AGRICULTURE AND BIOLOGY JOURNAL OF NORTH AMERICA ISSN Print: 2151-7517, ISSN Online: 2151-7525, doi:10.5251/abjna.2013.4.5.520.526

© 2013, ScienceHuβ, http://www.scihub.org/ABJNA

Assessment of farmers’ management practices and factors affecting goats’ production system in Adami Tulu Jido kombolcha district of East

Shawa Zone, Ethiopia

Girma Debele1, Mieso Guru1, Feyisa Hundessa2 and Misgana Duguma3 1. Adami Tulu agricultural Research Center P.O.Box 35, Ziway, Ethiopia

2. Haramaya Univesity P.O.Box 138, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia

3. Wallega Universirty Nekemete, Ethiopia

ABSTRACT

The study was conducted in Adami Tulu Jido Kombolcha district of East Shawa Zone of Oromia regional state to assess farmer management practice and factors affecting the health condition of small ruminant in the study areas. A semi- structured questionnaire was administrated to small holder farmers in the study areas. Sixty farmers were randomly selected from Two PAs namely Anano Shisho and Edokontola and subjected to semi structured questionnaire survey. The result of the survey revealed that 56.7, 33.3, 6.7 and 1.7% of the respondents’ farmers have on average 5, 15, 25, 35 and 40 goats respectively. About 76.5% of the respondent’s farmers are used communal grazing lands during the dry and wet season of the years. The most economic important of small ruminant diseases frequently observed in the study areas were identified as PPR, Cu deficiency, Sheep Pox and Parasite. To control internal parasites 51.7% of the respondents’ farmers of the study areas deworm their goats whereas 48.3% do not practiced deworming of their flocks. Majority of them (21.7%) deworm their animal whenever the goats have got health problem. About 91.7 % of the respondent farmers did not practice treating of their goats against external parasites. Hence, creating the awareness of farmers on goat’s health management practices and on feeds supplementation strategies especially during the dry season of the year should be due in place.

Key word: Management practice, colostrum’s, deworm, parasite. INTRODUCTION

Small ruminant production is important due to the fact that it can easily be managed, requires small initial investments and its short generation interval (Otte, M.J. and P. Chilonda. 2002). Indigenous goat breeds constitute over 95% of the small ruminant population of Africa and that of Ethiopia is 99.77% that are indigenous breeds (CSA, 2012). In East Shoa administrative zone, there are over 488.5 thousand goats and in West Arsi administrative zone, there are over 370 thousand goats. The recent data from CSA (2012) indicated that country’s goat population growth rate is 1.1% with off-take rate of 35%. In Ethiopia goat production accounts for 16.8% of total meat supply (Ameha, 2008) and 16.7% of milk consumed in the country (Tsedeke, 2007). In Ethiopia sheep and goats are raised by smallholder farmers as a major source of meat and immediate cash income. The recently released poverty map by ILRI, 2006 indicate that livestock types are key indicators where families sit on the poverty scale, sheep and goats being considered poor-man’s

species. National estimates of livestock number for 2005 indicate that Ethiopia has 23.2 million sheep and 22.8 million goats. The majority of the farming communities of Ethiopian practices rearing of small ruminants. Small ruminants are kept for the purpose of meat, milk and wool production and income generation. Small ruminants are an important animal in subsistence agriculture because of unique ability to adapt and maintain themselves in harsh environments. Skin and manure are valuable by products of sheep and goat production. Owing to their ability to thrive and reproduce fast even in harsh environments they used as source of risk mitigation during crop failures, property security, monetary saving and investment in addition to many of other socio-economic and cultural function (Markos Tibbo, 2006). Ethiopia has great potentials to export large number of small ruminant and their byproducts especially to the Middle East and other African markets (Solomon et al., 2002). This diverse sheep genetic resource is distributed from the cool alpine climate of the mountainous highlands to the arid pastoral areas of the lowland. Furthermore, they have

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a place in local custom, religion and festival occasions. Our traditional way of goat management is challenged by low survivability and high mortalities of kids. The outcome of the study will also be used to formulate sound disease prevention and control strategies. Reducing lamb and kid mortality brings a better financial income for farmers and pastoralists. Examination of farmers’ management practices that influence the survivability of kids in small-scale communal goat production systems will lead to an appropriate extension message to meet the needs of sheep and goat farmers. Hence, the present experiment was aimed to accomplish the following objectives-

-To assess farmers’ management practice of goats production system in the study areas.

