Women Beneficiaries Provided with Small Ruminants after 2 Days Training

TRAINING OF SELECTED FEMALE HEADED HOUSEHOLDS (FHHs) ON SMALL RUMINANT PRODUCTION, MANAGEMENT & PRIMARY HEALTH CARE 

20th to 21st May , 2011

Background

In line with RISE Objective of empowering the vulnerable in communities to live dignified lives and become self-relient, 20 women were supported to acquire and rear small ruminats. Each woman was given three goats. Below is a guide for organisations interested in replicating. 

Why do we keep Small Ruminants (Sheep & Goats)?

·        Meat (protein source)

·        Skins used for leather work & handicraft

·        Manure/ faeces used to improve soil fertility

·        Social values: - used to pay dowry etc. and presented on festive occasions like funerals

·        Religious values: - religious sacrifices e.g. during Islamic Festivals

·        Economic value: - major source of income and means of livelihood

·        Employment: - Act as a source employment to those who engage in it etc.

What are some factors required for keeping small ruminants?

·        Interest in raising the animals

·        Housing & sanitation

·        Feed & watering

·        Basic knowledge in husbandry & management practices

·        Veterinary assistance

·        Financial assistance

·        Labour

·        Market etc.

What are some challenges/constraints of keeping small ruminants?

·        High cost of vet drugs

·        Outbreak of diseases

·        Inadequate feed & water during the dry season

·        Stealing of small ruminants (theft)

·        Difficulty in accessing credit/ loans etc.

Why is housing important in keeping small ruminants?

·        To give them better environment for maximum performance

·        To protect them from direct rain, sunshine, diseases, pests, thieves/predators

·        For easy management (treatment, dipping, spaying, vaccination)

·        To accumulate manure for fuel and organic fertilizer etc.

How should housing & sanitation look like in the keeping of small ruminants?

·        It should have east – west orientation

·        Roofing should be leakage free – whether thatch or zinc is used for roofing

·        The floor of the housing should be well compacted, and should have good drainage for easy cleaning

·        The house should be well ventilated

·        Adequate space for all animals

·        It should be cleaned regularly and manure dumped far away from the house to prevent outbreak of diseases and pests etc.

How should small ruminants be fed & watered?

·        Pasture: Tether animals to feed or animals should be guided by shepherds (May – October i.e. raining season)

·        Crop residues: Groundnut vines, beans vines, sweet potato vines

·        Supplementary feed: Wheat bran, rice bran, maize, mill wastes (flour), pito wastes (mash), mineral & salt licks

·        Water: From dams, dugouts, wells, boreholes, rivers etc.

Why should animals be fed & watered?

·        Increase production – milk, lambing /kidding

·        Less disease incidence

·        Increase in income

·        Increase crop production as a result of use of manure to increase soil fertility etc.

What husbandry & management practices are useful in the keeping of small ruminants?

·        Castration- It is done to fatten the male or remove undesirable traits

·        Deworming – It is done to reduce incidence of worms

·        Vaccination – It is done to prevent infection of diseases that can be prevented with a vaccine

·        Weaning – It is done to prevent the offspring from continuous suckling to enable the dam to reproduce faster

·        Dipping/Spraying – It is a practice to control ecto-parasites’ infestation

·        Record keeping – It is practice to keep up to date data / information of production. It helps farmers to understand the performance of their animals/stock/farm etc.

What other husbandry & management practices helps to prevent/reduce disease outbreaks in sheep & goats?

·        Put animals on feed or pasture that is not contaminated with disease causing organisms

·        Provide clean, dry and well ventilated housing

·        Isolate sick and weak animals

·        Keep the young animals in separate pens

·        Provide clean feeding and watering troughs

·        Disinfect pens always, especially when introducing new or strange stock

·        Bury dead carcases properly far away from the reach of live animals

·        Vaccinate animals against all diseases that have vaccines (anthrax, PPR)

How do small ruminants breed under good husbandry and management practices?

