Promoting the use of home-mixed supplements as alternatives to commercial supplements in smallholder beef production systems in the subhumid region of Zimbabwe
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Irenie Chakoma, Godfrey Manyawu, Lovemore Gwiriri, Siboniso Moyo, Sikhalazo Dube, Venancio Imbayarwo-Chikosi, Tinyiko Edward Halimani, Charles Chakoma, Barbara Maasdorp, Victor Buwu. (10/10/2016). Promoting the use of home-mixed supplements as alternatives to commercial supplements in smallholder beef production systems in the subhumid region of Zimbabwe. African Journal of Range & Forage Science, 33(3), pp. 165-171.
Abstract
The economic and performance effect of supplementing smallholder cattle by substituting commercial feed with
iso-nitrogenous and iso-energetic diets based on alternative protein sources was investigated in two trials. In trial 1,
three diets (commercial concentrate, commercial concentrate partially substituted with mucuna, and commercial
concentrate partially substituted with lablab–cowpea) compared with veld grass were allocated to 12 cattle in a
complete randomised block design. In trial 2, a double complete randomised block design with 40 cattle assigned
to four forage legume-based diets, a poultry-based diet and a commercial beef concentrate was carried out. Diets
were offered at 1.5% of body weight daily over 56 d. Average daily weight gain (ADWG) was measured weekly in
trial 1 and fortnightly in trial 2. In trial 1, ADWG was significantly (p < 0.05) higher for animals on supplements
compared with non-supplemented cattle. In trial 2, ADWG was significantly highest on the groundnut stover-based
diet and least on the poultry litter diet. Supplementation had a positive effect on ADWG and economic performance
of smallholder beef cattle. Substitution of commercial concentrates with alternative protein sources reduced diet
costs and significantly improved gross margins
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Chakoma, Irenie https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8224-4513