- Why are Fodder Trees important?
Many small-scale farmers in the tropics keep livestock, particularly cattle, goats and sheep. The
animals play an important role: they provide meat, milk, leather or wool, traction to plow fields and manure to fertilize crops. Through selling some of the animals or their products farmers also earn cash money. Farmers expect quality produce from their animals. Therefore the animals need quality feed and water in order to live, grow, work or produce milk. When they are well fed the animal will be in good condition and the farmers benefit best from their animals. Feeds, like grass and leaves, contain a water- and a non-water-part, the latter being called ‘Dry Matter’ (DM). The ‘Dry Matter’ contains ‘energy ’ (carbo-hydrates), ‘protein’ and other substances (like ‘minerals’). Even when a cow, goat or sheep is not producing milk, it needs energy to breathe, walk and maintain all kinds of body processes, and it needs protein to grow. This basic need of feed, which is necessary just to maintain a stable condition of the body, is called ‘maintenance requirements ’. For young animals to grow fast or animals to produce high milk yields, extra energy and protein is needed above the daily maintenance requirements. However, due to dry periods and cash problems, feed shortage is often experienced and feeds of low quality are used. The farm animals are not able to get enough energy and protein to grow (fast) or to produce (extra) milk. Sometimes animals are even fed less then the daily ‘maintenance requirements’ and as a result will be in a bad condition. Fodder trees and shrubs
become then important as a source of energy and protein to keep the animal’s body healthy, improve growth rates and even increase milk and wool production.
Fodder Trees
