Goat Flocks Research Articles

Effects of feed and health interventions on small ruminant production in mixed crop-livestock systems in Southern Mali

In Mali, small ruminants are a necessary part of mixed crop and livestock systems, and they fulfill various roles in the food security of households as sources of meat and milk, and means of additional income to meet food and cash needs. However, small ruminant production is challenged by the poor performance of animals, which is mainly caused by inadequate nutrition and diseases. A pilot study that combined feed and health interventions was conducted in two villages, Sirakele and Zanzoni in Koutiala District in the south of the country. The objective was to assess the effects of the combined interventions on small ruminant production in mixed crop-livestock systems. Zanzoni served as control, and Sirakele received both feed and health interventions. Twenty households were randomly selected in each village and the study lasted one year, from August 2016 to August 2017. Results showed that within a year the average goat and sheep flock size in the feed and health intervention group doubled, whereas it mostly remained the same in the control group. The mortality rate was significantly lower in the treatment group than in the control one. In addition, the goats and sheep gained 42.98 ± 3.28 and 47.12 ± 2.73 g/day in the treatment group, whereas they only gained 22.59 ± 2.29 and 16.58 ± 2.74 g/day in the control group, respectively. The results confirmed that feed and health interventions significantly improved small ruminant production.

Participatory definition of trait preferences and breeding practices of goats in Aba'ala, Afar region: as input for designing genetic improvement program.

A farmer participatory approach was used to identify trait preferences and breeding practices for Afar goat population in Aba'ala district, Afar region, Ethiopia. A rapid field survey followed by purposive sampling was used to identify research sites and 90 households representing agro-pastoral and pastoral production systems were selected purposively. Data were obtained from individual interview, own-flock ranking experiment, and secondary sources. Data management and analysis was done using MS-Excel and SPSS statistical software. The current findings show that goats were primarily kept for milk production (I = 0.33) followed by income generation (I = 0.27) and meat production (I = 0.17) in both production systems. Higher goat flock size per household was observed in the pastoral areas (94.62 ± 30.21goats) as compared to the agro-pastoral (55.56 ± 20.06) (p< 0.05). Coat color, appearance (conformation and body size), and pedigree (dam history for milk) are the top-ranked attributes for selecting breeding buck with index value of 0.28, 0.23, and 19, respectively. Milk yield, coat color, and appearance were also used for selecting breeding does with index values of 0.24, 0.20, and 0.17, respectively. Selection of breeding female is hardly practiced since all females are used for replacement, but breeding buck selection is done in a very young age primarily based on their coat color. The results obtained in this study could be used as input to design genetic improvement programs for goats in Aba'ala. Interventions are needed in expanding veterinary service, improved animal husbandry practices, and selective breeding to enhance the productivity of the goat populations.

Anthelmintic efficacy against gastrointestinal nematodes in goats raised under mountain farming conditions in northern Italy

BackgroundThis study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of anthelmintics in goats raised under mountain farming conditions in northern Italy. On 8 goat farms (n = 143 animals), a faecal egg count reduction (FECR) test was done after farmers conducted their routine anthelmintic treatments. Furthermore, on 5 goat farms (n = 135 animals) a FECR test was done under controlled conditions applying oral formulations of a macrocyclic lactone (ML), benzimidazole (BZ) (partly in combination with salicylanilide (SA)) or a combination of imidazothiazole (IT) and SA on the same farm. AR was assumed if FECR and the upper confidence interval (CI) was < 95% and the lower 95% CI was < 90%.ResultsUnderdosing was found in 6 of the 8 farms tested after routine treatments. Out of the 6 routinely ML-treated goat flocks, only three were found where ML showed adequate efficacy. FECR in all others ranged between 64 and 93%. In one flock Trichostrongylus spp. and in one Haemonchus spp. larvae were identified after treatment. BZ-treated flocks had an efficacy of 99 and 37%. Larvae identified after treatment were Trichostrongylus spp. in one and Haemonchus spp. in the other flock. Under controlled conditions, ML had an adequate efficacy on 4 farms and a FECR of 88% on another one. BZ was effective on all farms. The combination of BZ and SA had a FECR of 99% on the farm it was tested. IT + SA in combination was effective on 2 farms and had a FECR of 91% on a third farm. Larvae identified after treatment were composed of Haemonchus spp. (ML and BZ), Trichostrongylus spp. (BZ) and Teladorsagia spp. (BZ and SA).ConclusionsThis first report on the prevalence of AR in goats in the mountainous region of South Tyrol reveals a low efficacy of the most commonly used anthelmintics after routine treatments. This might be explained by a high level of underdosing as observed in the farms. However, results from the controlled FECR tests suggest that the observed level of AR was lower but cannot be solely explained by underdosing.

