Fetal Wastages Among Food-producing Animals Slaughtered at ‎Maiduguri Abattoir: Prevalence, Causes and Economic Implications

Abstract

This study determined the prevalence of fetal wastage amongst slaughtered pregnant food-producing animals; the associated reasons and economic losses in Maiduguri abattoir. A seven -year (2014-2020) retrospective study on fetal wastage was conducted using abattoir records. Slaughterhouse workers/butchers were also interviewed on the factors or reasons for slaughtering of pregnant food-producing animals using a semi-structured questionnaire. Economic losses were estimated based on the price of average weight matured Cattle, Camel, Sheep and Goat and 1 kg of beef, camel meat, mutton and chevon in Maiduguri. Of the 287563 female food-producing animals slaughtered during the study period, 53 797 (18.7%) fetal wastages were recorded with species-specific prevalences of 12% (n=10137), 9.5% (n=33458), 17.4% (n=13442) and 28.3% (n=26760) for calves, camel calves, lambs, and kids respectively.There was statistically significant association (p<0.05) between season, species of slaughtered food-producing animals and the occurrence of fetal wastage. About N2.889 billion ($3,675,771), N985.5 million ($1,253,884.5), N1.277 billion ($1,624,344) and N762.660 million ($971,120.4) for cattle, camel, sheep and goat respectively were lost, that could have accrued if the fetuses have survived and reached market value as adults. Additionally, 1 213 380 kg of beef, 397 485 kg of camel meat, 357 560 kg of mutton and 564 368.4 kg of chevon valued at N3, 640,140,000 ($4,610,844), N1, 192,455,000 ($1,510,443), N1, 251,460,000 ($1,609,020) and N1, 975,289,400 ($2,539,657.8) respectively were also lost. Majority of the factors leading to the slaughter of pregnant food-producing animals were disease conditions, economic hardship, ignorance of the pregnancy status of the animal and feed scarcity during dry season. Therefore, it is imperative to reduce the slaughter of pregnant food-producing animals through proper screening test, advocacy and public enlightenment campaigns for the need of pregnancy status assessment using an affordable, user-friendly rapid test kits at farms, livestock markets and abattoirs.