Communal production systems of goats raised by resource-poor farmers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
- Authors: Gwaze, Francisca Rumosa
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Agriculture -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Commons -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Pastoral systems -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Goats -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Animal Science)
- Identifier: vital:11578 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/172 , Agriculture -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Commons -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Pastoral systems -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Goats -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: Goats significantly contribute towards the subsistence, economic and social livelihoods of many resource-poor farmers in developing countries, the majority of which own goats. There, however, is dearth of information on communal goat production potential and roles to the rural populace. The broad objective of the study was to evaluate production practices, constraints, production efficiency and to determine nutritional and health status of goats raised by resource-poor communal farmers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Roles and management systems of goats, goat flock dynamics and, prevalence and loads of gastrointestinal infections and the nutritional status of goats in the study areas were determined. The relationships among body weight, body condition score, faecal egg counts and, haematological and biochemical profiles were also determined. Mean goat flock sizes per household were similar between the two districts studied; Amatole (14.0 ± 0.31) and Alfred Nzo (14.1 ± 1.42). Seventy-nine percent of households in Amatole and 78% in Alfred Nzo kept goats for ceremonies, such as the initiation ceremonies. Goat houses in the two districts were poorly constructed. Thirty two percent of farmers in Alfred Nzo district and 27% in Amatole district reported low buck to doe ratios, suggesting that inbreeding might have been reducing productivity of their flocks. Kid mortality had two major peaks; in May (21%) and in September (21%). Goat production potential (GPP), the proportion of mature and growing goats to the total flock size, was affected by gender of owner of goats. Goats owned by female had a significantly lower GPP value of 0.63 ± 0.015 than goats owned by male farmers (0.70 ± 0.010). Month also significantly affected GPP with the highest (P < 0.05) GPP recorded in May, June and July and the lowest in March and April. Village affected GPP with values for Nkosana and Qawukeni being significantly higher than for Mankone. Goat production potential was also higher (P < 0.05) in small flocks (0.04 ± 0.008) than in large flocks (0.02 ± 0.008). Goat production efficiency (GPE) ranged from 0.11 ± 0.193 in April to 1.55 ± 0.193 in December. The most prevalent gastrointestinal eggs were the strongyle egg type (68.4 ± 8.49 in Qawukeni and 96.1 ± 12.01 in Nkosana) followed by coccidia (53.3 ± 8.76 in Qawukeni and 68.8 ± 8.00 in Mankone). The other identified nematodes were Strongyloides and Trichostrongylus egg types. The trematodes observed were Fasciola and Paramphistomum species. High loads of strongyle eggs were observed in the hot-wet season and the post-rainy season, whilst the other egg types showed a peak in the hot-wet season only. For most of the gastrointestinal parasite eggs, prevalence was higher (P < 0.05) in the sour rangeland compared to the sweet rangeland. Higher (P < 0.05) levels of total protein (TP), globulin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and creatinine kinase (CK) levels were recorded in the wet than in the dry season. Body condition scores were positively correlated (P < 0.05) to albumin, body weight and packed cell volume. However, body condition scores were negatively correlated to TP, glucose, alanine transaminase (ALT) and AST. Strongyle egg loads were positively correlated to FAMACHA scores, packed cell volume, body weight and body condition score. The observed high globulin levels suggested a chronic health challenge. Thus, it is fundamental to devise affordable interventions for the control of gastrointestinal parasites in communal goats leading to improved goat productivity and hence rural livelihood
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Gwaze, Francisca Rumosa
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Agriculture -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Commons -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Pastoral systems -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Goats -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Animal Science)