Similarity in plant species consumed by goat flocks in the tropical dry forest of the Cañada, Oaxaca

Management of goats (Capra hircus) in extensive systems is a common practice in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve (TCBR), Mexico. This study analyzes the similarity in plant consumed by goat flocks in landscape at the Cañada region, Oaxaca. Eight (8) flocks were sampled in different locations during the 2012 rainy season and 2013 dry season. To determine spatial and temporal similarity among the flocks, depending upon the consumed plant species, it was used hierarchical agglomerative clustering methods in the R program. The goats consumed a total of 84 plant species, of which 30 constituted 75 % of the diet. According to the similarity analysis, Mimosa sp. and Acacia cochiliacantha were the species consumed by all flocks in both seasons; while Eleusine indica, Prosopis leavigata and Opuntia sp. were the next most important, depending on the season. The Tecomavaca herd showed lower similarity than the other flocks. The results of the present study contribute to furthering the knowledge regarding the foraging habits of goats in tropical dry regions where the seasonality of the resources is very contrasting.

Antimicrobial Resistance and Distribution of Staphylococcus spp. Pulsotypes Isolated from Goat and Sheep Bulk Tank Milk in Southern Spain.

Bulk tank milk from 58 dairy goat and sheep flocks located in southern Spain was examined to determine the prevalence and distribution of Staphylococci. A total of 45 isolates were obtained and characterized to determine the species, antimicrobial resistance profile, and genetic similitude by pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) using SmaI. Staphylococcus aureus isolates were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of nuc, and resistance to methicillin was determined by PCR analysis of mecA. A total of 10 different staphylococcal species were identified, 22.2% and 77.8% of which were coagulase positive and negative, respectively. Twenty-two (48.89%) isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial agent. Higher antimicrobial resistance values were obtained against tetracycline (28.9%) and penicillin (22.2%). Two isolates (S. aureus and Staphylococcus lentus) were resistant to cefoxitin; however, none of the 45 isolates harbored mecA. Thirty pulsotypes were detected by PFGE. Interestingly, some isolates of S. aureus, S. lentus, Staphylococcus simulans, and Staphylococcus caprae showed high genetic similarity (>80%). These data suggest that genetically similar staphylococcal isolates circulate among goat and sheep dairy herds, and their different resistance patterns could be influenced by the management systems used.

Comparison of Serological and Molecular Tests for Diagnosis of Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis and Clinical Evaluation of Mammary Glands of Infected Dairy Goats