·        Sheep & goats breed throughout the year

·        Sheep & goats produce 3 kids/lambs in every 2 years

·        Sheep & goats breed when they are 10 months – 1 year old

·        The breeding ratio for male : female for sheep and goats is 1male: 20 females

·        Sheep & goats take 5 months to kid/lamb

·        Twining in sheep and goats depends on genetics, good feeding, healthcare and good general management etc.

What are signs of good health in small ruminants?

·        Eyes – Clear, bright and moist

·        Coat – Smooth and shiny

·        Skin – Smooth and free of lumps, scabs and debris. *If the skin is picked up and released, it immediately springs back

·        Faeces – Normal consistency. Small ruminants produce pelleted faeces

·        Body temperature – Normal, test by thermometer (38.5 – 40.5 degrees celcius)

·        Rib and pelvic bones – Well muscled and not prominent

·        Sides – Smooth convex line from elbows to hind legs

·        Respiration – at rest, three equal phases: breathing in out and pause

·        Gait – walking: steady rhythm; Standing: comfortable on all feet

·        Visible mucous membranes – e.g. eyes, gums – smooth, glistering and pink if not pigmented

·        Inside of mouth – Wet

·        Muzzle – Moist and cool

·        Demeanour – alert and curious

What are signs of ill-health in small ruminants?

·        Skin – Lumps, loose scabs, flakes or debris. *If skin held and released and it does not stretch to normal position. *Mange – mite infestation

·        Faeces – Pasty or watery (PPR/ goat plague – diarrhoea)

·        Head – Tears running on the face, discharge from nostril, dry muzzle, drooling saliva, dry mouth, heads down

·        Gait – Lameness e.g. foot rot, animal moving far behind others

·        Respiration – Difficulty in breathing

·        Body temperature – High i.e. above 40.5 celcius

·        Reproduction – Abortion. Young animals born dead

·        Deaths- Sudden death of animals, high fever. Example Anthrax in grazing animals – blood discharge upon death

·        General condition – Reduce milk production, reduced weight, prominent pelvic & rib bones, concave live body shape

·        Animal not eating – Foot & mouth disease, loss of appetite

·        Sick animals lie away from others

What are some causes of ill-health in small ruminants?

Chemical causes:

·        Fertilizer poisoning

·        Insecticide poisoning

·        Plant poisoning

·        Nutritional deficiencies

Biological:

·        Internal & external parasites

·        Bacteria, viruses & fungus

·        Congenital conditions (born with illness)

How do infectious diseases spread in small ruminants?

·        Direct contact between animals

·        Germs in feed and water

·        By faeces and urine from sick animals

·        By flies, ticks, lice and fleas

·        By dirty housing or shelters

Young and old animals become infested more easily

How can we prevent or minimize the spread of infectious diseases?

·        Clean pens

·        Clean animals

·        Clean feed & water

·        Clean shelter & bedding

·        Keep sick animals separate from the others

·        Use of vaccines

What vaccinations are there for small ruminants against infectious diseases?

·        Immunization against Peste des Petits Ruminant (PPR)

·        Immunization against Anthrax and Clostridial infections

What husbandry practices can help reduce disease incidence in small ruminants?

·        Deticking of animals to remove ticks. Sheep & goats are deticked two (2) times a year i.e. before the onset of the rains and at the end of the rainfall season

·        Castration- To remove undesirable traits

·        Deworming – done to reduce incidence of worms. Sheep & goats are dewormed two (2) times a year i.e. before the onset of the rains and at the end of the rainfall season

·        Vaccination – done to prevent infection of diseases that can be prevented with a vaccine. Vaccinate animals against all diseases that have vaccines (anthrax, PPR)

·        Dipping/Spraying – To control ecto-parasites’ infestation

·        Put animals on feed or pasture that is not contaminated with disease causing organisms

·        Provide clean, dry and well ventilated housing

·        Provide clean feeding and watering troughs

·        Isolate sick and weak animals

·        Keep the young animals in separate pens

·        Disinfect pens always, especially when introducing new or strange stock

·        Bury dead carcases properly far away from the reach of live animals

NOTE: In all cases, when any disease problem is suspected, report promptly to

Veterinary Officers/ Agricultural Extension Agents (AEAs).