Darsfield Earth-Care and Farm Tech Foundation

01/10/2026

FEED COMPLEMENTATION- WHAT IT IS & BENEFITS TO LIVESTOCK

This is the key to making money in livestock in Ghana. Most farmers feed only ONE thing- only grass, only cassava peels, only maize bran- animals stay thin, grow slow, die early in dry season.

Feed complementation means mixing 2 or more feed types that complete each other to give animal everything it needs in one day.

Think of human food, Rice alone will make you weak. Rice, beans, fish with vegetables will make you strong. Same for animals.

SIMPLE DEFINITION
Feed Complementation is combining basal feed (energy/ bulk), protein source, minerals and vitamins to meet animal's daily requirement, where one feed covers what the other lacks.

Basal feed is what animal eats a lot: grass, hay, silage, cassava, maize stover- gives energy but LOW protein.
Complement/ Supplement, small amount of rich feed (concentrate) added legume leaves, groundnut cake, fish meal- gives HIGH protein, minerals.

Example: Elephant grass alone is 7% protein, cow will not grow well. Elephant grass (7%) with Leucaena leaves can increase to 25% protein, small palm kernel cake is 14% protein- cow grows fast.

TYPES OF COMPLEMENTATION IN LIVESTOCK FEED
Grass & Legume Complementation- MOST IMPORTANT
Grass gives energy, legume gives protein.
Mix in pasture or feed together for examples:
1.Guinea grass and Stylosanthes.
2.Maize stover and cowpea hay.
3.Elephant grass and Leucaena/ Gliricidia leaves.

Roughage & Concentrate Complementation
Roughage is grass, hay and silage (bulky)
Concentrate is making maize, wheat bran, groundnut cake, SBC (dense)

Example for dairy cow,
Basal: 20kg elephant grass with concentrate complement: 2kg mix of maize 50%, wheat bran 30% and groundnut cake 20%

Crop Residue with Urea/ Molasses Treatment.
Maize stover alone is 3% protein, hard to digest.
Treat with urea 4%, molasses and protein jumps to 8%, digestibility increase by more than 40%. This is complementation using chemicals.

Seasonal Complementation
Rainy season: Fresh grass abundant (basal) and small salt lick (complement)
Dry season: Dry grass/ straw (poor), silage, legume hay and concentrate (complement) to keep animal alive.

10 BENEFITS OF FEED COMPLEMENTATION-
Animal Grows Faster, More Meat
Grass alone, goat gains 20g/ day
Grass, 200g groundnut cake: Goat gains 80g/day- 4 times faster. Reaches market weight in 6 months vs 12 months.

More Milk
Cow on grass alone: 3 litres/ day
Same cow on grass, 2kg concentrate and legume: 8-12 litres/ day. For farm dairy, this is profit.

Saves Feed Cost
You use cheap local materials to balance expensive ones. Instead of buying full concentrate GHS 6/ kg, you use free Leucaena leaves, cassava peels and small concentrate.
Cuts feed cost 30-40%.

Prevents Dry Season Weight Loss & Death
In Ghana Nov-March, grass dries, protein drops to 2%. Animals lose 30% weight.
If you complement dry grass with legume hay and silage, they maintain weight, don't die. This is difference between profit and loss.

Improves Reproduction
Malnourished female: Comes on heat late, aborts, gives 1 baby.
Well complemented female, on heat every cycle, twins, mother has enough milk. Goat give birth to 4 babies per year instead of 2.

Improves Digestion- Rumen Works Better
Rumen bacteria need protein to digest fibre. If you feed only dry straw, bacteria starve, animal cannot digest.
Adding small protein (urea, legume) feeds bacteria, they digest straw 50% better. Animal eats more.

Better Meat & Product Quality
Complementation with green legumes gives yellow fat, tasty meat. Grasscutter fed only cassava for pale meat. Grass, palm fruits, legume is red, tasty meat hotels pay premium.

Uses Farm Waste
You can complement cassava peels (waste), Leucaena leaves (free) with small salt is good feed for goats. Converts waste to money.

Reduces Methane & Health Problems
Balanced diet reduces bloat, acidosis, and methane emissions. Animal healthy with less veterinary cost.

With only natural pasture: 1 cow needs 3 acres.
With improved pasture of grass and legume. Same 3 acres can feeds 3 cows for 6 months.