Background: Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE) is a disease that causes productive losses in dairy goat flocks due to the reduction in milk production, followed by lesions in joints and mammary glands. An early diagnosis is essential, considering that there is frequent occurrence of asymptomatic animals. Hence, this study aimed to perform a comparison of immunological and molecular based diagnostic tests, represented by Agar Gel Immunodiffusion (AGID), Western Blot (WB) and nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (nPCR). In addition, the mammary glands (MG) of dairy goats were clinically evaluated. Material, Methods &amp; Results: Blood collection and clinical examination were performed in 1191 dairy goats of 12 farms located in Northeastern and Southeastern regions of Brazil. Serological (AGID, WB) and molecular (nPCR) test results were compared and the data, along with MG alterations, were analyzed using Epi-info 7 and WinEpiscope 2.0. Seroprevalence in AGID test was 41.14% (490/1191). In WB, 51.47% (613/1191) of animals were seropositive and nPCR detected 69.44% (827/1191) positive animals. Hence, WB was more sensitive (P &lt; 0.001) than AGID. However, nPCR detected more positive animals than AGID (P &lt; 0.001) and WB (P &lt; 0.001). The analysis of mammary glands revealed that 105 out of 1096 nanny goats presented alterations, of which 101 presented altered consistency, 16 presented elevated temperatures and 60 had enlarged retromammary lymph nodes. There was significant statistic difference (P &lt; 0.05) only when comparing the results of serological tests with MG alterations.Discussion: In general, AGID technique is most frequently used when screening flocks for the disease due to the practicality and low cost this test presents. However, the results demonstrated that AGID detected the lowest number of positive animals. This low sensitivity that the test presented may be attributed to its antigen-antibody interaction mechanism, considering that agar gel precipitation requires multiple interactions. In addition, WB was more effective than AGID in detecting antibodies. On the other hand, nPCR was important for the detection of infected animals that serological tests failed to detect. The intermittence of immunological response observed in the serological tests may be explained by the variation of antibodies levels that may occur during life. Likewise, viral compartmentalization would justify the intermittent detection of proviral DNA. Hence, the results can be influenced by the viral intermittence, test sensitivity, late seroconversion and statistic values that can be calculated (sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive level and kappa). Crossing the results of the diagnostic tests with the different mammary gland alterations, it was shown that there was a statistically significant difference (P &lt;0.05) only in the comparison of the results of the serological tests with GM alterations. Everything indicates that the humoral or cellular immune system being on stimulus is more propitious to find these changes. In conclusion, WB was more sensitive than AGID and, considering that nPCR can detect a larger number of animals infected with the goat lentivirus, it must be associated with a sensible serological test, such as Western Blot. In addition, infected animals have alterations in MG, which is more frequent in cases with positive serological results.

Bayesian estimation of sensitivity and specificity of a PCR method to detect Coxiella burnetii in milk and vaginal secretions in sheep and goat samples

Coxiella burnetii is a gram-negative and polymorphic rod bacterium that causes Q fever, a common zoonotic disease distributed worldwide. Widespread occurrences of the disease outbreaks indicate the importance of coordinated animal and human health efforts to control these outbreaks. Different tests are available to determine the C. burnetii infection status of a flock, but false negative responses may occur, as infectious animals can shed bacteria in milk intermittently, especially during an asymptomatic infection. In this study, a Bayesian latent class model was implemented to estimate the sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of a PCR method for the detection of C. burnetii in milk samples (PCRM) and vaginal swabs (PCRV) from Iranian sheep and goats. A nested PCR assay was conducted to detect infected animals among 170 milk samples and 170 vaginal swabs from goat flocks and 170 milk samples and 170 vaginal swabs from sheep flocks. We implemented a Bayesian latent class model to estimate the Se and Sp of a PCR method for the detection of C. burnetii in milk samples and vaginal swabs from sheep and goats. Estimations were based on the cross-classified results of PCRM and PCRV from the sheep and goat subpopulations. Positivity was 17.6 and 33.5%, respectively, for PCRM and PCRV samples among sheep. In goats, the apparent prevalence was 32.9 and 56.4% in PCRM and PCRV samples testing positive, respectively. This indicated the lower sensitivity of PCRM. The Se of PCRV was significantly higher than Se of PCRM, which corresponded to a higher rate of vaginal-positive, milk-negative PCR samples. In contrast, Sp of PCRV was lower than Sp of PCRM, representing the higher false-positive rate of vaginal swabs. The PCRV outperformed PCRM in terms of identifying latently infected sheep and goats; however, neither method could identify all latently infected sheep and goats, thus the combination is recommended to maximize our ability to identify infected animals. The true prevalence of C. burnetii infection was higher in Iranian goats than sheep.

