2.1.1.4. Forage production and feed management
Depending on the time of year, cattle either free graze crop stubble, ‘native’ pasture or forages, are tether grazed, or are penned and hand-fed various mixtures of ‘cut and carry’ forage. Maximum rates of forage production occur during the wet season, and decline to almost zero at the end of the dry season. Hence, during the wet season when feed is plentiful, households allow their cattle to free graze in the upland or tether graze closer to the house to avoid damage to the field crops. This pattern continues for a period beyond the rainy season with the grazing of ‘pasture’ supplemented by crop residues and stubble post-harvest.