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Animal fodder

An introduction

What we know

  • Using willow as a fodder can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from burping of livestock.
  • Having willow leaves in livestock diets can reduce N2O levels in urine potentially reducing nitrate pollution run off form agricultural land.
  • Willow is used as a summer fodder supplement in New Zealand during periods of drought.
  • Willow leaf matter typically has the following properties

    1. 65–70% dry matter digestibility

    2. 15% crude protein

    3. Contains valuable compounds - condensed tannins and phenolic glycosides and salicins which are beneficial to animal health

  • Herbivorous animals like eating willow and go out of their way to include it in their diet.
  • A one-hectare plot of willow can be cut twice a year and produce 30 green tonnes of fodder material.

What we don’t know or don’t have

  • The inclusion % for willow fodder in animal diets to maximise health, reduce GHG emissions and N2O levels whilst maintaining optimum live weight gain
  • Any differences between varieties in delivering benefits
  • If animals have any selective preferences between native willow species and productive willow varieties.
  • If there are any synergistic benefits from a fodder diet combining several varieties.
  • The most efficient way to make fodder available to animals e.g. as fresh leaves, dried leaves, ensiled material, leaf/chip mix, pelleted material.
  • How to maximise storage longevity
  • Machinery that can maximise production, reduce costs, maximise efficiency, minimise GHG emissions and retain maximum fodder quality.
  • EU specific Best Practice Guidelines that share the best available techniques so this activity can be widely replicated.

Resources

External link design

Post loop link designs

The Fastest Sprinting Tree – Short Rotation Coppice Willow

Click Here

The DESNZ Biomass Research Programme – You cannot be serious!

Click Here

Willow buffer strips – A Willow Solution for the River Wye?

Click Here

WillowSolutions.info – the new name for Crops for Energy

Click Here
Gardener watering tree

DIY with our help & grow your own fodder.

we can:
  • supply you planting material
  • provide information on varieties
  • provide quotes for contract planting
  • help you with plantation designs

Buy from us - we can supply fodder material direct.

Depending on where you are in the country we can deliver fodder straight to your location.

Please get in touch to see if we can help.
Gardener carrying soil in wheelbarrow
Gardener picking fruit

Work with us

Our motto is co-operation is the new competition!

We are aware that willow fodder is a potentially game changing Willow Solution. However, we also know we don’t have all the answers and there are many knowledge gaps.

We would welcome approaches from academic organisations and agricultural and tech companies who wish to help plug these gaps by joining us in engaging in R&D and innovation activities.

Please contact us to start the conversation.
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