New Zealand Tree Crops Association

Some farmers in the Eastern Bay of plenty may be sitting on a good source of animal feed and may not know it. The age-old practice of feeding trees is becoming popular again.

Willow and Poplar are common and plentiful and are equivalent in energy values to feeding out lucerne. On Mr Andrew Iles’ property at Waimana branches are cut off and fed to the animals after milking or perhaps around mid-afternoon. ‘The cattle strip the leaves and usually come back for the bark later on, he said. ‘

Milk production on his farm has been up one per cent on last year. A benefit since the introduction of a payout for off Peak production.

Feeding out the trees has taken pressure off the pastures during the dry months and Mr Iles has not had to touch his supply of winter feed. After the drought breaking rain the cattle will go through lean times as the grass becomes slushy and the cattle will not eat it. Mr Iles is hoping to be able to feed out trees for the next ‘two weeks until the pasture recovers.

“The benefits of feeding out trees are enormous and many of them are hidden.” Poplars are high in zinc and this can help counteract liver damage through facial eczema. Feeding out trees also helps prevent cattle grazing too low into the litter where facial eczema spores are concentrated.

If you are worried by worms willow leaves contain a natural anthelmintic which can help protect animals from worms and al so have salicylic acid which is the main ingredient in aspirin. This can give relief for ailments such as arthritis. The higher the content of salicylin the less likely the trees will end up on the possums’ menu. The leaves are also useful in preventing spring metabolic problems and contain cobalt which can help prevent bush sickness.

Both trees coppice well and are ready for the next occasion. They are closely related and mix well in the same situations. With careful selection together they can provide supplementary feed for up to seven or eight months of the year.

Willows are especially good for drying out badly drained areas on the farm and may help pasture become useful again. The obvious advantages are they provide shade and shelter protect pasture from wind and heat, and help with erosion problems

Planting poplars for feed is a good idea but can eventually yield a second source of income - itself a form of drought proofing, as a farmer with a good income is in a better position to cope with the situation. Poplar is not normally thought of as a good timber tree but in China it is the second most important tree.

There is a worldwide demand for the trees and they have many uses. It beats pine hands down when it comes to making better quality papers and is a source of lighter material for packaging. The Apple and Pear Board has recently approved poplar for packaging because it is lighter and therefore cheaper to airfreight.

Perhaps the only drawbacks that some farmers see is the cleaning up of branches after feeding out, but Mr Iles said ‘It does not take long and is a small price to pay for free feed and the drought proofing effect it has on the farm. “If you do not want to cart the trees to the animals then the answer is to plant the trees along the fence line then you can lop off the branches straight into the field,” he said. The tree litter can also bring fertility to poor or eroded soils. Tree lucerne is also a good feed tree and one that may be growing on some farms. ‘The early dry spell has reminded many farmers just how vulnerable they are to weather patterns and perhaps it is a good time to think about planting trees or utilising the ones you have. Willow and poplar leaves are equal to lucerne hay and silage in energy terms, what scientists call metabolisable energy/kg dry matter.