The impacts of season and livestock management strategy on the quality of diets selected by goats and sheep in the semi-arid rangelands of Namaqualand, South Africa

Access to good-quality forages is one of the major limitations to livestock production in semi-arid pastoral systems. This study aimed to determine whether there are differences in the nutritional quality of diets selected by herded and free-ranging goat and sheep flocks utilising Namaqualand Granite Renosterveld vegetation during the wet and dry seasons. Plant samples collected along the grazing routes of livestock were dried and analysed for their fibre, condensed tannin, total phenolic and mineral nutrient contents. The study showed that a large variety of forages were on offer and livestock groups selected different diets of which some were different to the total diet on offer. In general, significant deficiencies in phosphate, protein and energy in the diets selected by herded and free-ranging goats and sheep were observed in both wet and dry season. The quality of the diets selected by herded and free-ranging livestock was also found to be different from each other, with herded livestock generally selecting more nutrient-dense diets. Herding, therefore, allows livestock to access better-quality forage in the Namaqualand Granite Renosterveld rangeland, where it is generally poor.

DIAGNOSIS AND PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF THE CIRCULATING PESTE DES PETITS RUMINANTS VIRUS IN Al-SHARQIA GOVERNATE

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a Morbillivirus within the Paramyxoviridae family which characterized by highly contagious nature with high morbidity and mortality rates in domestic small ruminants. The aim of this study was to investigate an outbreak of PPRV in a flock of sheep and goats in Belbes city, AL-Sharkia governorate in 2018 by virus isolation and conventional RT-PCR. Phylogenetic analysis of N gene sequence of PPRV isolate. Also, compare it with other isolate from previous outbreak in Zagazig city, Al-Sharkia governorate in 2017 as a measurement of the infection status in Egypt. The current study applied on a flock of 55 small ruminants (42 goats and 13 sheep) in Belbes city which suspected to be infected by PPRV. All infected animals were not vaccinated against PPRV and randomly move from place to place. The morbidity rate was 100% and mortality rate was (23.8% in goats and 7.69% in sheep). Diseased animals suffered from fever, mucopurulent ocular discharge, nasal discharge, dyspnea, diarrhea, necrotic tissue and diphtheritic membrane in oral cavity. The ten samples (6 tissue scraping from oral lesions and 4 oculo-nasal swabs) were tested by conventional reverse transcription PCR which revealed 100% sensitivity compared to VI (virus isolation) 70%. Comparative of N gene sequence of both PPRV isolates revealed that homogenous population of PPR virus isolates up to 99%. Also, the PPRV isolate of the current study is related to Ethiopian strain and the previous Egyptian strains (Ismailia 3/Egy/2010 isolate, El-Kalubeya isolate and Ismailia 1-2014 isolate). The PPRV isolate of present study and all previous Egyptian isolates belong to lineage IV in phylogenetic analysis. The results emphasize the importance of molecular methods for a broader understanding of the epidemiology and development of the virus in the country.Key words: PPRV; Conventional RT- PCR; phylogenetic analysis; Al-Sharqia

First molecular and serological evidence of Coxiella burnetti infection among sheep and goats of Jammu province of India

The epidemiology and prevalence of Q fever in India is largely unknown. There are very few serologic and molecular reports of Q fever in India and these are old reports. The objective of this study was to investigate, for the first time, the presence of Coxiella burnetii infection in sheep and goat flocks of Jammu province of Jammu and Kashmir, India. A total of 148 milk (110 sheep and 38 goats) samples, 282 sera (170 sheep and 112 goats), and 152 vaginal swabs (123 sheep and 29 goats) were collected from farms with incidences of repeated abortion. The LSI Q fever ruminant serum/milk ELISA kit was used to identify anti-C. burnetii antibodies and nested PCR was employed to detect DNA in vaginal swabs. Overall, 42 (38.2%; 95% CI: 29.2–47.9) sheep and 9 (23.7%; 95% CI: 12.0–40.6) goat milk samples, and 21 (12.4%; 95% CI: 8.0–18.5) sheep and 11 (9.8%; 95% CI: 5.2–17.3) goat sera were ELISA positive. In addition, nine (7.3%; 95% CI: 3.6–13.8) vaginal swabs from sheep tested positive by nested PCR; however, C. burnetii could not be found in any of the vaginal swabs from goat. These results indicate that sheep seem to be a more important reservoir of C. burnetii than goats posing a risk for human infection in this area.