-To assess factors affecting the health condition of goats in the study areas.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Description of the study area: The study was conducted in Adami Tulu Jido-Kombolcha (ATJK) district of East Showa of Oromia, Ethiopia. Adami Tulu Jiddo Kombolcha district is located in middle rift valley of Ethiopia, at 160km centering the capital of the district (Ziway), in south eastern part of Oromia. It lies at latitude of 7.58ºN and 38.43ºE longitudes. The total land area of the district is 1403.3km

2 (140,330

hectare) which is inhabited by 177,492 people, of which more than 79 percent are living in the rural area. The agro-ecological zone of the district is semi-arid and sub-humid in which 90% of the area is lowland while the remaining 10% is intermediate with altitude ranges from 1500 –2000 meter above sea level. The mean annual rainfall is 875mm which ranges from 750-1000mm and the distribution is highly variable between and within years. The mean annual temperature ranges from 22-28

0C.

Sample size and sampling procedures: A semi- structured questionnaire was administrated to small holder farmers to assess farmers’ small ruminant management practice in the study areas. In each selected PAs thirty farmers were randomly selected from others farmers and subjected to the semi structured questionnaire survey. Socio economic data of the farms and small ruminants were obtained and recorded through the use of a structured interview. To obtain socio-economic data farmers were visited and interviewed during the survey time. Nutrition was estimated by body condition score (BCS) of does using the methods describe by Peacock (1996). Body condition score was assessed

by examining the area around the backbone, behind the last rib and around the tail area, which are recommended as the best areas for estimating the relative amount of body fat and muscle on a sheep and goat. A ranking score ranging from 0-5 was used as described by Steel (1996) as follows. Condition score 0 is extremely thin nearly dead, no muscle between skin and the bones.

Condition score 1- is where the spinous processes are sharp and stick up, transverse processes are sharp and your fingers easily push under their ends, there is a hollow between the end of each process and loin muscle are shallow.

Condition score 2-is where spinous processes feel less sharp, your finger can be pushed under the transverse processes with a little pressure. Loin muscles are of moderate depth.

Condition score 3- is where spinous processes only stick up very slightly, they are smooth and rounded, firm pressure is needed to detect each one separately, transverse processes are smooth and well covered, loin muscles are full. Condition score 4- is where spinous processes can just be felt, with firm pressure, as a hard line and are level with a fresh on either side and the loin muscles are full. Condition score 5- is where spinous process cannot be felt at all, transverse processes can be felt and loin muscles are fully developed.

Data analysis: Data were organized summarized and analyzed using SPSS statistical package (SPSS 19.). For data involving frequencies, descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the collected information in the study areas.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

A Semi structured questionnaire survey was conducted during May 2009 to June 2010 in two PAs namely Anano shisho and Edogojola of Adami Tulu Jido Kombolcha Distric show that 56.7, 33.3, 6.7 and 1.7% of the respondents farmers have on average 5, 15, 25, 35 and 40 goats respectively.

Small ruminant feeds and feeding practices: In the study areas there are high shortage of feeds especially during the dry season of the years. As a result of this almost all farmers in the study areas are migrate their flock to lake areas to escape the dry season of the year. Feed shortage is a major problem of small production system in the study areas. Similar

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report were reported by many authors in different parts of the country (Abule, 2003; Kedija, 2006; Teshome, 2006; Endeshaw, 2007; Getahun, 2008; Tesfaye, 2008).

Grazing is the common feed source for small ruminants in the study area. Communal grazing land, roadside grazing, riverside grazing and aftermath grazing are the major types of grazing for sheep and goats in the study area. Indigenous browses are other sources of feeds in the study area especially for goats while concentrates are not common. Goats of the study areas are total dependent on natural pasture and tree species for graze and browse during the days’ time. Communal grazing land is also available in the study areas on which the flocks of goats are extensively reared on it. Al most about 76.5% of the respondent’s farmers are used communal grazing lands during the dry and wet season of the years. Only 23.3% of the respondents’ farmers do not have enough space of land for grazing their goats. Farmers in study area have limited practice of feed conservation. Only about 15% of the interviewed households reported for practicing feed conservation in the form of hay while other feed conservation methods like silage are not well known in the area. The major reason for not practicing feed conservation techniques were lack of awareness, skill

and experience and absence of surplus feed to be conserved feeds. Nowadays the grazing lands are limited and almost there is no grass/legume to be conserved.