PRACTICAL COMPLEMENTATION FORMULAS FOR GHANA
For Cattle/ Dairy (400kg cow)
Morning: 15kg fresh Brachiaria grass (basal- energy)
3kg Leucaena/ Gliricidia leaves (25% protein)
2kg concentrate: 50% maize bran, 30% palm kernel cake, 18% groundnut cake and 2% salt (energy, protein, mineral)
Clean water and mineral (salt) lick.
Result: 12% protein total diet is perfect.

For Sheep / Goats (30kg)- Free grazing on grass 3 hours
Evening: 1kg elephant grass, 0.5kg cowpea hay, 0.2kg concentrate (maize, palm kernel cake) and salt.

For Grasscutters
Basal: 300g elephant grass, sugarcane (energy)
Complement: 50g groundnut, cassava, palm fruits and bone meal for calcium

For Poultry (local chickens on pasture):
Basal: Free range on insects and grass seeds (protein)
Complement: 70g maize, wheat bran, oyster shell in evening

COMMON MISTAKES- Giving only concentrate, no roughage- animal gets acidosis, dies faster especiallyin grasscutter and rabbits.
Giving only grass, no protein- animal thin and slow growth.
Sudden change- rumen needs 7 days to adapt. Introduce complement slowly.
Too much Leucaena more than 30% of diet- causes toxicity. Max 30%.
For ruminants, diet should be 60% roughage (grass/hay), 30% protein source (legume/concentrate) and 10% minerals. Always.

Feed complementation is what separates poor livestock keeper from commercial farmer. Poor farmer has grass. Rich farmer has balanced ration

01/10/2026

30/09/2026

DEVELOP PASTURES FOR CATTLE, SHEEP, GOATS AND POULTRY TO REDUCE FEED COST IN GHANA

In Ghana, most farmers rely on natural bush which dies in dry season Nov-March, so animals lose weight. Developed pasture means you plant, manage, and graze high-quality grasses and legumes that give feed all year. 1 acre of improved pasture can feed 2 cows or 10 sheep/ goats year- round, versus 5 acres of bush.

TYPES OF PASTURE FOR EACH ANIMAL
Different animals eat differently
Animal Grazing habit (Best pasture) Why
Cattle- Graze tall grasses, eat a lot of tall grasses, legume mix. Brachiaria, Elephant grass, Guinea grass, Stylosanthes Needs bulk, high fibre
Sheep- Graze short, close to ground Short grasses, Brachiaria, Cynodon (Bermuda), Centrosema Sheep cannot eat tall hard stems.
Goats prefer leaves, shrubs Browse pasture Leucaena, Gliricidia, Pigeon pea and grasses Goats need 40% browse leaves.
Poultry (free-range, local chickens) Pick insects, seeds, short green leaves Low Cynodon, Stylo, Desmanthus and insects Pasture gives vitamins, yellow yolk, saves 20% feed cost
BEST MIXED PASTURE FOR ALL ANIMALS- Brachiaria ruziziensis, Stylosanthes hamata & Leucaena trees on edges

This mix gives protein 12-14%, energy high, survives dry season.

HOW TO ESTABLISH PASTURE- 1 ACRE MODEL
SELECT SITE (JUNE/JULY START)
Choose flat to gentle slope, not waterlogged, not too rocky for pasture.
Near water, near kraal, accessible for animals.
pH 5.5-7.0 is okay for Ghana soils. If very acid, add lime 500kg/acre.

CLEAR AND PREPARE LAND
Clear bush, fell trees but leave useful shade trees like dawadawa, shea.
Plough or slash and spray glyphosate to kill weeds. Pasture fails if weeds compete.
Harrow to fine tilth for small seeds.
Apply manure 2-3 tons/acre or compost- critical for establishment.

SELECT SEEDS- WHERE TO GET IN GHANA
Grasses
Brachiaria ruziziensis (Congo grass)- best for all livestock, drought tolerant, 8 tons dry matter/acre. Seed rate 6kg/acre.
Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) tall, for cattle. 5kg/acre.
Elephant grass, plant via cuttings, not seed. For cut-and-carry.
Cynodon nlemfuensis (Star grass)- for sheep and poultry paddock.
Legumes: (MIX 30% legume- increases protein)
Stylosanthes hamata (Stylo), best for Ghana dry season, stays green till January. 4kg/acre.
Centrosema pubescens climbing for goats.
Mucuna fast cover.

Seeds available at Animal Research Institute, Ghana Pasture Network, Kintampo and Darsfarm.