- Identifier: vital:11578 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/172 , Agriculture -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Commons -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Pastoral systems -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Goats -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: Goats significantly contribute towards the subsistence, economic and social livelihoods of many resource-poor farmers in developing countries, the majority of which own goats. There, however, is dearth of information on communal goat production potential and roles to the rural populace. The broad objective of the study was to evaluate production practices, constraints, production efficiency and to determine nutritional and health status of goats raised by resource-poor communal farmers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Roles and management systems of goats, goat flock dynamics and, prevalence and loads of gastrointestinal infections and the nutritional status of goats in the study areas were determined. The relationships among body weight, body condition score, faecal egg counts and, haematological and biochemical profiles were also determined. Mean goat flock sizes per household were similar between the two districts studied; Amatole (14.0 ± 0.31) and Alfred Nzo (14.1 ± 1.42). Seventy-nine percent of households in Amatole and 78% in Alfred Nzo kept goats for ceremonies, such as the initiation ceremonies. Goat houses in the two districts were poorly constructed. Thirty two percent of farmers in Alfred Nzo district and 27% in Amatole district reported low buck to doe ratios, suggesting that inbreeding might have been reducing productivity of their flocks. Kid mortality had two major peaks; in May (21%) and in September (21%). Goat production potential (GPP), the proportion of mature and growing goats to the total flock size, was affected by gender of owner of goats. Goats owned by female had a significantly lower GPP value of 0.63 ± 0.015 than goats owned by male farmers (0.70 ± 0.010). Month also significantly affected GPP with the highest (P < 0.05) GPP recorded in May, June and July and the lowest in March and April. Village affected GPP with values for Nkosana and Qawukeni being significantly higher than for Mankone. Goat production potential was also higher (P < 0.05) in small flocks (0.04 ± 0.008) than in large flocks (0.02 ± 0.008). Goat production efficiency (GPE) ranged from 0.11 ± 0.193 in April to 1.55 ± 0.193 in December. The most prevalent gastrointestinal eggs were the strongyle egg type (68.4 ± 8.49 in Qawukeni and 96.1 ± 12.01 in Nkosana) followed by coccidia (53.3 ± 8.76 in Qawukeni and 68.8 ± 8.00 in Mankone). The other identified nematodes were Strongyloides and Trichostrongylus egg types. The trematodes observed were Fasciola and Paramphistomum species. High loads of strongyle eggs were observed in the hot-wet season and the post-rainy season, whilst the other egg types showed a peak in the hot-wet season only. For most of the gastrointestinal parasite eggs, prevalence was higher (P < 0.05) in the sour rangeland compared to the sweet rangeland. Higher (P < 0.05) levels of total protein (TP), globulin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and creatinine kinase (CK) levels were recorded in the wet than in the dry season. Body condition scores were positively correlated (P < 0.05) to albumin, body weight and packed cell volume. However, body condition scores were negatively correlated to TP, glucose, alanine transaminase (ALT) and AST. Strongyle egg loads were positively correlated to FAMACHA scores, packed cell volume, body weight and body condition score. The observed high globulin levels suggested a chronic health challenge. Thus, it is fundamental to devise affordable interventions for the control of gastrointestinal parasites in communal goats leading to improved goat productivity and hence rural livelihood
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Reproductive performance of cows in sweet and sour veld types under communal production systems in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
- Authors: Nqeno, Noluvuyo
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Pastoral systems -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Commons -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Beef cattle -- Breeding , Beef cattle -- Reproduction , Grazing -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Dairy cattle , Cows
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Animal Science)
- Identifier: vital:11815 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/141 , Pastoral systems -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Commons -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Beef cattle -- Breeding , Beef cattle -- Reproduction , Grazing -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Dairy cattle , Cows
- Description: The objective of the study was to evaluate cow reproductive performance in the sweetveld and sourveld communal grazing areas of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. In the first experiment, farmer perceptions were obtained using participatory rural appraisals. Farmers ranked lack of fences, tick-borne diseases, poor animal condition during winter and poor breeding practices, respectively as major constraints limiting cattle production in the Eastern Cape. Cattle, sheep and goats, in that order, were ranked as the most important livestock species and were mainly kept for meat, cash and ceremonies, respectively. The non-descript cattle breed was the most common breed found in the smallholder areas. Most farmers preferred Nguni breed because of its adaptive attributes. In the second