Livestock nutrition
Dry lick supplementation for sheep on mulga

Revised by Deborah Maxwell, DPI&F

Key points

• When mulga is the only source of nutrition, the sheep's diet will be deficient in the major nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur and sodium.
• Dry licks are a simple and cheap supplement suitable for use with sheep on mulga diets.

Benefits of dry lick supplementation

Dry licks stimulate the sheep's appetite. Increases in mulga consumption of 20-30 per cent have been seen, resulting in increases in wool growth rates of 10 per cent or greater. The rate of liveweight loss can be reduced. Death rates in sheep eating mulga for extended periods can be markedly lowered.

If the dry lick is removed, sheep will rapidly reduce their mulga intake back to the level of sheep that had never been supplemented.

Requirements and recommendations in daily feeding

The recommended daily supplement for sheep on a mulga diet is indicated in table 1.

Table 1. Recommended daily supplement for sheep on a mulga diet

When supplementing with phosphorus, sulphur must also be added, otherwise animal performance can be depressed. The sodium requirement is lower if sheep are on bore water.

A nutrient analysis of potential dry lick components is given in table 2.

Table 2. Nutrient content of dry lick components

Dicalcium Phosphate is a fine powder so it has some drawbacks when used in a dry lick. One form is grey and the others are white.

Kynofos 21 is a grey, granular product containing equal quantities of monocalcium phosphate and dicalcium phosphate.

Biofos is a light grey, granular product made up of approximately two-thirds monocalcium phosphate and one-third dicalcium phosphate.

Recommended dry lick

Table 3 gives recommended dry lick mixes for sheep on a mulga diet.

Table 3. Recommended dry lick mixes for sheep on a mulga diet

Both Kynofos 21 and Biofos are more expensive than dicalcium phosphate but have a higher phosphorus content (see table 2) so the cost per unit of phosphorus is similar.

Attention is required to ensure adequate intakes of the supplement. Intakes of 20 to 25 g per head daily are required.

Table 4. Nutrients provided by the recommended dry licks at an intake of 20 g/day

MAP is no longer recommended

Mono Ammonium Phosphate (MAP) was previously a recommended phosphorus source for dry licks. However, it is no longer suitable because of problems with possible excessive cadmium or fluorine content.

Feeding procedure

A ten-day introductory period is required in which only salt is fed. This is a safety precaution, as the sheep may have a salt craving and eat the lick to excess. Nitrogen toxicity and death can result.

Thorough mixing of the dry lick is required, preferably using a mechanical mixer. The dry lick should be fed in open-ended troughs, hollow logs or drums that have good drainage to allow rainfall to run-off.

When supplementing, the dry lick should be available at all times.

It is a good idea to spend some time mixing the dry lick with a cement mixer then rebagging it. The lick can then be easily put out each time you check the waters.

Regulation of intake

Intakes of the dry lick will vary between individual animals, paddocks and classes of sheep. Different mixes may need to be used in different paddocks because of this variability.

If intakes are not adequate then consumption can be increased by the addition of up to 20 per cent (by weight) of molasses or 10% water or by reducing the amount of phosphorus by up to 50 per cent.

Intakes are unlikely to become excessive. However, if consumption is too high, increasing the amount of phosphorus supplement and reducing the salt component will reduce intakes.

Cost

At a daily intake level of 20g per head the cost for 1 000 sheep supplemented for a month is approximately $285 ex Toowoomba (August 2001). This is less than one cent per sheep daily.

The cost of troughing and of labour in mixing and distribution is not included. This cost is much less than for comparable commercial blocks.

Other possible mixes

There is an extensive range of alternative dry licks available, by means of varying components and their proportions or by incorporating other ingredients such as urea. If changes are made they should be made gradually to reduce the possibility of toxicity.

Adding urea

Where abundant dry grass is available, urea can be added to the recommended dry licks to increase the nitrogen content (see table 5). The urea should only be added after a stable consumption level of the recommended dry lick is achieved. The urea content should then be increased slowly, over three feeds, until the desired mix is achieved.

Table 5. Percentage composition of recommended dry lick with urea and molasses

Ingredient	Composition (%)
Stock salt	40
Sulphate of Ammonia	20
K21, Biofos or DCP	20
Urea	10
Molasses	10

Fortification

For lambing ewes and sheep in very poor condition, the addition of a protein meal is indicated. A suitable mix would be two parts stock salt, one part sulphate of ammonia, one part Kynofos 21, Biofos or dicalcium phosphate and up to six parts protein meal. This dry lick will be more palatable, especially if vegetable protein meals are used. Consumption rates will increase.

Further information

This DPI&F Note should be read with DPI&F Note titled Livestock nutrition: feeding mulga to sheep in south west Queensland. 

For further information contact the DPI&F Customer Service Centre on 13 25 23 (Queensland residents) or (07) 3404 6999 (non-Queensland residents) between 8 am and 6 pm weekdays, or or e-mail callweb@dpi.qld.gov.au

This DPI&F Note is also published on the DPI&F's PrimeNotes CD-ROM.

Information contained in this publication is provided as general advice only. For application to specific circumstances, professional advice should be sought. The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries Queensland has taken all reasonable steps to ensure the information in this publication is accurate at the time of publication. Readers should ensure that they make appropriate inquiries to determine whether new information is available on the particular subject matter.