Current status of cattle production system in Nyagatare District-Rwanda

A study was conducted to characterize the cattle production systems in Nyagatare District, Eastern Province of Rwanda using pre-tested questionnaires, interviews with key informants as well as focus group discussions in a period of 2 months. The respondents were selected by multi-stage sampling at sector and cell levels. Based on the procedure of Krejcie and Morgan (Educational and Psychological Measurement 30:607–610, 1970) to determine the overall sample size, the result indicated that the majority (98.3%) of farms were privately owned by large families of five to seven members, and most farmers (53.9%) had only primary education. Most respondents (52.6%) were in the age bracket of 41–50 years and were mainly (48.3%) located within 3 km from trading centers. The farm size averaged 6.5 ± 0.8 ha and most farms (64.7%) were fenced except in Rukomo Sector (50%) where zero grazing prevailed. Natural pastures (savanna grass land) were the main feed resource; tethering (9%) and communal grazing had diminished. Napier grass was the main planted forage (93.2%), followed by Chloris guyana (3.1%) and Brachiara (1.2%). Leguminous forages were rarely (2.5%) reported. Vita-mineral and salt block supplements, hay, and crop residues were the predominant supplementary feed stuffs used except in Karangazi and Rwemiyaga Sectors where only vita-mineral block predominated. However, maize and rice brans were reported to be the main feed stuffs used in supplementary feeding of lactating cows. Most farmers (89.7%) reported shortage of water as most of the farmers trekked their cattle to the nearest valley dams (59.2%), rivers (21.1%), and a few 6% had water on farms. Indigenous cattle were predominant (67.03%) followed by cross-breeds (28.37%) and exotics (4.6%) while all farmers kept small ruminants. Natural breeding predominated (74.9%) and most farms (60.6%) had animal houses most of which were temporary (52.8%). The reported mean age at first calving (AFC) was highest (40.2 ± .33) for Ankole and the lowest (29.1 ± .50) months for exotic cattle. Calving interval was shorter in local breeds than 65.7 ± 3.0 in exotic. The mean dairy milk yield was lowest for Ankole cattle 2.4 ± .08 as compared to the exotics (10.42 ± .36) and their crosses (7.2 ± .34). The main challenges were diseases, shortage of water, feeds, and inadequate extension services. Same observation was reported by Okello (African Journal of Range and Forage Science 22(3), 2005) in Uganda.     

Limitations and prospects of improving beef cattle production in the smallholder sector: a case of Limpopo Province,South Africa

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The opportunity for the smallholder beef farming system to support the growth of South Africa’s livestock industry is untapped. Slow growth of the...     

Characterization of broiler poultry production system in Rwanda

A study was conducted on 37 randomly selected broiler poultry farmers in Rwanda to characterize the production system using pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires. The data were processed in SPSS and presented as means, percentages and ranges in tables and text. All respondents kept Cobb breed and young stock was mainly (73 %) imported from abroad. The majority of respondents were males (68 %) and most farmers had attended only primary level of education (40.5 %). Most of the farms were in the peri-urban (48.6 %) and urban (37.8 %) areas and hired male youth (62.2 %) mainly aged 19–35 years. The majority of respondents (68 %) kept less than 500 birds per batch. Recordkeeping was well practiced (91.9 %) and (62.6 %) had permanent poultry houses and all farmers used deep litter system. Purchased feedstuffs were reportedly (92 %) mixed at farm level as the main feed resource. Maize bran was reported (97.06 %) the main, basal feedstuff. The mortality rates of chick and growers were 12.3 and 9.4 %, respectively. The slaughter age was reportedly 60 days with an average dressing percentage of 75.67 %. The main challenges reported were scarcity and unaffordability of quality feeds (59.5 %), lack of market access (45 %) and lack of credit (21 %). The farmers had various views on improving broiler production in Rwanda ranging from establishing feed processing industries 62.2 %, improving marketing facilities 35.1 %, increasing availability of day-old chick and access credit 27 %, to intensification of farmer training 16.2 %.     

An integrated method for improving the dairy production sector in developing countries: the case of Cameroon

During the past six years, ten research topics were carried out with the aim of developing an integrated method to improve production and sustainability of dairy systems in Cameroon. This involved reviewing dairy research done in the country, carrying out a participatory rural appraisal and an economic opportunity survey in selected dairy farms, setting up on-farm interventions, investigating cow reproduction, evaluating milk quality and the impact of integrated interventions. Guidelines for improvement of the dairy sector were set up. It was found that the developed integrated method had a positive impact on dairy farms. Farmers who adopted interventions had nearly 200% higher economic returns. In order to boost the Cameroonian dairy sector, it is suggested that the government acts as a motivating force by organizing the market, ensuring the monitoring of epizootic diseases and providing artificial insemination services and organizing breeding societies. It is also suggested that the integrated method becomes a discipline in dairy science and be applied in other developing countries.     