Diagnostic response to a cross-border challenge for the Swiss caprine arthritis encephalitis virus eradication program.

Animal trading between countries with different small ruminant lentivirus infectious status is a potential danger for the reintroduction of eradicated genotypes. This was the case in 2017 with the importation of a large flock of seropositive goats into Switzerland. The handling of this case permitted us to test the preventive measures in place. The coordination between the local veterinarian and the cantonal and federal veterinary authorities worked efficiently and rapidly involved the national reference center in the investigations. This case posed a challenge for the reference center and enabled scrutiny of the applied diagnostic tests. ELISA and western blot provided consistent results and pointed to an unusually high infection rate in the flock. This was confirmed by the isolation of several viruses from different organs and cells, demonstrating that the spleen is particularly well suited for isolation of small ruminant lentiviruses. The SU5-ELISA, designed to predict the subtype of the infecting virus, correctly pointed to a B1 subtype as the infectious agent. We confirmed that with this test it is necessary to analyze a representative number of samples from a flock and not just individual sera to obtain reliable results. This analysis permitted us to identify particular amino acid residues in the SU5 peptides that may be crucial in determining the subtype specificity of antibody binding. Different gag-pol and env regions were amplified by PCR using primers designed for this purpose. The phylogenetic analysis revealed a surprisingly high heterogeneity of the sequences, pointing to multiple infections within single animals and the entire flock. In conclusion, this case showed that the defense of the CAEV negative status of the Swiss goat population with respect to the virulent, prototypic B1 subtype of small ruminant lentiviruses, requires, among other measures, a diagnostic facility capable of performing a thorough analysis of the collected samples.

Isolation and molecular characterization of Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida associated with pneumonia of goats in Chhattisgarh.

Aim:The purpose of this study was to isolate and characterize the Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida from blood, nasal discharge, and lung tissue of pneumonic goats.Materials and Methods:A total of 14 goats were investigated for pneumonic pasteurellosis. Of 14 goats, nasal swabs and blood samples were collected from 10 clinically diseased animals. Moreover, lung tissue and heart blood samples were collected during necropsy of four goats died with pneumonia. All the samples were processed for the isolation of M. haemolytica and P. multocida in the laboratory. Bacterial isolates were identified by cultural and biochemical characters and 16S rRNA sequence analysis. All the isolates were subjected to susceptibility testing using commonly used antimicrobials. M. haemolytica isolates were characterized by PHSSA gene detection. P. multocida isolates were characterized by KMT1 gene detection and capsule typing.Results:On necropsy of dead goats, the pneumonia was characterized as acute fibrinous bronchopneumonia. Bacterial culture revealed the isolation of M. haemolytica (7) and P. multocida (5) of 10 clinical cases. Moreover, M. haemolytica and P. multocida were coisolated from two of the lung tissues. Furthermore, one of the other two lung tissues showed the isolation of M. haemolytica while the other showed recovery of P. multocida. Bacterial isolates were specifically identified by the 16S rRNA sequence analysis. The isolates showed reduced susceptibility to β-lactams, aminoglycosides, and fluoroquinolones. Moreover, the PHSSA and KMT1 genes were specifically detected among M. haemolytica, and P. multocida isolates, respectively. All P. multocida isolates belonged to serogroup A.Conclusion:The present study reported an occurrence of pneumonic pasteurellosis caused by M. haemolytica and P. multocida in a goat flock.

Ocurrence and risk factors associated with Mycoplasma agalactiae infection in dairy goat herds of Paraíba State, Brazil

