Performance and Nutrient Digestibility of West African Dwarf Goats Fed Different Dietary Levels of Cattle and Goat Rumen Contents

Hundreds of cattle and goats are slaughtered on daily basis in abattoirs and rumen contents are disposed in large amount as wastes, which could possibly serve as an alternative non-conventional feed source to ruminants. This study was carried out to investigate the utilization of cattle and goat rumen contents in the diets of West African dwarf goats.  Twenty five West African Dwarf goats were fed five treatment diets containing Cattle Rumen Content (CRC) and Goat Rumen Content (GRC) at 0%, 20% and 40% inclusion levels, respectively, using a completely randomized design. Daily feed intake and weekly weight gain were measured. Metabolism cages were used for total collection of faeces and urine. Dry Matter Intake, Organic Matter Intake and weight gain were similar (P>0.05) for all the treatments, although goats on diet 5 (40% GRC) had the least Dry Matter and Organic Matter digestibility. And OM digestibility of 58.58% observed in this study is still capable of supporting productivity in goats. Also, there was a gradual reduction in cost of feed from N26.45 at 0% RC to N18.53 at 20% CRC and GRC. In like manner, cost/kg live weight gain decreased from N33.86 at 0% RC to N16.93 for 40% CRC. The only exception was Diet 5 (40% GRC) which increased to N36.85 for cost/kg live weight gain. Cattle and goat rumen contents can therefore be incorporated in the diets of goats up to 40% inclusion level without any deleterious effect on their health, thereby minimizing cost of production

Impacts of Outmigration on Land Management in a Nepali Mountain Area

This study examines the impacts of migration on land management in a mountain area of Nepal, complemented by insights from a smaller case study in Bolivia. Migration to cities and abroad increasingly leaves behind fragmented families and the elderly. Livelihoods as well as the management of land are affected by a changing labor force, traditional knowledge, remittances, and other consequences of migration. In this study, we explore how these issues affect land and its management, and what measures and strategies are being taken by the people left behind. Mapping methodology from the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) was used to assess land management practices in a subwatershed in Western Nepal. In combination with other research methods, the mapping enabled a better understanding of the impacts of migration on land degradation and conservation. Preliminary findings reveal negative as well as positive impacts. The main degradation problem found was the growth of invasive alien plant species, while overall vegetation and forest cover had increased, and some types of degradation, such as soil erosion or landslides, were even reduced. A feminization of agriculture has also been observed in the Nepali case study, in contrast to the Bolivian case which revealed that whole families were migrating, with mostly men temporarily returning to manage the land. The findings of this study suggest that a more differentiated and context-specific view is required when looking at the impact of migration on land management