Gender issues in livestock production: a case study of Zimbabwe

The importance of main streaming gender issues in development programmes is now recognized by governments and development agents. This paper evaluates the role of gender in smallholder livestock production using Zimbabwe as a case study. It draws on several studies and assesses the gender dimension in terms of access and control, decision making and, division of labour. It is shown that for mainly traditional and historical reasons men continue to dominate livestock production although the situation is gradually changing. Men eclipse women in terms of ownership of more valuable stock, the making of decisions and the control of livestock production. This suggests that gender is important in livestock production and must be considered among other factors. The complexity of the system is noted but more gender disaggregated quantitative data is required if gender is to be effectively mainstreamed in livestock development programmes.     

酸化剂在家禽生产中的应用效果

酸化剂作为环保型饲料添加剂的应用研究越来越受人们的重视。本文系统介绍了酸化剂的种类、作用机理、在家禽生产中的应用效果以及使用过程存在的问题,旨在为今后酸化剂在家禽生产中的应用提供参考。     

Livestock production in central mali: Ownership,management and productivity of poultry in the traditional sector

Summary A survey of small-scale poultry production in an urban and two agro-pastoral systems covered 381 households. Less detailed information was also obtained from a small sample in a transhumant pastoral system. More households owned poultry in the rice (89·5%) than in the millet (81·1%) or urban (57·1%) systems. Domestic fowl were commonest in all systems followed by pigeons, Guinea fowl and then ducks, although the last were absent from the millet zone. Most families kept only one species but there was more diversification in the rice system. Flock sizes were largest in the rice system for fowls, Guinea fowl and pigeons while duck flocks averaged more birds in the urban area. Females predominated in all species except pigeons where sex ratios were about equal. Management practices in relation to housing, feeding, health care and consumption and marketing are described. Productivity figures relating to egg production, egg size, hatchability, growth and mortality are provided.

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Resumen Se efectuó una inspección a corta escala, de la producción de aves en un sistema urbano y dos rurales, cubriendo 381 explotaciones. Se obtuvo tambien información no muy detallada, de una muestra peque?a en un sistema pastoral transhumante. La mayoría de empresarios se encontraron en los niveles productores de arroz (89,5%), que en los de millo (81,1%) o urbanos (57,1%). La crianza de gallinas y pollos domésticos predominó sobre la de palomos, gallinetas y patos. Estos últimos no se encontraron entre los cultivadores de millo. La mayoría de familias criaba una sola especie, pero hubo más diversificación entre los cultivadores de arroz. El tama?o de las parvadas fue mayor entre los cultivadores de arroz, en lo relacionado con gallinas, gallinetas y palomos, mientras que las parvadas de patos fueron más numerosas en áreas urbanas. Las hembras predominaron en todas las especies, con la excepción de los palomos, en donde los sexos fueron iguales. Se describen las prácticas de manejo y comercialización. Tambien se dan datos de productividad en cuanto a producción de huevos, tama?o de los mismos, eclosión y mortalidad.

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Résumé Une étude de la production avicole à petite échelle dans un système urbain et dans deux systèmes agro-pastoraux a couvert 381 foyers. On a obtenu moins d’informations détaillées dans un petit échantillon d’un système pastoral transhumant. Il y a plus de foyers possèdant des volailles dans les systèmes à base de riz (89,5%) que dans ceux à base de mil (81,1%) ou urbains (57,1%). Les poules domestiques sont les plus communes dans tous les systèmes, suivies par les pigeons, les pintades et enfin les canards, bien que ces derniers soient absents dans la zone du mil. La plupart des femelles n’ont qu’une seule espèce mais il y a un peu plus de disersification dans la zone du riz. La taille des bandes est plus importante dans la zone du riz concernant les poulets, les pintades et les pigeons, tandis que les troupes de canards ont en moyenne plus d’oiseaux en zone urbaine. Dans toutes les espèces il y a prédominance des femelles, sauf pour les pigeons ou le sex-ratio est égal. Les conditions d’élevage concernant l’habitation, la nourriture, les soins de santé, la consommation et la commercialisation sont décrites. Les chiffres de productivité concernant la production d’oeufs, la taille des oeufs, la fertilité, la croissance et la mortalité sont fournis.