ABSTRACT: Mycoplasmosis is a disease that may cause severe economical losses in goat and sheep herds, and it is associated with mastitis, polyarthritis, agalactia, conjunctivitis, pneumonia and reproductive failure. The objective of this study was to determine the occurrence of Mycoplasma agalactiae in milk samples and investigate the main risk factors associated with infection in goats from farms of the state of Paraíba, Brazil. For Mycoplasma agalactiae diagnosis, 251 milk samples were submitted to DNA extraction using a commercially available kit, following the manufacturer’s instructions and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was performed. In addition, questionnaires were applied to identify the main risk factors associated with contagious agalactia. Out of the two hundred fifty-one samples analyzed, 50 (19.9%, I.C. 15.1-25.4%) were PCR positive for M. agalactiae. In the risk factors analysis, some associations were observed for the following variables: size of the herd (P&lt;0.001, OR=7.1, I.C. 2.4-20.6), replacement of farm animals (P&lt;0.001, OR=4.7, I.C. 1.8-12.2) and participation of animals in fairs and exhibitions (P=0.029, OR=2.0, I.C.1.0-3.9). The results allowed confirming the occurrence of Mycoplasma agalactiae in milk samples of goats from Paraíba. Therefore, it is strictly necessary to monitor dairy goat flocks and to raise the awareness of farmers about the economic importance of the disease, since it causes severe economic losses for producers of the state. Identification of risk factors is essential for adoption of control measures and for the correction of the management factors in farms where there are animals with positive diagnosis, avoiding, so, pathogen dissemination.

Epidemiology and genetic diversity of Anaplasma ovis in goats in Corsica, France

BackgroundAnaplasma ovis is a major cause of small ruminant anaplasmosis, a tick-borne disease mainly affecting small ruminants in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Due to health and production problems in dairy goat flocks in Corsica, France, and the demonstration of A. ovis infection in some animals, an extensive survey was conducted in the island in spring 2016. The aim of the survey was to determine the prevalence and geographical distribution of A. ovis infections in goats and ticks as well as possible relationships with anaemia and other health indicators. In addition, the genetic diversity of A. ovis was evaluated.MethodsBlood and faecal samples were collected in 55 clinically healthy flocks (10 goats per flock) for A. ovis qPCR, haematocrit determination, paratuberculosis ELISA seropositivity and gastrointestinal nematode egg excretion quantification. Ticks were collected, identified and processed for A. ovis DNA detection.ResultsA high prevalence of A. ovis DNA detection was found at the individual (52.0%) and flock levels (83.6%) with a within-flock prevalence ranging between 0–100%. Rhipicephalus bursa was the only tick species collected on goats (n = 355) and the detection rate of A. ovis DNA in ticks was 20.3%. Anaplasma ovis DNA prevalence was higher in flocks located at an altitude above 168 m, in goats of Corsican/crossbred breed and in goats > 3 years-old. No relationship was found between A. ovis DNA detection at the individual or flock level and haematocrit, paratuberculosis seropositivity or gastrointestinal parasites. Positive A. ovis goat samples were used for amplification of gltA and msp4 genes for species confirmation and strain identification, respectively. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis of these genes confirmed the detection of A. ovis and allowed identification of six different strains of this pathogen (named Corsica 1-6 (COR1-6). While the msp4 sequence of strain COR1 had 100% identity with strains previously reported, COR2 to 6 were found to be novel strains. The strain COR1 was the most represented, corresponding to 94.6% of the msp4 sequences obtained.ConclusionsThe results showed a relatively high genetic diversity of A. ovis associated with high bacterial prevalence in goats.

Development and validation of direct PCR-RFLP assay for rapid detection and differentiation of Anaplasma species in naturally infected goats

This study was carried out with the objective to develop a novel, rapid and cost effective direct PCR-RFLP assay for detection and differentiation of two Anaplasma species (A. ovis and A. marginale). Blood samples were collected randomly from 112 goats. DNA was extracted from blood samples and a direct blood polymerase chain reaction (DT-PCR) for amplifying a fragment of the major surface protein 5 (msp5) gene of A. ovis/A. marginale from whole blood was developed and standardized. Additionally, the 16srRNA and msp4 genes were analysed by nested PCR, semi nested PCR and PCR-RFLP methods. Blood smear examination revealed 33 samples (29.46%) to be positive for Anaplasma inclusion bodies. On the contrary, 54 (48.21%) samples were positive by DT-PCR. The results revealed that DT-PCR was 100% sensitive and 73.41% specific when compared with microscopy based detection (k =0.63). All DT-PCR positive samples were confirmed as A. ovis by RFLP analysis. DT-PCR showed 94.44% sensitivity and 100% specificity compared to conventional PCR results with suspected blood samples (k=0.94). The phylogenetic tree and comparative sequence analysis revealed msp5 gene of Anaplasma species of Indian isolate had maximum distance from A. phagocytophilum followed by A. centrale and A. marginale and 100% sequence identity with A. ovis isolates of Chinese origin. The in-house standardized DT-PCR-RFLP method based on msp5 gene is an easy and reliable diagnostic tool to identify and discriminate between these closely related pathogens in ruminants. This type of study is the first of its kind as it depicts the molecular detection, differentiation and phylogenetic characterization of Anaplasma ovis among goat flocks in India.

