EFFECT OF TRADITIONAL HUSBANDRY ON REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF GOATS IN BENISHANGUL-GUMUZ REGION
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2008-06
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Abstract
Study was conducted from October 2007 to April 2008 in six districts of two administrative zones of the Benishangul-Gumuz region to determine the reproductive performance of goats under traditional husbandry system. Structure questionnaire and a field clinical survey studies were used on a total of 200 randomly selected households. The entire goats owned by the households were clinically examined for the presence of any health problem. Records of animal identification, parameters of reproductive performance such as weaning age and age at puberty, litter size, KI, the type of management practice and clinical parameters were taken on pre-designed format. The type of management was measured from conditions of housing (absence or presence), feeding (presence of supplementation), and health (getting veterinary service). The level of management was categorized as poor, moderate and good according to Song et al., (2006). Accordingly, goats were primarily (68%) kept for income generation while some (26%) keep goats for both income generation and/or meat. The common housing practice was either poor (48.5%) or inexistent (51.5%). Feeding on natural pasture with supplementation (commonly maize, sorghum or kitchen waste) constitute 29% while the remaining 71% were known to exclusively depend on grazing. The major production constraints were health problems (53%); poor genetic potential (20.43%) and shortage of feed (20.32%). Generally, goats reached puberty at 6.5±1.22 (male) and 6.7±1.22 months (female). The mean (±sd) kidding interval was 252.35±31.46 days with a mean (±sd) litter size of 1.6±0.3. Annual reproductive rate was found to be 2.2kids/year. The mean (±sd) weaning age was 4.74±0.7 months. All animals were clinically examined on the basis of the history, inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation and information was taken from each household during the study period. Out of 461 clinically examined animals the incidence of external parasitism, internal parasitism; reproductive diseases, and infectious diseases were in the order of 80.7 %, 23.2%, 16.1% and 22.8 %, respectively. The primary goat feed resource was natural pasture and river was a main source of water. The prevailing housing is rudimentary and difficulty for management of different categories of goats. Over all management level, especially health management and feeding regime were found to be the
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primary factors significantly affecting the reproductive parameters of goats. Kidding interval and weaning age were the most affected parameters by existing traditional husbandry in the study area.
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Goat, Reproductive performance, Traditional Husbandry