Rural Home

Teaching cattle to eat weeds

ABC Rural
Brahman cattle in the yards

All herd testing for BJD has come back as negative in the Kimberley

Stephen Stockwell

A US expert thinks livestock production profits can be increased by encouraging animals to use more of the land and eat more of the plants on offer, including weeds.

Fred Provenza, a professor emeritus from Utah State University, says if cattle aren't stressed, then small groups can be encouraged to try new things, with the behaviour then spreading through the herd.

He says livestock are learning constantly and it's possible to broaden their diet.

"I think if you can have animals that are encouraged to sample new foods all the time, to eat a variety of foods from very early on, they quickly embrace new foods and variety becomes something that's important to their diet and important, then, to the way that they select," Professor Provenza said.

"The same is true for where they go in a landscape.


"And that's important, because then you increase the carrying capacity of the landscape and the diversity of foods and habitats that the animals are using."

More Stories