Risk factors of gastrointestinal nematode parasite infections in small ruminants kept in smallholder mixed farms in Kenya

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Helminth infections in small ruminants are serious problems in the developing world, particularly where nutrition and sanitation are poor. This study investigated the burden and risk factors of gastrointestinal nematode parasite infections in sheep and goats kept in smallholder mixed farms in the Kenyan Central Highlands. Three hundred and seven small ruminants were sampled from 66 smallholder mixed farms in agro-ecological zones 1 (humid) and 3 (semi-humid) in the Kenyan Central highlands. The farms were visited once a month for eight months during which a health and production survey questionnaire was administered. Fecal samples were collected at each visit from each animal. Fecal egg counts (FEC) were performed using the modified McMaster technique. Associations between potential risk factors and FEC were assessed using 3-level Poisson models fit in SAS using GLIMMIX macro. Correlations among repeated observations were adjusted for using three different correlation structures.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A rise in FEC was observed two months after the onset of rains. Farmer education, age category, de-worming during the preceding month and grazing system were significant predictors of FEC. Additionally, there were significant interactions between grazing system and both de-worming and age category implying that the effect of grazing system is dependent on both de-worming status and age category; and that the effect of de-worming depends on the grazing system. The most important predictors of FEC in the study area were grazing system, de-worming status and education of the farmers.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Since several factors were important predictors of FEC, controlling gastrointestinal helminths of small ruminants in these resource-poor smallholder mixed farms requires a sustainable integrated helminth control strategy that includes adoption of zero-grazing and more farmer education probably through extension services. Achieving improved helminth controls in these resource-poor farming systems offers an opportunity to increase small ruminant productivity and hence has a potential of improving the livelihood of the resource-poor farmers.</p

Economic performance of small ruminants to smallholder farmers in Climate Smart Villages of Nyando

Small ruminant production forms an integral part of the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Nyando. This paper is part of a study to evaluate the impacts of the small ruminants on the incomes of smallholder farmers adopting “Climate Smart” agricultural practices in the counties of Kericho and Kisumu in Nyando. A cross-sectional survey involving 162 households was conducted in 2018 to elicit information on farmer demographic characteristics, resource endowment, flock dynamics, and revenues from small ruminant production. Results from the analyses of the data collated showed that the small ruminants are an important source of revenue for the smallholder farmers. The number of animals owned varied depending on the size of the land owned. Farmers in Kericho tended to have larger land holdings than in Kisumu (p<0.01) with concurrently larger flock sizes. The farmers however did not have any information on the optimal number of animals that they should keep on their land. In both counties, better prices were received for larger mature animals than for immature animals. The farmers also tended to sell more female than male animals although they stated that the sale of animals was dependent on the availability of the animals and the anticipated returns. Information on the optimal number of animals to rear with specific resources available is needed for the farmers to be able to continually produce and market sheep and goats at a good price

Characterization of dairy innovations in selected milksheds in Kenya using a categorical principal component analysis

To enhance milk quantity and quality which have continued to decrease in Kenya, various stakeholders have intervened through promotion of technical dairy innovations at the farm level including improved cow feeding, health management, promotion of exotic breeds, and milking hygiene. At the milkshed level, stakeholders’ focus has been on organizational innovations, specifically milk sale by farmers through groups. This study sought to characterize dairy innovations that have been adopted by farmers in the milkshed of three milk processors including New Kenya Co-operative Creameries Sotik (NKCC Sotik), Happy Cow Limited (HCL), and Mukurweini Wakulima Dairy Limited (MWDL), representing one state, private, and farmer-owned processor, respectively. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire from a sample of 1146 farmers (410, 382, and 354 in MWDL, HCL, and NKCC Sotik, respectively). A categorical principal components analysis was used to reduce 32 variables into four sets of uncorrelated components. Four categories were identified including principal component (PC) 1 (technical capacity), PC 2 (animal health management), PC 3 (organizational capacity), and PC 4 (milk hygiene). More farmers in the milkshed of MWDL adopted technical and organizational dairy innovations such as use of artificial insemination and milk sale through groups, respectively, than farmers in milkshed of NKCC and HCL. The county governments in the milkshed of HCL and NKCC Sotik need to strengthen cooperative societies to boost adoption of artificial insemination through arrangement in which milk is sold and payment of services offered on credit is settled from milk sale and ensure milk market availability throughout the year.</p

Adaptation and Returns from Improved Indigenous Small Ruminants in Climatically Challenged Smallholder Systems of Kenya

Improved climate-resilient strains of indigenous sheep and goats were introduced in the Nyando basin of western Kenya in 2013. This study evaluated the performance of the breeds five years after their first introduction and their contribution to household revenues. Red Maasai and Red Maasai x Dorper sheep and Galla goats introduced in Nyando adapted to the environment and retained performance levels exhibited in their original environments. They have been widely adopted by the farmers and are used for upgrading local breeds through crossbreeding, yielding offspring that are 50% heavier than local breeds at one year of age. Costs for producing the small ruminants tend to increase with land size owned, mainly due to higher costs for managing the health of more livestock. The costs of producing goats are significantly higher than for sheep. Revenues accrued from goat milk contribute to 10% of the revenue from goats. The introduced breeds provided a significant productivity lift in the local livestock population, resulting in higher returns to the smallholder farmers. For long-term sustainability of the productivity gains, a community-based selective mating program using reference sire flocks with an overall goal of good growth, adaptability, and milk production should be adopted

