Rg Wahome

An analysis of the variation of the lactation curve of Small East African goats

Lactation curves were fitted to 267 lactations from Small East African goats kept under arid and semi-arid pastoral conditions. The lactations were recorded over a period of 4 years between 1984 and 1987. Parameters obtained from fitting the equation of Wood (1967) (Y(t) = Atbe−ct) were subjected to statistical analysis. The factors analyzed included vegetation, parity, year, litter size, weight and age of the doe. The parameters described various sections of the lactation curve, that is, the level of yield (intercept) (A), the ascending phase to a peak (b) and the descending phase to drying up (c). Vegetation (P < 0.01) and year (P < 0.05) significantly influenced the three parameters of the lactation, while parity, litter size and doe weight only influenced (P < 0.01) level of production. Lactation curves were constructed from the parameters obtained from fitting the equation.

Caseous Lymphadenitis in Goats: The Pathogenesis, Incubation Period and Serological Response after Experimental Infection

Twenty goats, in two groups of 10, were injected intradermally with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. The doses of infection were 1×105 and 5×104 colony-forming units (cfu) for groups 1 and 2, respectively. Thereafter, a goat from each group was killed every 2–3 days and examined for gross and microscopic caseous lesions in the draining lymph nodes. Bands or zones of macrophages and polymorphonuclear granulocytes were observed microscopically on the second day of infection in both groups. Gross caseous lesions were observed from days 8 and 9 of infection, respectively. Positive bacterial agglutination test and haemolysis inhibition test titres were detected after 15–17 days and 20–25 days of infection, respectively. These results indicated that caseous lymphadenitis is a subacute disease with an incubation period of 8–9 days, but that it is not detectable serologically until after 15 days of infection.

Sero-epidemiology of Peste des petits ruminants virus infection in Turkana County, Kenya

BackgroundPeste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a contagious viral disease of small ruminants. Serum samples from sheep (n = 431) and goats (n = 538) of all ages were collected in a cross-sectional study in Turkana County, Kenya. The objective was to estimate the sero-prevalence of PPR virus (PPRV) infection and associated risk factors in both species.PPRV competitive enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (c-ELISA) analysed the presence of antibodies in the samples. All analyses were conducted for each species separately. Multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to the data to assess the relationship between the risk factors and PPRV sero-positivity. Mixed-effect models using an administrative sub-location as a random effect were also fitted to adjust for possible clustering of PPRV sero-positivity. Intra-cluster correlation coefficients (ρ) that described the degree of similarity among sero-positive responses for each species in each of the six administrative divisions were estimated.ResultsGoats had a significantly higher sero-prevalence of 40% [95% confidence interval (CI): 36%, 44%] compared to sheep with 32% [95% CI: 27%, 36%] (P = 0.008). Combined sero-prevalence estimates were heterogeneous across administrative divisions (n = 6) (range 22% to 65%) and even more across sub-locations (n = 46) (range 0% to 78%). Assuming that PPRV antibodies are protective of infection, a large pool of PPRV susceptible middle age group (>6 months and < 24 months) in both species was estimated. This was based on the low sero-prevalence in this group in goats (14% [95% CI: 10%, 20%]) and in sheep (18% [95% CI: 13%, 25%]). Regression analysis returned significant risk factors across species: in sheep - vaccination status, age and administrative division; in goats - sex, age, administrative division and sex*age interaction. The intra-sub-location correlation coefficients varied widely across divisions (range <0.001 to 0.42) and across species within divisions.ConclusionsBiological, spatial and socio-ecological factors are hypothesized as possible explanations for variation in PPRV sero-positivity in the Turkana pastoral ecosystem.

Quality protein maize for the feed industry in Kenya

Quality protein maize (QPM) has increased levels of lysine and tryptophan, limiting amino acids for monogastric animals, so its use in animal feed reduces the need for more expensive high-protein sources. The authors, through the application of a linear programming optimization model with the composition and prices of feed components used at the coast, show that the cost reduction from substituting QPM for regular maize in poultry feed for Kenya is 5% (mainly as a result of a reduction in fishmeal). The optimal ratios based on QPM and regular maize were calculated and formulated, and trials showed that broilers raised with either mixture had the same food intake, mortality and growth. Moreover, when the chickens were fried in the style popular at the coast, there was no difference in the taste of the meat between the two batches. If QPM were to replace regular maize in broiler feed in Kenya, a 5% cost reduction would translate into a gain of US

Economic Losses Associated With Peste Des Petits Ruminants In Turkana County Kenya

300,000. If the cost reduction were passed on to the broiler producers as a reduction in feed price, producers would be expected to gain on average US

Mapping Prosopis spp. within the Tarach water basin, Turkana, Kenya using Sentinel-2 imagery

32 per year. If the cost reduction were not passed on to the broiler producers, it would result in an extra profit for the feed industry.

What rights and benefits? The implementation of participatory forest management in Kenya: The case of Eastern Mau Forest Reserve

Peste des petits ruminants is a major economic disease affecting the pastoral herders in Kenya, with outbreaks in Turkana County having devastating effects on the Turkana livelihoods. Turkana County is a region associated with natural and manmade disasters, poor infrastructure and insecurity. There is limited essential data on livestock diseases and economic analysis. This study has attempted to estimate the direct economic loses occasioned by outbreaks of Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) based on perceived loss of benefits experienced by the Turkana people. Parameters for the analytical model were derived from secondary data, informal interviews and focused group discussions using participatory epidemiology methods. Results shows that losses due to PPR were estimated at US

Effect of allocation of fixed amounts of concentrates on milk yields and fertility of dairy cows

19.1 million and mortality of small stock due to PPR constituted the greatest economic loss valued at US

Effects of Prosopis juliflora Seedpod Meal Supplement on Weight Gain of Weaner Galla Goats in Kenya

16.8 million being 88% of the total losses. Other losses due to lost milk and weight loss constitute approximately 12% of the total losses. PPR has serious economic impacts on pastoral livelihoods, and previous estimation of PPR losses in Kenya was grossly undervalued. This study strengthens the basis for developing a system for the economic assessment of livestock diseases in areas with scanty data based on parameters derived from participatory epidemiology approaches for use in the mathematical model.

Indigenous camel mineral supplementation knowledge and practices on manyatta based camel herds by the Rendille pastoralists of Marsabit district, Kenya

Prosopis spp. are a fast growing invasive tree originating from the American dry zones, introduced to Kenya in the 1970s for the restoration of degraded pastoral lands after prolonged droughts and overgrazing. Its deep rooting system is capable of tapping into the ground water table reducing its dependency on rain water and increasing its drought tolerance. It is believed that the Prosopis invasion was eased by a hybridization process, described as the Prosopis Juliflora – Prosopis Pallida complex, suggesting that introduced Prosopis spp. evolved into a hybrid, specifically adapted to the environmental conditions, rendering it a superior and aggressive competitor to endemic species. In many dry lands in Kenya Prosopis has expanded rapidly and has become challenging to control. On the other hand, in some cases, an economic use seems possible. In both cases, detailed and accurate maps are necessary to support stakeholders and design management strategies. The aim of this study is to map the distribution of Prosopis spp. in a selected area in north-west Turkana (Kenya), covering a section of the Tarach water basin. The study is funded by the European Union through the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) in Kenya, and the main purpose is to assess the potential production of Prosopis pods, which can be used to manufacture emergency livestock feeds to support animals during drought events. The classification was performed using novel Sentinel-2 data through a non-parametric Random Forest classifier. A selection of reference sites was visited in the field and used to train the classifier. Very high classification accuracies were obtained.