You will see them eat plants that you might not have expected them to – a ‘weed’ among a beautiful soft pasture or a completely unpalatable looking cotton bush.

Biodiversity of plants creates choice and the ability to choose feeds, which is critical for animals to meet their needs for nutrients and to self-medicate.

This is the third principle of Fred Provenza’s observations of animal behaviour and feeding and it fits so nicely (from the biodiversity point of view), with lots of other things that we know are important for a healthy farm and landscape. Continue reading “FEED CHOICE AND ABILITY TO CHOOSE IS IMPORTANT FOR LIVESTOCK HEALTH” »

Animals receive feedback via their organs and organ systems – digestive system, lungs, heart, and so forth.  The feedback comes from the forages they learn to eat that help them to become locally adapted and in tune with need.  A palate in tune with the landscapes it inhabits.

This is the second principle identified by Fred Provenza and that I discussed with him and wrote of in an introduction to the topic of animal behaviour and feeding a few weeks back.  In a diverse pasture or native plant diverse area, animals have access to a huge variety of phytochemicals in the grasses, trees, forbs and shrubs that they feed and browse on.  The levels and type of primary compounds of energy, protein, minerals and vitamins and secondary compounds of alkaloids, polyphenols and terpenes will vary from one species to the next – while also varying depending on the age of the plant and the part of the plant.  This creates a need for animals to be experienced about these feedtypes, as some of these compounds can be nutritious, while others can be toxic.  The likelihood of toxicity will depend on many variables of the plant, like soil, age, season etc., as well as variables of the animal, such as age, experience with eating that plant and the combination of plants it has consumed with the toxin.^{1 Continue reading “FLAVOUR FEEDBACK SYSTEMS IN ANIMALS” »}

Experiences in utero and in early life are important for animals to become locally adapted to their surrounding social and physical landscapes.

Drawing on Fred Provenza’s observations on how wild and domestic animals live and forage, our animals can make the best use of the pastures we have (whatever they be), if our animals are locally adapted to the area.  For a breeding herd this is easier to achieve because the animals are not being brought in to unfamiliar territory and feedtypes.  There should still however be some thought put into grazing management of pregnant mothers, as well as cows and calves with regard to differences of soil type and feed type across a farm.  For those who are trading, backgrounding animals (from a different area) or who have animals on agistment from a different area, there may be impacts on performance if not locally adapted – depending on how different the environments are that they are being moved across. Continue reading “LOCAL ADAPTATION AND ANIMAL PERFORMANCE” »