Vaccination of goats: Small ruminant diseases are the main problems of smallholder farmers’ in the study areas. The most economic important of small ruminant diseases frequently observed in the study areas were identified as PPR, cu deficiency, sheep pox and parasite. Similar to this finding Solomon et al., 1995; Yohannes et al., 1995; Solomon and Gemeda, 2000; Markos, 2006 has reported that high prevalence of diseases and parasites are another serious constraint for small ruminant production in Ethiopia. This causes high mortality amongst kids and lambs, diminishing the benefits of their high reproductive. To control the spread of these diseases in the study areas about 76.75% of the respondent of the study areas were practiced vaccinating of their goats against the most common small ruminant diseases whenever an outbreak diseases is occurred. However, 21.7% of the respondents did not vaccinate their goats. In the study areas most of (76.7%) animal health service was delivered by governmental animal heath personnel. The frequence farmers in the study areas vaccinate their goats is showed in figure 1 below.

Fig. 1: frequency of farmer’s practiced vaccinating of their flocks

Deworming of Goats: To control internal parasites 51.7% of the respondents farmers of the study areas deworm their goats where as 48.3% do not deworm their animals for this purpose. Majority of them

(21.7%) deworm their animal whenever the goats become get sick, 11.7% deworm their goats once per year, and 10% deworm in every six months.

18%

37%

2%

22%

Some times During out break

disease

every six month yearly

Percentage respondents vaccinating their goats

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Control of external parasites: From the interview made it was observed that about 91.7 % of the respondent farmers did not practice treating of their goats against external parasites but only 8.3% of the farmers were well practiced control of external parasites by treated their goats whenever they saw external parasite on the skin of their goats.

Kids’ management practices: About 20% of the respondents do not know to let the newly born kids to feed colostrums within 36-72 hours whereas majority of them ( 80% ) they well known to suckle the newly born kids in order to feed colostrums. Some kids could not suckle soon after birth because of this 60% of the respondents’ farmers support the newly born kid to suckle dams. Whereas 73.36% of the respondents did not assist, the newly born kids. The kids suckle their dams by themselves without the assistance of the goats’ owners.

In the present study separation of the new born from their does and the rest of the flock and keeping them near homestead significantly affected pre-weaning kid mortality, in which more death were found in flocks in which new born kids and their does run with the rest of the flock. This may be associated with a high risk of miss mothering, injury, predators and insufficient ingestion of colostrum. There might also be a high chance of getting contagious disease by running with the flock when the new born kids are not immunologically competent. This result is in agreement with Sharif et al. (2005) who reported that kids were at higher risk of dying if they were not being separated from adult animals; this risk factor increases the accident and the contamination of the environment of neonates. Separation of sick animals from the flock contributes to kid survival as it minimizes the risk of transmission of contagious diseases.

Weaning of Kids: Even if they were practiced of weaning of their kids about 63.3% of the respondents in the study areas did not wean their kids. The kids wean by themselves whereas 11.7, 10, 3.3 and 1.7, % of the respondent were wean the newly born kids

at three months, six months, four months and five months respectively. The main reason of smallholder in study areas weaning their newly born kids is to get another newborn kid and to stop suckling kids when the dam becomes pregnant.

Kid’s health management practices: Almost half of the respondent of the study areas do not separate sick animals from normal animals. However, other respondent farmers are well practiced well practiced to separate sick animals from healthy animals. Around 70% of the respondents did not separate newly born kids and the dams from other flock both during night and day time. Only 30% of the respondents were separate both new born and their dams from other flocks. Majority of the smallholder farmers of the study areas dispose the dead animals anywhere. However, about 5% and 35% of the respondent burring and provided for dog the dead animals respectively. According to the respondents of the study areas pre weaning kids mortality rate is much higher greater than post weaning kids mortality rate. According to the respondents’ answers the most clinical signs observed before the death of kids in the study areas are diarrhea, loss of appetite, nasal discharge emaciation, and nodular skin are frequently observed on goat. As it was observed from respondent farmers, most the kids of the study areas were frequently died during the dry and summer season of the years. However, very few kids were died during short rainy seasons of the years. In general, 60%, 21.7% and 3.3% of the respondents they respond the trend of kids mortality rate as increases, decrease and no change respectively. According to the respondents, answer the main reasons for increasing the trend of kids mortality rate is because of overcrowding, drought, absence of organized animal health service and due to newly emergence of animal diseases in the areas. In these study areas, mortality of kids mostly observed in triple birth followed by twin birth very little death is frequently observed in single birth kids. See figure 2 below.