PLANTING- TIMING IS EVERYTHING
Plant at start of major rains: April-May or Sept-Oct.
Broadcast mix grass and legume seeds, rake lightly to cover 1-2cm deep. Don't deep.
Plant in rows 50cm apart, better for weeding.
For Elephant grass/ Leucaena: Plant cuttings/stems 1m apart.

After planting, roll or lightly compact soil so seed contacts soil.

FIRST 3 MONTHS- W**D CONTROL CRITICAL
Don't graze for first 3-4 months, allow pasture plants to establish.
W**d twice at 3 weeks and 8 weeks.
If grasses too tall, slash top to 20cm to encourage tillering.

FENCING AND PADDOCKS- KEY TO SUCCESS
Don't allow open grazing, it destroys pasture in Ghana.
Divide 1 acre into 4 paddocks of 0.25 acre each with live fence (Gliricidia, Jatropha) or wire.
Graze paddock 1 for 7 days, move to paddock 2, paddock 1 rests 21 days to regrow.
This rotational grazing doubles yield.

For poultry: Make movable net paddock 10m x 10m, move every 3 days.

FERTILIZER AND MAINTENANCE
Each year after rains start applying NPK 15-15-15 50kg/ acre or manure.
Oversow legume every 2 years.
Slash uneaten tough stems after grazing so fresh regrowth.
Firebreak 5m around pasture as bush fire kills pasture in dry season.

GRAZING MANAGEMENT FOR EACH ANIMAL
CATTLE (2 cows per acre):
Rotational: 7 days grazing and 21 days pasture made to rest.
Don't graze below 15cm height, leave stubble to regrow.
In dry season, supplement with silage you made, plus cut Leucaena branches they frow faster.

SHEEP & GOATS (10-12 per acre)
Need better fencing- goats jump. Use 4-foot wire and live fence.
Goats- Allow browse trees on edges such as Leucaena, Gliricidia, Mango leaves, Cassava peel. 40% of diet should be browse.
Deworm every 3 months- pasture has worms.

PASTURED POULTRY SYSTEM
Not 100% pasture, but semi-free range.
Plant Cynodon and Stylo short pasture.
Keep chickens in mobile coop, move daily. They eat insects, seeds, green leaves- saves 20-30% feed, yolk becomes deep orange, meat tasty.
100 birds need 500 sqm, paddock rotational.
Provide shade and water on pasture.

DRY SEASON STRATEGY- MOST IMPORTANT IN GHANA
Rainy season you have excess grass, conserve!
Make hay: Cut at 6 weeks, dry 3 days, bale and store. Cut from 2 paddocks while animals graze others.
Make silage: As discussed earlier.
Plant drought legumes, Leucaena, Gliricidia stay green in dry season- plant as protein bank- 100 trees can feed 10 goats through dry season.
Irrigated small pasture, Even 0.1 acre irrigated Brachiaria near borehole keeps nucleus stock alive.

COST FOR 1 ACRE IN GHANA
Clearing: GHS 600
Seeds (Brachiaria 6kg GHS 360 and Stylo 4kg GHS 320): GHS 680
Land prep and planting labour is GHS 800
Fencing live wire: GHS 2,500
Total~GHS 4,580 per acre one-time, lasts 5-7 years.

Yearly maintenance: GHS 500.

Return: Saves GHS 6,000-10,000 in feed per year, animal weight gain by more than 40%.

PASTURE AS BUSINESS
Youth can become pasture seed producers- Stylo seed sells GHS 80/kg, high demand.
Hay business- bale of hay sells GHS 60-100 in dry season in Accra.
Livestock fattening using own pasture- buy lean animals in rainy season cheap, fatten on pasture, sell in dry season when price high (Xmas).

START SMALL
Take 0.5 acre behind farm, plant Brachiaria, Stylo this October rains, fence into 2 paddocks, try with 5 sheep. Document growth.

29/09/2026

SILAGE MAKING FOR GHANA (CHEAP DRY SEASON FEED)

Silage is fermented green fodder stored without air. It's pickled grass- like kraut for cows. In Ghana, from May-July you have too much grass, from Nov-March animals starve. Silage solves this. 1 acre of maize silage can feed 3 cows for 6 months of dry season.
It stores for 12-18 months, high in energy, protein, cows give more milk.

