Impala

Aepyceros melampus

Natural diet Impala

Impalas are herbivorous mammals with a diverse diet depending on the resources available in their environment. They are intermediate feeders that both browse and graze. Grasses are the main part of their diet, particularly after the raining seasons. However, during the dry season, the proportion of grasses in their diet decreases and they rely more on (woody) browse.

Grasses

Herbs

Leaves

Feeding advice Impala

Feed quantity per day

2-4%

Sample percentage calculation

If an animal weighs 45 kg and eats 3% of its body weight, it will get

45 x 0.03 = 1.35 kg feed in total per day

Feed composition

10% Concentrates
60% Grass, alfalfa, roughage
30% Browse

Proportions (fresh product)

0.1 x 1.35 kg = 135 g concentrates
0.6 x 1.35 kg = 810 g grass, alfalfa, roughage
0.3 x 1.35 kg = 405 g browse

Feeding advice Impala

Feed quantity per day

2-4%

Sample percentage calculation

If an animal weighs 45 kg and eats 3% of its body weight, it will get

45 x 0.03 = 1.35 kg feed in total per day

Feed composition

10% Concentrates
60% Grass, alfalfa, roughage
30% Browse

Proportions (fresh product)

0.1 x 1.35 kg = 135 g concentrates
0.6 x 1.35 kg = 810 g grass, alfalfa, roughage
0.3 x 1.35 kg = 405 g browse

Diet Suggestions

Not recommended

Fruits

Vegetables

Common diseases

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

Chronic rumenitis
Bloat
Obesity
Excessive hoof growth

Additional advice

Divide the “Feed quantity per day” over at least two feeding moments per day.
Supplement the diet with ad libitum roughage (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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