The concept of Natural Power: Total Management Approach
The primary focus of the Natural Power concept is to maximise the natural ability of Ruminants to look after their own health and immunity, and to empower and manage them in such a way that minimal interventions are required to maintain health and production.
The three key strategies of the Natural Power concept, as shown below, were introduced in the first article, the threat of antibiotic resistance in the second, and the Total Management approach will be discussed in this article.
The Total Management Approach rests on three pillars:
- Optimal nutrition and feed management
- The impact of farm management strategies
- The importance of a robust health strategy
1. Optimal Nutrition and feed management.
In a fight for economic survival, we often focus on cost-saving nutrition to maintain and supply just enough nutrition to secure a form of production. Often, we neglect the impact it has on the health and immunity of animals. We need to expand our nutritional focus from production only to also include increased immunity against disease, empowering our animals to harness the inherent ability to increase animal health.
These are the areas where we can improve:
Quality of colostrum from the mother, and the impact on offspring immunity
• Any ruminant is born without an innate immune system, as there is no transfer of antibodies
from the mother to the offspring via the placenta
• A newborn ruminant has 2 weeks after birth with very little to no active immunity against
disease and pathogens until an active immune system develops
• Colostrum is the ONLY way that a calf/lamb can get antibodies from the mother to boost
immunity
• Colostrum can only be absorbed in the first 6 hours after birth. If large quantities of colostrum
are not obtained within this period, the chances of survival and/or occurrence of disease and
dependence on medication are drastically increased
• Nutrition for good quality colostrum starts at least 6 weeks before calving / lambing
Creep Feeding to improve rumen development
• The optimal window for rumen development is between 14 and 40 days of age. The sooner
and stronger a rumen can develop, the better the chances of survival and performance in an
extensive grazing system, and a feedlot scenario
• Creep feed with a proper composition from a very young age (day 2-3) has a very positive
effect on rumen development and subsequent growth and immunity improvement
• The cost-to-benefit ratio of this practice is very positive and more than pays for itself. This
practice improves the development of the young and reduces the nutritional pressure on the
reproducing herd, resulting in overall better condition and immunity. Animals in better
condition do not get sick easily
Minerals and trace minerals
• Minerals like Ca, P, and Mg play a crucial role in skeletal development and maintenance.
Sufficient levels are required during late gestation and lactation to boost foetal growth and
development.
• Mineral deficiencies are correlated with pika, loss of condition and immunity, lower
reproduction rates and a fragile bone structure, leading to injuries
• P is very deficient in SA and also plays a role in the energy metabolism system
• Trace minerals and Vitamins are often neglected and have a huge impact on the
maintenance of the immune system. Se plays a crucial role in the GPX system, which is
directly responsible for an immune response.
• Quality organic trace minerals help to resolve issues of interaction between trace minerals
and the environmental impacts of the efficiency of supplementation
• Vitamins also need to be supplemented, especially in the dry season, to maintain a healthy
status.
Reproduction and nutrition
• An animal with a low body condition score (BCS) will not reproduce, or will more easily abort
or resorb a foetus, causing complications, infections and a severely compromised immune
system.
• Malnutrition also delays the hormonal patterns and cycles of reproducing animals
• The basal diet of a ruminant is roughage, and this should always be sufficient and managed
well to ensure the best immunity and BCS in the breeding herd
The use of ionophores (AMGP) and Antibiotics
• As discussed in the second article, ionophores used in feed to improve performance are not
Medically Important Antibiotics and bring more benefit than risk
• Having said that, alternatives are available and De Heus is the leading agent in promoting the
use of alternatives, tested and proven to have the same or better results since 2018 in SA
• Antibiotics in feed are very seldom used for Ruminants, and mostly on veterinarian
prescriptions. Most antibiotics administered are via injections and on a veterinarian
prescription or OTC use, which is only 1,2% is used irresponsibly
Management of the feeding program
• All these facts are useless unless it is packaged in a planned feeding program based on the
different production cycles of our animals and the varying needs for nutrition.
• De Heus has specific programs to address the nutritional needs for all production phases and
circumstances, and the products that have been tested and proven to give Ruminants the best
possible chance to enhance their own inherent ability to improve health
2. Farm Management Strategies
For housed animals, this is a much easier topic than for extensively farmed animals. We have much less control over environmental factors, but there are key areas where we can minimize the risk of unnecessary exposure to pathogens and a higher risk of disease. The main goal is to keep “foreign” pathogens or their carriers off your farm. For “local” diseases, your animals will have the necessary immunity if fed, raised and managed well, but that might not be the case for unknown pathogens to your farm.
Animal movement:
• Just like with humans, diseases and pathogens can be carried over between animals when
they encounter each other or their bodily excretion (blood, saliva, afterbirth, dung, airborne,
etc.)
• We are all well aware of the impact of foot and mouth disease, spread by movement of
animals on trucks, across roads (walking/roaming). Until we have a national traceability
system and vaccinations to manage this disease (and others), we need to limit animal
movement on and off our farms by;
• Ensuring proper fencing, gates and access control
• Not buying in new animals from unknown sources, or unless specific protocols have been
followed, like isolation, disinfecting the vehicle, personnel, etc.