Biodiversity of ticks of sheep and goats in semi-intensive farming system in Vojvodina

The present study was conducted in 90 sheep and goats flocks from the territory of Vojvodina in the two years period of March 2016 to October 2017, during the grazing season. Tick infestation was deteected in 53.14% of examined animals. The most dominant was Ixodes ricinus (43.91%), followed by Dermacentor marginatus (31.91%), Rhipicephalus bursa (15.22%), R.sanguineus (8.72%), Hyalomma savignyi (3.72%),, Haemaphysalis punctata (3.21%) and D.pictus (2.72%) . The sex ratio of detected tick species showed a higher number of females in four species (I.ricinus, H.punctata, R.sanguineus and D.marginatus), while higher number of males were detected in two species (R.bursa and Hy.savignyi), and an equal number of ticks of the D.pictus. The population dynamics of recorded tick species showed two annual maxima, in spring (April- May) and in autumn (September-October). The considerable interchange between spring and autumn tick populations can be attributed mainly to environmental conditions.

Microbiological Studies on Streptococcus Species Associated with Environmental Mastitis in Sheep and Goats Farms

The current study was carried out on 10 flocks of sheep and goats in Al-Ameria district, Alexandria Province during the period extended from January 2016 till December 2017. A total of 500 milk and environmental samples were collected and examined for isolation and identification of Streptococcus species especially those accused to be a reason for environmental mastitis. The samples were divided into; 300 milk samples of clinically suspected mastitic cases of sheep (150 samples) and goats (150 samples), 100 bedding samples of different sites of yards of sheep (50 samples) and goats (50 samples) particularly those wetted areas with high moisture and organic matter load, finally about 100 representative water samples were collected from water in front of the animals in different sites of yards of sheep (50 samples) and goats (50 samples) by a rate of 10 samples per visit. The obtained results clarified that the total prevalence of Streptococci in the examined samples of sheep and goats farms was 29.20% and 31.20%, respectively. In addition, the prevalence of Streptococci in milk, bedding and water samples was 25.33%, 46%, and 24%, respectively in sheep farms while it recorded 28.67%, 38% and 32%, respectively in goat farms. Biochemical identification of the recovered isolates revealed the presence of Str. agalactiae, Str. dysgalactiae, Str. uberis, Str. canis, Str. faecalis and Str. pyogenes with different rates. Antibiogram test for Str. dysgalactiae and Str. uberis was performed and clarified that Str. dysgalactiae was highly sensitive to Amoxicillin and Erythromycin while it was weak sensitive for Flumequine, Doxycycline and Sulphamethoxazole-Trimethoprim. On the other hand, Str. uberis was found to be quite sensitive to Ciprofloxacin and Amoxicillin while it was resistant to Gentamycin, Flumequine, Enrofloxacin, Doxycycline, Oxytetracycline and Erythromycin. Finally, multiplex PCR was applied for simultaneous detection of Str. dysgalactiae and Str. uberis.