     

Milk production and lactation length in Ankole cattle and Ankole crossbreds in Rwanda

This study assessed daily milk yield (DMY), 100-day (MY100), and 305-day (MY305) milk yield, and lactation length (LL) in purebred Ankole cattle and Ankole crossbreds, and the influence of environmental factors on these traits. Milk yield data were obtained for 865 cows and 1234 lactations and analyzed using a mixed linear model. The overall least squares mean of DMY, MY100, and MY305 across breed groups was 2.7 L (N = 1234, SD = 1.7), 262 L (N = 959, SD = 176), and 759 L (N = 448, SD = 439), respectively, while the average lactation length was 256 days (N = 960, SD = 122). All factors included (breed group, season and year of calving, and parity) were significant for yield traits, except season of calving for MY305. First-parity cows had the lowest milk production, and fourth-parity cows the highest. For all traits, pure Ankole cows had the lowest milk yield. Among the crossbreds, there was no significant difference between Ankole × Friesian, Ankole-Jersey mother × Sahiwal sire, and Ankole-Sahiwal mother × Jersey sire, or between Ankole × Sahiwal and Ankole-Sahiwal mother × Sahiwal sire. It was concluded that Ankole crosses with Friesian or Jersey can be beneficial, even under a management system of limited nutrition as in Rwanda.

     

Comparison of production systems and selection criteria of Ankole cattle by breeders in Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda

A survey in Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda was conducted in order to determine the different production systems under which Ankole cattle are currently kept. Additionally, selection criteria of livestock keepers were documented. In Burundi, Rwanda and parts of Uganda, livestock keepers are sedentary and herds are small, whereas in the other areas Ankole cattle are kept in large herds, some of them still under a (semi-)nomadic system. Milk is the main product in all areas, and is partly for home consumption and partly for sale. Although the production systems vary in many aspects, the selection criteria for cows are similar. Productive traits such as milk yield, fertility and body size were ranked highly. For bulls, the trait ‘growth’ was ranked highly in all study areas. Phenotypic features (coat colour, horn shape and size) and ancestral information are more important in bulls than in cows. The only adaptive trait mentioned by livestock keepers was disease resistance. In areas of land scarcity (Burundi, Rwanda, western Uganda), a clear trend from pure Ankole cattle towards cross-bred animals can be observed.     

Prevalence of tick-borne Rickettsia and Ehrlichia in Ixodes persulcatus and Ixodes ovatus in Tokachi district, Eastern Hokkaido, Japan

DNA from 111 ticks collected by flagging in Tokachi district, Eastern Hokkaido, Japan were examined for infection with Rickettsia and Ehrlichia, by PCR and sequencing methodology. For Rickettsia, analysis of the partial sequence of the citrate synthase gene was successfully performed on 11 DNA samples from I. persulcatus, and 7 of them showed 99.8% identical with Rickettsia helvetica while the other 4 showed 99.8% identical with ;Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae'. For Ehrlichia, a partial sequence of the 16S rRNA gene detected from I. persulcatus was 100% identical with that from Ehrlichia muris, and another DNA sample from I. ovatus showed 99.8% identical with Ehrlichia species detected from I. ovatus. The results suggest that the pathogens detected here might be distributed in this area.     

Milk production and calf rearing practices in the smallholder areas in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

Farmer perceptions on milk production and calf rearing practices on communal rangelands in the smallholder areas of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa were evaluated on a total of 218 cattle farmers using structured questionnaires, semi-structured interviews with key informants and personal observations. Nearly 70% of the households in the small-scale areas milked twice a day compared to 60% in the communal areas. About 62% of the interviewees weaned calves between 6 and 12 months of age. Milk yield/cow/day (7.5 ± 0.5 litres), fresh milk consumption/household/day (3.2 ± 0.5 litres) and sales/household/day (3.1 ± 1.1 litres) were highest in the sour-veld, small-scale farms (P < 0.05). Sour milk consumption/household/day (2.6 ± 0.2 litres) and sales/household/day (0.8 ± 0.2 litres) were significantly high in communal farms with a sour-veld. It was concluded that, calf rearing practices were poor and milk yield, consumption and sales were generally low and varied with production system and rangeland type. Further research is required to improve calf management practices, cow nutrition, milk yield and quality and how milk production can be used as a toll for rural development in the smallholder areas of South Africa.     