• Stray animals are a big problem that needs to be managed, reported and kept off your farm
• Where we have regular visits by fellow framers, feed company and veterinarian personnel,
deliveries, cattle/ sheep trucks, labourers, etc, we need to increase biosecurity measures on
people and vehicles
Water Quality:
• Water is an important nutrient for animals, supporting multiple physiological processes, as
well as a healthy metabolism. It enables the transportation of nutrients around the body and
plays an important role in heat management. Meat is largely made up of water (87%). This
used to be a given as being pure and clean and free of pathogens, but not anymore.
• We see more and more cases where previously good quality water is now contaminated with
pollutants, untreated affluent water from water treatment plants, etc, which threatens our
biosecurity and increases the risk of disease.
• Water, even borehole water, is very often contaminated with Salmonella, E. coli, and other
pathogens, heavy metals, pesticides, etc., and needs to be tested and treated accordingly.
• Treating water from rivers and dams, which is often the source of drinking water, is not as
easy, but testing is crucial to know what we are dealing with and act accordingly
3. The importance of a robust health strategy
A proper health strategy entails knowledge of health risks (relevant diseases) that could affect my enterprise, external biosecurity to keep foreign pathogens off the farm and an internal biosecurity to keep diseases from spreading in the farm.
Knowledge of relevant diseases
• It is of utmost importance that we are schooled and educated on all diseases that our animals
be confronted with on farm, in the region and nationally, as well as how to prevent them,
identify them and treat them.
• It is vital to have a knowledgeable team of advisors (veterinarians, representatives, etc.) that
can keep us informed.
• De Heus Technical advisors are trained by a vet to do the basic surveillance and also have a
WhatsApp network with Veterinarians to help identify foreign and known symptoms to help
manage health issues, especially in remote areas where access to veterinarians is an issue
• It is also important to know the working of all vaccines and medications in terms of incubation
periods, cold chain management, and the time of vaccinations
External biosecurity
• It is crucial to keep foreign pathogens to which your animals do not have immunity off your
farm.
• For this, biosecurity measures and access control are critical. Treating vehicles, trucks, and
people as potential carriers is crucial.
• When any vehicle enters the farm, it should be disinfected either with a knapsack spray or via
a spray race, and as much mud and dung should be removed before entering.
• In high-risk areas (Lambing pens, feedlots, etc), all people entering the farm should go
through a footbath and have their hands disinfected. Movement on the farm should always be
to the most sensitive animals first and to the most mature animals last
• Protective clothing always helps when working with animals, as some diseases can be
carried over to humans as well (zoonotic diseases) – know what they are
• Quarantine camps or pens must always be used to house foreign or new animals that
onto the farm to isolate any disease that might come with them, like foot and mouth,
brandsiek (scab), etc, until they are cleared or treated
Internal Biosecurity
• Internal biosecurity implies the containment and prevention of diseases within/on the farm
• Heat stress is a major threat in confined (and open) spaces, which reduces feed intake,
induces malnutrition and compromises immunity. Identify areas of concern and provide shade
where needed. Feedlots, lambing pens
• Stress conditions can lead to leaky gut syndrome, which compromises the entire immune
system and allows pathogens to enter directly into the bloodstream. Reduce stress and
unnecessary handling of animals (weaning, heat stress, transport, etc.)
• Here, a proper vaccination program is essential to ensure that maximum resilience against
any disease is obtained by the best possible immunity for all animals. A few important factors:
• Seek veterinarian advice on specific treatments for your farm and do all of them all the time.
Not all diseases pose threats every year – some only come around every few years, which
makes immunity against them even worse – do not skip them!
• Emphasize the correct timing of vaccination, for example to pass immunity through colostrum,
vaccinations need to be administered in time for the mother to produce antibodies and pass
them through colostrum – this takes time – 6 weeks at least. Pair with proper nutrition.
• Do not vaccinate young lambs and calves too soon before they have an active immune
system, as this cannot produce antibodies it is wasted and create a false sense of security.
• Make sure you vaccinate according to the prescription. For example, Bluetongue, where an
A, B, and C strain should be given 7 days apart – do not mix them.
• Make sure about dead and live vaccines and which can be given to which animals
• Most vaccines need a booster at some stage to be effective. Ensure that this happens
• Stick to the cold chain where relevant, do not leave cold chain vaccines in the sun when you
start working, work in shaded areas
• Do not reuse needles unless they have been sterilised
• Make sure you know which risks may arise when you have sudden feeding regime changes
like weaning, taking weaned animals to the feedlot, transporting animals, etc. Here we are
thinking about Pasteurella and Clostridiums. Are your animals ready and vaccinated before
these changes happen?
• Regular deworming or use of the FAMACHA system where resistance is experienced, and
parasite control is essential to maintain a good immunity system
This may sound like a lot, but it’s what cattle and sheep farmers manage every day. At De Heus, we’re here to support and improve wherever we can, beyond nutrition, to help harness the natural power of your animals.
For more detail, reach out to our technical advisors: https://www.deheus.co.za/meet-our-team/.