Factors Affecting Arab Goat Flock Dynamics in Western Lowlands of Ethiopia

The study was conducted to estimate flock dynamics of western lowland Arab goat and to assess their contribution to income of smallholder farmers in Kurmuk and Assosa districts, western Ethiopia. Flocks of 30 households were monitored for a period of 12 months in 2016. Data were analyzed using the general linear model procedure of SAS and two-way interaction effects were fitted in the model and retained when found significant in the preliminary analysis. The study result indicates that total entrances for all flock were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in dry and hot-cool seasons than wet season. Most of the entrance was kids born in hot-cool season (January) (4.0 ± 0.42) and hot-dry season (May) (5.4 ± 1.09) for Assosa and Kumruk study sites, respectively. Kid mortality constituted the greater part of outflow. High kid mortality was occurred during July, February, January, and September. Most of the sell of castrated goats were occurred in September and April for both small and large flocks targeting holidays celebrated during this months. Male goat owners had significantly lower goat production potential (GPP) value than female (0.47 ± 0.02 vs. 0.52 ± 0.02). The GPP was lower in small flock than in large flock (0.48 ± 0.02 vs. 0.51 ± 0.02). Higher GPP was recorded in the months of January, February, and March for both large and small flocks. The off-take was higher (P < 0.05) in Assosa (0.06 ± 0.01) than Kumruk (0.02 ± 0.02) district. The average goat production efficiency (GPE) was higher (P < 0.05) in Assosa large (193.23 ± 20.0) and small flocks (93.44 ± 17.3) than Kumruk large (84.71 ± 15.6) and small flocks (33.33 ± 26.3).The production efficiency recorded was not comparable to the potential that the farmers had to sell goats or consume goats’ meat and milk. The lower goat production potential observed for small flocks implies that high mortality rates severely restrict receiving higher benefits from goat. Therefore, in order to optimize the productivity of goats flock dynamics, developing health intervention strategies that target reduction of kids’ mortality is imperative.

Determinants of adaptation choices to climate change in agro-pastoral dry lands of Northeastern Amhara, Ethiopia

Climate change exacerbates the daunting defy on agriculture in general and the livestock sector in particular. The aim of this study was to assess the determinant factors of climate change adaptation choices in the agro-pastoral dry lands of northeastern Ethiopia. Data on the household characteristics and adaptation choices were collected using interview schedule from a sample of 260 household heads. Multivariate probit regression and descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. The results indicated that 63.5% of farmers were applying portfolio diversification, enhancing livestock productivity, agro-ecological practices, and diversifying non-agricultural income choices to acclimatize the climate change. The model revealed that many explanatory variables, such as educational level, gender, farming experience, family size, farmland size, goat flock size, farm and non-farm income, frequency of extension contact, access to credit and climate information were significant factors for adaption choice decisions. The marginal success probability of adapting non-agricultural income diversification was the lowest compared to the agro-ecological practices, portfolio diversification and enhancing livestock productivity. The marginal success probability of jointly adapting agro-ecological practices, portfolio diversification, non-agricultural income diversification and enhancing livestock productivity choices was also lower comparing to their failure. Therefore, any effort projected to relax climate change effects should gear towards the provision of services resembling to eminence extension, vocational trainings, affordable credit, empowering vulnerable groups, community radios as well as local meteorology. Moreover, non-farm income generating initiatives on top of agricultural intensification through input supply would expedite context specific adaptation to the changing climatic status quo.

English

The present study was carried out in Himachal Pradesh of the Western Himalayas, India to obtain information on the wild edible plants used by the migratory shepherds. The shepherds started their migration in July from Chitkul, Rakchham, Batseri, Sangla and Kamru of district Kinnaur (Himachal Pradesh). Questionnaire for the survey, personal field visits and participatory observations were used to collect information about the use of various plants by the migratory shepherds. The shepherds move in a group of 5 to 6 comprising their own family members and size of the flock (of sheep and goats) varied from 654 to 990. The migration route followed from their villages to Churdhar ranges (mid hills) and to Sirmour ranges (low hills). It was observed that in all 50 species were used by shepherds enroute from high hills to low hills. In high hills, 23 species, in mid hills 31 species and in low hills 34 species were found to be used as livelihood source. Some of the plants, besides being used as fruits and vegetables, are also used as herbal tea (bark of Betula utilis) and condiments. Morchella esculenta was found to be one of the delicacies used for food in their tribe. The documentation of plant resources and the indigenous knowledge of shepherds highlighted in the present study is a step in raising awareness about the importance of these edible plants and their further conservation. Key words: Edible plants, sheep, goats, shepherds, seasonal migration, Himachal Pradesh.