Abstract
This paper presents the results of a survey of sheep and goat producers in Anambra State, (present day Enugu and Anambra State), Nigeria. The sampled areas represent the agroclimatic and administrative zones of the oid Anambra State. A total sample size of 310 spread over 5 LGAS and 25 village areas was drawn. Only households which kept sheep and/or goats at the time of the study were sampled. Data generated included demographic characteristics of small stock owners, sheep and goat distribution by household, management practices and problems associated with current management systems, sources of feed by season and livestock disease profile. Results of analyses showed that ownership distribution of animals was skewed in favour of goats. The mean flock size per household was 2.4 and 6.2 sheep and goats respectively. About 22% of the households interviewed kept sheep alone, another 62% kept goats alone. Over 85% of respondents acquired their foundation stock from the open market, while others came from neighbours flocks. Most respondents expressed the desire to increase their holdings with more wishing to expand their goat herd size than sheep. However, feeding was most frequently mentioned as a limiting factor in increasing sheep or goat herd size. Household wastes and cut forages were the major sources of animal feed. There was a very low awareness level of agroforestry practices, Only 5.2% and 2.3% of the respondents had any knowledge of Intensive Feed Gardening (IFG) and Alley farming (AF) respectively. Reported Smallholder Sheep and Goats Management mortality was low less than 3.5% in all herds studied). Implications for improved small ruminant production in Nigeria's humid zone are drawn.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.