R.C. Bett

Analysis of production objectives and breeding practices of dairy goats in Kenya

Production objectives and breeding practices of smallholder households participating in dairy goat breeding projects were analysed in relation to their ability to bring about sustainable genetic improvement in the dairy goat flocks in Kenya. A stratified survey involving 311 goat keepers in 4 project sites was used. This employed both qualitative and quantitative research methods to get a holistic view of dairy goats, and take into account the full array of contributions of dairy goats to the smallholder households. Milk production and sales of breeding stock were high priority functions for the objective to create a financial buffer. The breeding objective traits that farmers perceived as being of primary importance were milk yield, growth rate, body size, fertility and disease tolerance. There were logical trade-offs in the choice of these traits by farmers. Female dairy goats were mainly culled due to old age, poor fertility, small body size and poor health. Farmers did not place a large significance on unsatisfactory milk performance when culling female goats, mainly due to the very small production size and the high demand existing for breeding animals. Factors affecting milk yield and flock size presented satisfied a P < 0.1 significance level. The performance levels of dairy goats were mainly influenced by breeding strategies and the resource availability at the farm level. The optimisation of genotype x environment interactions remains the biggest challenge given the objectives set by the farmer.

Breeding options for dairy cattle improvement in the Sudan

This paper attempts to define a rational choice of breeding strategies for the improvement of milk production in the Sudan involving Kenana, Butana, Friesian and crossbred dairy cows. In some major production traits, the Sudanese Butana and Kenana cattle compare favourably under average station management with some of the best breeds in tropical countries, and their performance does not fall far behind that of 50% crossbred cattle in the Sudan. Kenana and Butana could be used particularly in medium-intensive production systems. The local environment (high temperature, low feed quality and quantity, disease and parasitic challenge) can sustain only composite genotypes of a moderate level of Bos taurus blood. Their relative economic efficiency is yet to be considered. An economically viable use of Friesian cattle in central Sudan is an option only when adequate feeding management, hygiene, stockmanship, technical services and other types of infrastructure are available. A regional dairy breeding policy should be established that implements breeding programmes to produce dairy cattle suitable for particular eco-regions and production systems.