2019-04-01_Wildlife_Ranching_Magazine

meadow feeds | advertorial

And to fulfil these functions both
need the same basic nutrients,
namely:

• energy


• aminoacids(protein)


• long-chainfattyacids
  • minerals
  • vitamins
  • water
  In both livestock and game species
  feed intake plays a key role in getting
  the required nutrients into the animal;
  for both groups feed is equal to veldt
  (grass and leaves), forage (hay and

straw) and concentrate (pellets,
meal or lick) – in varying ratios.
Furthermore, many important game
species are ruminants, same as
cattle and sheep, and the principles
of ‘feeding the rumen right’ applies
equally to both.
Game feeding often consists of
‘buying some pellets and putting
it out for the game’. This approach
can be a waste of money or can
short-change animals, or both. What
is needed is careful calculation
of the specific animal’s nutrient
requirements, the nutrients available
from the veldt, and the difference
between the two, i.e. the shortage of
nutrients that needs to be rectified
through supplementary feeding, be
it pellets, meal, lick or forage.
A mistake farmers often make is
to look at the price per bag of game
feed. It is not the amount of pellets
or meal that is important; it is the
amount of nutrients that counts.

Formoreinformation,

visitwww.meadowfeeds.co.za

Theconcentrations

of energy,protein,

mineralsandvitamins

areimportant;some

feedsarecheaperfor

thesamesizebag

becausetheycontain

fewernutrientsand

more‘uselessfillers’.

Gamefarmersshould

alwayscomparefeed

in termsof randper

unit nutrient(especiallyenergy

and protein).

The newMeadowFeedsPRO

Game Feedserieswasdesignedto

capture the essence of good game

feeding: PRO 12, 14 and 16 cover

a useful range of protein levels,

all with the same ideal content of

energy, minerals, vitamins and

long-chain fatty acids. This allows

a variety of amino acid-to-energy

ratios to be obtained. Meadow

Feeds uses only the best quality

raw materials to ensure consistent,

palatable and safe game feed.

Game farmers know the

importance of pellet quality. Not

only are PRO Game Feed pellets

durable yet chewable, but the

quality of raw materials allows for a

good pellet to be obtained without

overheating and subsequent heat

damage of protein. A significant

portion of the important trace

minerals in PRO Game Feed are

in organicform,whichenhances

utilisation by game animals. The

PRO series is also free of non-

protein-nitrogen, e.g. urea; neither

does it contain controversial feed

additives such as ionophores. It can

be safely fed to any herbivorous

game species. ■

Springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis).

Photo courtesy Meadow Feeds

Gemsbuck or South African oryx (Oryx gazella) breeding bull, ‘Kalahari’.

Photo courtesy BONA BONA Game Breeders.

MeadowFeedshasa

first-classrecordasa supplier

ofmore than just feed.

TheMeadowFeedstechnical

teamis well-trained,

experiencedandpreparedto

assistgamefarmers.

WithMeadowFeedsgame

feedingcanbecometheart

andsciencethatit shouldbe,

insteadof merely‘puttingout

somepellets’.