By Dr Trywell Muzerengi

The dry season is coming fast. If you don’t sort out feed for your livestock now, you’ll lose weight gains, fertility will drop, and in bad cases animals die. All of that is avoidable if you act while there’s still time.

1. Make silage while maize is right
If your maize is at milk-dough stage, this is the window. That stage gives the best mix of energy, moisture and nutrients. Chop it, pack it tight, and seal it airtight in pits, drums or plastic-lined bunkers. Loose packing = spoilage. Tight packing = feed that lasts.

2. Upgrade your stover with urea
Don’t ignore maize stalks. Treat dry stover with a urea solution, bag it and leave it for a few weeks. Urea breaks down the fibers so animals can digest it better and you get more protein from the same residue. Low-value waste becomes real feed.

3. Cut and bale hay before it’s too late
Harvest grasses and legumes before they go dry and woody. Dry them properly, bale, and store under cover. Rain and mould will destroy nutrition fast if you leave bales in the open.

4. Start rationing early
Don’t wait until grazing is bare. Controlled feeding now stretches what you have and avoids sudden stress on animals. A hungry animal in July won’t recover easily even when rains come.

5. Collect and supplement crop residues
Groundnut tops, bean straw, sorghum stover — gather them now. Mix with molasses or winter lick blocks to balance the diet. That combo covers maintenance and keeps production going.

6. Lock down water
Feed means nothing without water. As dams and boreholes dry up, plan reliable clean water access. Low water intake kills feed efficiency and opens the door to disease.

7. Condition now, breed later
Animals that go into the dry season fat will hold condition, fight disease better, and conceive easier. Thin animals now = poor breeding later, even after good rains.

8. Destock early if feed is tight
Be honest about your stocking rate. Sell off weaker or excess animals early. It cuts pressure on feed and protects your core breeding herd.

Need help? Extension officers can assist with silage, urea treatment and feed plans. Using them cuts costly mistakes.

This dry season will separate prepared farmers from those who wait. The difference between losses and productivity comes down to what you do in the next few weeks. Act now — your herd depends on it.

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