Mulga, it's great Cattle Feed

When most people think of Cattle Feed, they think of Grass. Lovely green grass in the meadows in the lush green rolling hills, butterflies landing on the Buttercups. But in Outback Australia in Queensland , it's vastly different. This is an arid landscape with lower rainfall, and the Grass grows only in exceptionally good seasons. Cattle in this environment make Mulga their principal feed source.

The Mulga shown here in the photo is referred to as "Low Mulga" ( Acacia aneura ). They are the young trees of the taller ones pictured behind and at the side. When the various paddocks on the property are properly managed, the Cattle graze on the young Mulga, and so they are kept at a certian hight, usually no more than 6 feet ( 2 metres) in height. Any taller than this, and the cattle have difficulty reaching the leaves and branches. Property owners can still utilise the higher Mulga by cutting off branches for the Cattle to eat, and this is common in drought situations or on properties where there is not much low Mulga. It is however labour intensive, but it's better than feeding your herd with expensive Hay.

The Mulga leaves contain around 10 percent Protein, making nutitious feed. When cattle are breeding / calving, a dry lick is often put out in the paddock near a watering point to provide any nutrients for the cattle that may be missing in their feed. This feed supplement is particularly important when the Cows are lactating because the milk production drains energy and nutrients from their body.

The Mulga trees are very drought tolerant. They have a deep tap root that can reach down to the water table, several metres below ground level. They also have roots close to the surface that quickly absorb any rainfall. They have few pests or insects that eat the leaves. The cattle have little competition for feed because Kangaroos and other Wildlife prefer grass or utilise other feed sources. Wild Goats do eat Mulga, so they can provide some competition in areas where they are present in large numbers.

Note; Photo is original, owned by the Author of this post.