WHAT ANIMALS CAN EAT SILAGE?
Silage is for RUMINANTS first, but others too.
MAIN EATERS (RUMINANTS)
Dairy cows- No.1 user. Increases milk 20-30% in dry season. Can eat 20-30kg per day.
Beef cattle- Fattening bulls. 15-25kg per day.
Sheep- 2 to 4kg per day. Excellent for pregnant ewes.
Goats- 2 to 4kg per day. Especially dairy goats like Saanen.
Buffalo- same as cattle.

SECONDARY- CAN EAT BUT IN SMALL AMOUNTS:
Pigs- 1 to 2kg per day, only good quality maize silage. Not main feed, supplement.
Rabbits- Very small, 100-200g per day, only well- made grass silage. Helps in dry season when no greens.
Horses/ Donkeys, 5- 10kg per day, but must be very clean silage, no mould or will get botulism.

CANNOT EAT
Chickens/ layers- NO. They are not ruminants, can't digest much silage. Max 5% in feed.
Focus on cattle, sheep, goats.

BEST CROPS FOR SILAGE
Maize whole plant Milk-dough stage, 70-80 days at 8-9% KING of silage- high energy, easy fermentation. Plant Aug-Sept, harvest Nov
Sorghum, soft dough stage 7-8% get drought tolerant, good for North.
Elephant grass/ Napier cut 1m height, 6-8 weeks regrowth 9-12% Grows everywhere in Ghana, high yield 20 tons/ acre.
Guinea grass, cut before flowering 8-10% Natural pasture.
Maize, Cowpea/ Lablab Mixed 12- 14%, mux legume to increase protein BEST for small farmers.
Sugarcane tops, after harvest 5-6%, get free waste from sugarcane, good for cattle.
For farmers start with maize, cowpea mixed or Elephant grass.

WHEN TO HARVEST FOR SILAGE
Maize: When grains are milky to doughy, you can press grain with nail and milky comes but not watery. Cob 50% dry matter, leaves still green. Usually 75 days after planting. Too early means sour silage, too late means dry, poor fermentation.
Grasses: Before flowering, when 1 meter tall. After flowering, stem hard, low protein, poor silage.

Cut in morning after dew dries.

HOW TO MAKE SILAGE, PIT METHOD FOR SMALLHOLDER
This method needs no machine.
Requirements:
Pit: 2m x 3m x 1.5m deep for 3 tons silage is enough for 2 cows for 3 months. Or trench on slope. Or use 200L plastic drums/ polythene bags for small.
Polythene sheet 1000 gauge black- 6m x 4m
Chaff cutter or cutlass Chop to 2-3cm length. CRITICAL. Long grass won't compact and will mould.
Molasses 5L per ton (if grass, not needed for maize), salt 1%

Wilt
Cut grass/maize, leave in field 4-6 hours to wilt to 65-70% moisture. Test: Squeeze handful- should hold shape but no water drips. If water drips means too wet, will rot.
For maize whole plant at milk stage, no need to wilt- ideal moisture already.

Chop
Chop into 2-3cm pieces. Why? Removes air, easy compaction, animal eats easily.
If unchopped, silage will have air pockets and become mouldy black.

Pit Preparation
Dig pit in high ground, no waterlogging. Plaster sides with mud or line with polythene to prevent soil contamination.
Put polythene sheet inside pit, leaving extra to cover top.

Filling and Compacting- MOST CRITICAL
Spread 20cm layer chopped material inside pit.
Sprinkle molasses diluted 1:2 with water- 1 liter mix per layer (only for grasses, for maize skip if sweet).
Sprinkle little salt.
Compact by trampling- 2 people jump and press hard until no air. This is key. No air gets good fermentation.
Repeat layer by layer 20cm at a time, compact each time. Must finish same day, don't leave half-filled overnight.

Sealing- No Air At All
When pit full, heap 30cm above ground like dome.
Fold polythene over, seal all edges with soil. Put heavy soil 30cm on top, or old tyres.
Make small trench around pit to divert rain water, water entering cause rotten silage.

Fermentation
Leave 21- 30 days. Don't open.
Bacteria (Lactobacillus) will ferment sugars to lactic acid, pH drops to 3.8-4.2, preserves.
Good silage smells like sour yoghurt, fruity, not rotten.
Colour: Yellow-brown for maize, greenish- brown for grass.

OTHER METHODS FOR GHANA
Plastic Drum/ Bag Silage Best for farmers to start:
Use 200L drums or thick 1 ton poly bags.
Same process, chop the harvest, add molasses, compact in drum, seal airtight with lid in polythene & rope.
1 drum is 150kg silage can feeds 1 cow for 7 days.
Easy, no pit needed, good for goats/sheep.

