The below graph depicting the Diet Composition of Herbivores is a great reminder that diversity is necessary in what our livestock have available to eat. If given the choice cattle will naturally choose around 50% of their diet as grass; and forbes and browse (or weeds & trees/bushes) for the other 50%.
FRANCO, B. & PAHL, L. 2000. The Diets of Sheep, Cattle, Goats, Red Kangaroos, Grey Kangaroos and Wallaroos in the South-West Queensland Mulgalands.
Fred Provenza in his fascinating book ‘Nourishment’ (available at the Farm Store) demonstrates how animals intrinsically know what they need to eat to maintain health, but that we interfere in our attempts to create beautifully manicured paddocks of single, or limited species combination, grass.
In a human context – offered a diet of only one thing – chocolate or even if its brussels sprouts(!)- and soon the health issues will appear. We would be toddling off to the doctors for pills, when the core problem is lack of nutrition. What issues are we creating for the health of our livestock by limiting the diversity of their natural forage which, by the way, contains bitter, unpalatable plants (possibly weeds) animals may only take a bite of before moving on. That one bite likely contains essential nutrients.
Remove the diversity – the weeds, shrubs, trees and ‘unpalatable’ species – where does the necessary array of micronutrients come from? And the answer is not grain – which is not a natural food for ruminants.
Finally, diversity in animal species is also important. Beneficial microbe transfer occurs between ruminants like goats (and camels) that have guts better suited to highly lignified tissue (browse) and those with systems customised to efficient use of grass (sheep & cattle for example). The transfer of microbes in saliva occurs at shared water points and via grazing. The result can be spectacular with both species eventually having a more functional digestive system and doing better than either one alone. More diversity by adding monogastrics (pigs, horses) can further enhance a system both from a microbial point of view but also an animal impact and parasite cycle disruption stance.
It’s what happens in nature and it’s how animals and landscapes have evolved to thrive.