experiment, structured questionnaires were administered, between June and August 2006, to a total of 551 farmers from 10 communities of the Eastern Cape. There was a significant association (P<0.05) between the use of pregnancy diagnoses and community. About 87 and 77 % of the interviewed farmers did not respond on the extent of pregnancy and calving rates in their herds. A higher proportion of farmers from Hekele (51%) and from Upper Mnxe (45.3%) communities reported low number of bulls as a major constraint to cow reproductive performance. Body condition and ovarian activity were measured in the sweet and sour veld types. Body condition score of animals was measured from March iii 2007 until January 2008 and ovarian activity of cows was performed by a veterinarian through rectal palpation in June, August and October 2007 and January 2008. From March to July, there was a marked decline in body condition on both veld types. In the sweetveld, body condition improved from September until January, whereas in the sourveld the improvement in body condition started in October. The cows in both veld types conceived throughout the year. Most cows in the sweetveld were cycling in January and August (P<0.05) whereas in the sourveld there was no distinct period when the animals were cycling. Overall, there were no differences in the proportion of cows that were cycling between the sour and sweet veldts (P>0.05). There were more cows cycling in sourveld in October than in the sweetveld. Reproductive performance of cows in communal areas could, therefore, be determined by levels and quality of nutrition. Keywords: Participatory rural appraisals; Structured questionnaires; Farmer participation; Farmer perceptions; Body condition scoring; Ovarian activity; Pregnancy diagnoses.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Nqeno, Noluvuyo
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Pastoral systems -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Commons -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Beef cattle -- Breeding , Beef cattle -- Reproduction , Grazing -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Dairy cattle , Cows
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Animal Science)
- Identifier: vital:11815 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/141 , Pastoral systems -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Commons -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Beef cattle -- Breeding , Beef cattle -- Reproduction , Grazing -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Dairy cattle , Cows
- Description: The objective of the study was to evaluate cow reproductive performance in the sweetveld and sourveld communal grazing areas of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. In the first experiment, farmer perceptions were obtained using participatory rural appraisals. Farmers ranked lack of fences, tick-borne diseases, poor animal condition during winter and poor breeding practices, respectively as major constraints limiting cattle production in the Eastern Cape. Cattle, sheep and goats, in that order, were ranked as the most important livestock species and were mainly kept for meat, cash and ceremonies, respectively. The non-descript cattle breed was the most common breed found in the smallholder areas. Most farmers preferred Nguni breed because of its adaptive attributes. In the second experiment, structured questionnaires were administered, between June and August 2006, to a total of 551 farmers from 10 communities of the Eastern Cape. There was a significant association (P<0.05) between the use of pregnancy diagnoses and community. About 87 and 77 % of the interviewed farmers did not respond on the extent of pregnancy and calving rates in their herds. A higher proportion of farmers from Hekele (51%) and from Upper Mnxe (45.3%) communities reported low number of bulls as a major constraint to cow reproductive performance. Body condition and ovarian activity were measured in the sweet and sour veld types. Body condition score of animals was measured from March iii 2007 until January 2008 and ovarian activity of cows was performed by a veterinarian through rectal palpation in June, August and October 2007 and January 2008. From March to July, there was a marked decline in body condition on both veld types. In the sweetveld, body condition improved from September until January, whereas in the sourveld the improvement in body condition started in October. The cows in both veld types conceived throughout the year. Most cows in the sweetveld were cycling in January and August (P<0.05) whereas in the sourveld there was no distinct period when the animals were cycling. Overall, there were no differences in the proportion of cows that were cycling between the sour and sweet veldts (P>0.05). There were more cows cycling in sourveld in October than in the sweetveld. Reproductive performance of cows in communal areas could, therefore, be determined by levels and quality of nutrition. Keywords: Participatory rural appraisals; Structured questionnaires; Farmer participation; Farmer perceptions; Body condition scoring; Ovarian activity; Pregnancy diagnoses.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
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