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Fig. 2. Mortality of kids associated with birth type of does in the study areas.

According to the respondents responses 51.7%, 16.7%, 18.3%, 6.7% and 1.7% of kids mortality were mostly observed kids borned from 1

st, 2

nd, 3

rd, 4

th, and

5th parity of does respectively. From the survey result

it was observed that mortality of kids is decreased as the parity of the does is increased. This finding is similar with the result of Awemu et al. (1999) who reported reduction in mortality rate with increased parities and attributed this to physiological maturity of

older does and their ability to provide enough milk for the kids. The difference between the two results may be due to high percentage of triplating in our study as compared to them. Lower prolificacy of primiparous does may be associated with an underdeveloped state of the reproductive features required for successive liter bearing compared with those of multiparous does that have reached physiological maturity. See figure 3 below.

Fig. 3. Mortality of kids associated with parity of does in the study areas

Culling of small ruminants: In the study areas farmers are practice culling of small ruminants due

fertility problem (52.2%), old age (65.4%) and unwanted physical characteristics 62.4 %). However

12%

60% 62%

Mortality of kids observed

Single birth Twin birth Triple birth

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Mortality of kids observed

Pe

rce

nta

ge First parity

Second parity

Third parity

Forth parity

Fivth parity

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higher percentages of goats were culled due to fertility problem (90.9) and unwanted physical characteristics (81.8). Similar to this result Agyemang et al., (1986) also reported that culling of small ruminants was occurred due to either old age or infertility or during financial problem.

Entry and Exit of small ruminant in the study areas: In the study area sheep and goat enter and leave the farmers flock through a number of ways. Among of these ways migration due search feeds, through birth, purchases and gift is the different way of entry and exist of small ruminant in the study areas.

Body condition scoring: From a total of 315 flocks observed in study areas about 3%, 34%, 28%, 19% and 2.5% goats are scored a body condition score of 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively. Here majority of the goats are scored a body condition score of 2. This implies that there is a shortage of feeds for goats’ production in this study area. Their body condition score is directly reflects the management practices of farmers provided for their flocks.

Factors affecting small ruminant production systems.

Diseases: From the total interviewed farmers about 95% of the respondent in the study areas are indicated as disease is the major health problem of small ruminant production. About 88.3% of the interviewed farmers are responded there is high pre weaning mortality of small ruminant in the study areas. About 60% of the respondent farmers are reported as the trend of mortality of kids is increased. But only 21% of the interviewed farmers are responded as the trend of kid mortality is decreased. About 56.7%, 33.3%, 30%, and 10% of the respondents farmers are showed that winter, summer, Autum and spring are the season when most of the kids are frequently died.

Feeds shortage: Shortage of feeds is one of the critical problems for small ruminant production in the study areas. Soon after the entrance of the dry season of the year almost majority of smallholder farmers found in the study are migrate their flock to lake areas where there is ample feeds for small ruminant as a result of the presence of lake.

Poor housing condition: From the survey conducted it was realized that about 22% of the interviewed farmers are indoor their flock together with family house. But only 78% of the respondent farmers are kept their flock in separate house during

the night time. There is shortage of house for small ruminant production in the study areas. Overcrowded flock in their house was observed during the survey time. As a result of this about 70% of the respondent farmers did not separate new born kids and their does from the rest. However about 50% of the farmers are separate sick animals from healthy animals.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

From the survey result it was concluded that majority of smallholder farmers found in the study areas do not know how to control small ruminant diseases and pareasites. About 91.7 % of the respondent farmers did not practice treating of their goats against external parasites but only 8.3% of the farmers were well practiced control of external parasites by treated their goats whenever they saw external parasite on the skin of their goats.

Morover the management practices they provided for their flock is not so much good. As result of this many flocks are died during the dry season of the year. There is a cricial shortage of feeds for goats prodution in the study areas during the dry season of the year. Most of the kids of the study areas were frequently died during the dry and summer season of the years. The main reasons for increasing the trend of kids mortality is because of overcrowding, drought, absence of organized animal health service and due to newly emergence of animal diseases in the areas.

Majority of farmers in the study areas do not practicing feed conservation techniques due to lack of awareness, skill and experience and absence of surplus feed to be conserved feeds.

Hence, create awareness of farmers on goat’s health management practices and on feeds

Supplementation strategies especially during the dry season should be due in place.

Acknowledgement

We are very grateful to ESGPIP for financial assistant in order to accomplish this research work

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