Horned antelopes

Tragelaphus spp.

Natural diet Horned antelopes

Horned antelopes are primarily herbivorous browsers. Their diet mainly consists of woody plants like leaves, shrubs and herbs. Occasionally, grasses and fruits are consumed, but this is often insignificant.

Herbs

Leaves

Feeding advice Horned antelopes

Feed quantity per day

2-8%

Sample percentage calculation

If an animal weighs 100 kg and eats 5% of its body weight, it will get

100 x 0.05 = 5 kg feed in total per day

Feed composition

20% Concentrates
80% Browse

Proportions (fresh product)

0.2 x 5 kg = 1,000 g concentrates
0.8 x 5 kg = 4,000 g browse

Feeding advice Horned antelopes

Feed quantity per day

2-8%

Sample percentage calculation

If an animal weighs 100 kg and eats 5% of its body weight, it will get

100 x 0.05 = 5 kg feed in total per day

Feed composition

20% Concentrates
80% Browse

Proportions (fresh product)

0.2 x 5 kg = 1,000 g concentrates
0.8 x 5 kg = 4,000 g browse

Diet Suggestions

In moderation

Variety of leafy greens

Alfalfa hay

Not recommended

Fruits

Common diseases

An unbalanced diet may result in one of these more commonly occurring diseases/conditions:

Selenium deficiency
Vitamin E deficiency
Rumen acidosis
Deformed hooves
Obesity

Additional advice

Divide the “Feed quantity per day” over at least two feeding moments per day.
Supplement the diet with ad libitum roughages and browse (read more about browsers and grazers).
The browse used in the diet can be a mixture between dried and fresh browse.
In the winter months, either dried, frozen (thawed) branches or leaf silage should be provided.
Feeding fruits might lead to might lead to gastro-intestinal disturbances because of the high sugar level and low fiber level in cultivated fruits compared to wild fruits (read more about nutritional values of (wild) fruits and vegetables).
Stimulate foraging behaviour by hiding, stacking or hanging the feed (read more about feed enrichment and foraging behaviour).

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