苜蓿、小麦、玉米经济效益比较

基于甘肃省5个样本县的调研数据,对农户苜蓿(Medicago sativa)、小麦(Triticum aestivum)和玉米(Zea mays)种植的投入和产出、要素产出弹性和要素边际产出进行测算并比较。结果表明,苜蓿在三者中投入最少,玉米产出最高,而苜蓿产出最低;现阶段小麦和玉米处于规模报酬递减阶段而苜蓿处于规模报酬递增阶段,苜蓿产业有很大的上升空间;小麦和玉米各要素边际产量基本趋近于零,苜蓿种子投入和肥料投入的边际产量均远大于零,增加苜蓿种子和肥料投入可实现苜蓿增产。     

广东省家禽生产现状与前景展望

文章介绍了广东省家禽业生产形势,详细分析了当前家禽市场低迷的原因,并对业界人士关心的今后广东省家禽业生产的趋势、市场形势和发展对策进行研究探析,指出广东省家禽业需要调整结构、凸显品牌、拓展市场、增长效益来提高生产效益。     

河北家禽业生产现状与发展对策

1 生产现状。2003年全省禽存栏6．12亿只、出栏6．36亿只，其中鸡存栏5．79亿只、出栏5．86亿只，均列全国第二。     

河北省养禽场废弃物、有害气体及EM制剂处理的调查研究

在养禽生产过程中,产生的大量臭气,往往被忽视而得不到有效处理,对周围环境带来的污染越来越严重.目前,我国畜禽废弃物从总体上看处理率还很低,引起的环境问题日益受到人们的关注.作为养禽大省,河北省的养禽总量占到全国养殖总量的1/6,规模化的禽业养殖以及密集的养禽小区(村)在河北省普遍存在.……     

四川省阿坝州畜禽养殖废弃物资源化处理现状及对策

目前畜禽养殖规模显著增加,在满足人们对畜禽产品多样化需求的同时,畜禽养殖中产生的畜禽粪污对生态环境造成严重破坏,成为制约畜禽养殖产业健康发展的主要影响因素。畜禽粪便是放错位置的资源,通过构建有效的处理机制,能实现资源化的高效处理,高效利用,在降低对生态环境造成破坏的同时,还能带来额外的经济收入。该文主要论述四川省阿坝州畜禽养殖废弃物资源化处理现状及对策。     

家禽羽毛生长发育规律及其调控机制

随着集约化养禽业的蓬勃发展,家禽羽毛发育出现一系列问题,如发育迟缓、蓬乱、异常脱落或干枯无光泽等,甚至导致成年家禽出现裸躯病,引起同伴相互啄食,降低了其活体外观及屠体品质,给养殖企业带来了巨大经济损失。本文综述了家禽羽毛的类型、毛囊的基本结构、毛囊的发生发育与再生以及影响羽毛生长发育的分子信号调控网络,旨在为家禽羽毛的生长发育调控及其商品性状的改善提供理论参考。     

2002-2011年河北辛集气温变化与蛋鸡生产情况调查分析

通过收集河北省辛集地区2002～2011年的气温资料和蛋鸡生产资料,利用相关和回归统计方法对二者进行相关和回归分析,研究该地区10年气温变化情况对蛋鸡生产的影响。结果表明,辛集地区年平均气温在13．5～14．5℃之间波动,月均最高气温为27．6℃,月均最低气温为-1．6℃;蛋鸡年平均产蛋量从2002年的5．10kg上升到2011年的8．57kg,同比增长68．04％;利用相关分析模型和回归分析模型发现,年平均气温、高温天气、低温天气与蛋鸡年平均产蛋量的相关系数分别为-0．287、0．152、0．388,一次回归决定系数分别为0．0821、0．0230、0．1502,二次回归决定系数分别为0．1113、0．4128、0．1861。本研究结果表明,在集约化和规模化养殖过程中,河北辛集地区气温对蛋鸡生产性能仍有一定的影响,二者呈负相关关系（r=-0．287）。     

贵州省铜仁地区小黑麦引种试验

小黑麦是小麦和黑麦经属间杂交及染色体加倍后培育成的作物。 1993年从中国农科院作物育种栽培研究所引入到贵州省铜仁市 ,同年 10月份播种。试验结果表明 :所引小黑麦品种能够良好地适应当地自然条件 ,表现出产量高、耐贫瘠、抗性强和生育期适中等特点。可做为粮草兼用的优良品种在当地大力推广种植。