Comparative growth performance, gizzard weight, ceca digesta short chain fatty acids and nutrient utilization in broiler chickens and turkey poults in response to cereal grain type, fiber level, and multienzyme supplement fed from hatch to 28 days of life

ABSTRACT: Growth performance, gizzard weight, ceca digesta short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), and apparent retention (AR) of components were investigated in broilers and turkeys in response to cereal grain type, fiber level, and multienzyme supplement (MES) fed from hatch to 28 d of life. 480-day-old male broiler chicks and equal number of turkeys were placed separately in metabolism cages (10 birds/cage) and allocated to 8 diets. The species-specific diets were a corn or wheat-based basal diet without (LF) or with 10% corn DDGS or wheat middlings (HF) and fed without or with MES. This effectively created a 2 (grain types) × 2 (fiber levels) × 2 (MES) factorial arrangement of treatments. The diets had TiO2 as an indigestible marker. Body weight, feed intake, and mortalities were recorded to calculate body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Excreta samples were collected on d 25 to 27 for AR, and all birds were necropsied for gizzard weight and ceca digesta on d 28. The interaction between grain and MES in broilers was such that wheat diets with MES had the lowest (P = 0.005) FCR. In broilers, LF diets had better (P = 0.010) FCR than HF diets. The wheat diets had the highest (P = 0.006) concentration of butyric acid in broilers. Broilers fed HF and corn diets had heavier gizzard than broilers-fed LF and wheat diets. The MES improved (P < 0.05) AMEn in HF, corn, and wheat diets in broilers. The turkeys fed wheat diets had the lowest (P = 0.019) FCR. Turkeys fed HF wheat diets had the heaviest (P < 0.001) gizzard. In turkeys, the MES improved AMEn in HF and LF corn diets, and only in LF wheat diets compared to respective controls. Treatments had no effect on turkeys cecal SCFA. In conclusion, grain type, fiber, and MES did not affect growth in both species. However, species exhibited differing FCR, gizzard, and energy utilization to fiber and MES

Risk factors of gastrointestinal nematode parasite infections in small ruminants kept in smallholder mixed farms in Kenya-0

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Risk factors of gastrointestinal nematode parasite infections in small ruminants kept in smallholder mixed farms in Kenya"</p><p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1746-6148/3/6</p><p>BMC Veterinary Research 2007;3():6-6.</p><p>Published online 20 Apr 2007</p><p>PMCID:PMC1868712.</p><p></p> agro-ecological zones (humid and semi-humid) in the Kenyan Central Highlands during the first eight months of 1997

Risk factors of gastrointestinal nematode parasite infections in small ruminants kept in smallholder mixed farms in Kenya-1

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Risk factors of gastrointestinal nematode parasite infections in small ruminants kept in smallholder mixed farms in Kenya"</p><p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1746-6148/3/6</p><p>BMC Veterinary Research 2007;3():6-6.</p><p>Published online 20 Apr 2007</p><p>PMCID:PMC1868712.</p><p></p>ts kept on smallholder farms in the Kenyan Central Highlands during the first eight months of 1997

Risk factors of gastrointestinal nematode parasite infections in small ruminants kept in smallholder mixed farms in Kenya-3

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Risk factors of gastrointestinal nematode parasite infections in small ruminants kept in smallholder mixed farms in Kenya"</p><p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1746-6148/3/6</p><p>BMC Veterinary Research 2007;3():6-6.</p><p>Published online 20 Apr 2007</p><p>PMCID:PMC1868712.</p><p></p>stigate determinants of nematode fecal egg count in small ruminants kept in smallholder farms in the Central Highlands of Keny

Diversity and functional analysis of rumen and fecal microbial communities associated with dietary changes in crossbreed dairy cattle.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of varying roughage and concentrate proportions, in diet of crossbreed dairy cattle, on the composition and associated functional genes of rumen and fecal microbiota. We also explored fecal samples as a proxy for rumen liquor samples. Six crossbred dairy cattle were reared on three diets with an increasing concentrate and reducing roughage amount in three consecutive 10-day periods. After each period, individual rumen liquor and fecal samples were collected and analyzed through shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Average relative abundance of identified Operational Taxonomic Units (OTU) and microbial functional roles from all animals were compared between diets and sample types (fecal and rumen liquor). Results indicated that dietary modifications significantly affected several rumen and fecal microbial OTUs. In the rumen, an increase in dietary concentrate resulted in an upsurge in the abundance of Proteobacteria, while reducing the proportions of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. Conversely, changes in microbial composition in fecal samples were not consistent with dietary modification patterns. Microbial functional pathway classification identified that carbohydrate metabolism and protein metabolism pathways dominated microbial roles. Assessment of dietary effects on the predicted functional roles of these microbiota revealed that a high amount of dietary concentrate resulted in an increase in central carbohydrate metabolism and a corresponding reduction in protein synthesis. Moreover, we identified several microbial stress-related responses linked to dietary changes. Bacteroides and Clostridium genera were the principal hosts of these microbial functions. Therefore, the roughage to concentrate proportion has more influence on the microbial composition and microbial functional genes in rumen samples than fecal samples. As such, we did not establish a significant relationship between the rumen and fecal metagenome profiles, and the rumen and fecal microbiota from one animal did not correlate more than those from different animals