Bale Silage:
Wrap round bales with stretch film. Needs baler machine.

FEEDING SILAGE
Open from one side, take daily need, cover again immediately. Don't open whole pit.
Introduce slowly: Day 1-3: 5kg cow & hay, Day 4-7: 10kg, after 10kg- 20kg full.
Always give after milking to avoid milk smell (for dairy).
Discard black, mouldy, smelly rotten parts causes listeriosis.

Daily Ration Example for Ghana:
Dairy cow 400kg: 20kg maize silage, 2kg concentrate, 5kg hay & water.
Goat 30kg: 2kg silage, 0.3kg concentrate browse.

COMMON FAILURES IN GHANA & SOLUTIONS
Mouldy black silage: Air entered. Not chopped short, not compacted well, polythene torn. Solution: Chop 2cm, tramp hard, use double polythene.
Rotten smelly: Too wet more than 75% moisture. Solution: Wilt 6 hours, don't ensile after rain.
Dry, no fermentation: Too dry less than 60% moisture. Add molasses water.
Rats: Put rat trap, seal well.

COST/ PROFIT
1 acre maize: 10-15 tons fresh and 3-4 tons dry matter silage.
Cost to make 1 ton silage: Cutting GHS 200, Chopping GHS 150, Polythene GHS 100, Molasses GHS 80 & Labour GHS 200 is GHS 730/ ton
Value in dry season: 1 ton silage is saves GHS 2,500 worth of concentrate feed. Cow milk 5 litresday.

Silage allows you to keep animals alive in dry season when others are selling cheap.

ACTION FOR LIVESTOCK FARMERS
This September, plant 1 acre maize for silage purpose, not grain.
Make 5 drums of elephant grass & cowpea silage as trial.

28/09/2026

27/09/2026

20/09/2026

Locally made Irrigation movable tanks when farm irrigation systems fails

16/09/2026

Your tasty delicious highly nutritious dried pineapple is available for you
Darsfarm Dried Pineapple for homes and offices as snacks and ingredientsforother recipes.
Good for women, men and children of all ages, very rich in nutrients and safe for all.
It's FDA approved.
Interested in buying in bulk and retail, call Darsfarm on 0246563288/ 0544585103 or visit Lane 16, Onyinase Awoshie. Accra

15/09/2026

Water alone is not enough: Need 2-3 times normal water to re-wet hydrophobic soil.
Need new roots: Apply root hormone, compost tea, mycorrhiza- GHS 500/ acre
Fungicide: Must drench with fungicide to prevent root rot after stress- GHS 300
Lost time: Crop delayed 3-4 weeks. Market window missed. W**ds take over because crop canopy open.
Replanting: For vegetables, cheaper to replant than revive. 1 acre tomato replant is 40,000 ton loss.

For farmers, if 1 acre of rosemary reaches PWP, you lose 8 months of establishment.

HOW TO AVOID REACHING PWP- FOR GHANA FARMERS
Never let soil moisture go below 50% of field capacity.

Practical signs for workers-
Morning check: If leaves wilt at 6:30am before sun is hot means already PWP yesterday. Late.
Finger test: Push finger 5cm into soil. If dry, dusty, no soil sticks to finger- water TODAY, don't wait tomorrow.
Mulch is insurance: 10cm mulch keeps soil from reaching PWP for 7 extra days in dry season. For farmers, mulch all beds.
Drip irrigation: Cheap drip GHS 3,000/ acre saves you from PWP. Timer can water when you are not on farm.
Shade net: 30% shade reduces water loss by 40%.
Soil organic matter: Every 1% organic matter holds 15,000 liters more water per acre. That's why compost is critical.

IF YOUR FARM ALREADY AT PWP- EMERGENCY RESCUE
If you find farm crop wilted in morning-
Don't flood: Water small small, 3 times in one day, early morning and evening.
Shade immediately: Cover with palm fronds / shade net to reduce transpiration.
Don't fertilize: Fertilizer salt will kill damaged roots. Only water for 3 days.
Prune: Cut off 30% of leaves/ flowers to reduce water demand.
Foliar spray: After 2 days of watering, spray diluted seaweed, sugar water (5%) to help cells recover.
Accept loss: For leafy vegetables, harvest what you can and replant. For ginger/ fruit, prune and nurse.

Rule from experience: It is 10 times cheaper to water one day early than to try to revive one day late. PWP is the point of no return.