Livestock Herds Research Articles

The impact of climate change and variability on livestock production in pastoral communities and the sustainable coping mechanisms employed: A critical literature review

Purpose: Global climate change is a major threat facing humanity. The livestock production sector as a livelihood option is one key sector which will bore the brunt of these changes in climatic conditions. This paper aims to identify the impact of climate change and variability on livestock production among pastoral communities and the coping mechanisms adopted.
 Methodology: This paper adopted a desk study review methodology where relevant empirical literature was reviewed to identify main the themes.
 Findings: The changes in these parameters (reducing rainfall and increasing temperature) have conspired to have negatively impacted on pasture quality and availability thus reducing livestock production in the area. Some of the coping mechanisms employed include seeking food relief, buying food on credit payable after droughts and selling herds, diversification of livestock species, increased mobility of livestock herd, seeking casual employment around the trading centers and engaging in petty trade.
 Recommendations: Creating awareness on the changing parameters of weather is necessary in providing the communities with relevant information to prepare and develop sustainable coping mechanisms.

Rangeland Conservation, Pastoralist Displacement, and Long-term Implications of a Grazing Ban in the Indian Himalaya

Conservation-induced displacement has been one of the major critiques of protected area management across South Asia. While there has been a steady increase in research on physical displacement, studies on loss of mobility remain limited. In 1998, a grazing ban was implemented in the state of Sikkim in the Eastern Himalayan region of India. Livestock herding in protected areas was restricted, and pastoral evictions were carried out across the state between 2000–2002. Fifteen years after the ban, we conducted this study to understand the long-term implications of the prohibition on grazing as well as that of the pastoral evictions in and around Khangchendzonga National Park (KNP). To do so, we assess eviction processes, document pastoral responses, and explore the complex social and perceived ecological outcomes of the grazing ban. Our study shows that pastoral evictions result in the further impoverishment of weaker sections of the pastoral community while powerful pastoralists appropriate benefits from conservation policies. Additionally, evictions do not necessarily aid in “biodiversity conservation”; instead, they give rise to social conflicts within the local community and lead to the emergence of new conservation challenges...

Kyrgyz Open Data Cube of Satellite Images and Environmental Products as a Tool for Pasture Monitoring

From year to year, global climate change is observed, covering various areas, such as the state and access to natural resources, infrastructure of settlements, etc. Climate change has different consequences for agriculture and livestock herding, rainfall can affect crop yields and livestock feed. Kyrgyzstan is an agrarian country in which the main income of the population comes from agriculture and animal husbandry, adaptation to climate change and monitoring is needed. Satellite images are one of the sources for monitoring climate change in the world. Satellite imagery allows to analyze changes in temperature, vegetation cover, land cover, snow cover, etc. This article discusses the Kyrgyz Data Cube and its applications, including the visualization website that provides easy access to its satellite derived environmental information, regarding pasture, drought and snow and conclusions.

Life Cycle Environmental Impacts and Health Effects of Protein-Rich Food as Meat Alternatives: A Review

The food sector is responsible for a considerable impact on the environment in most environmental contexts: the food supply chain causes greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, reduction in cultivable land, and other environmental impacts. Thus, a change in food supply is required to reduce the environmental impacts caused by the food supply chain and to meet the increasing demand for sufficient and qualitative nutrition. Large herds of livestock are inappropriate to achieve these goals due to the relevant impact of meat supply chain on the environment, e.g., the land used to grow feed for animals is eight times more than that for human nutrition. The search for meat alternatives, especially for the intake of critical nutrients such as protein, is a consequent step. In the above context, this paper summarizes the health aspects of protein-rich food alternatives to meat and carries out a literature review on the life-cycle environmental impacts of this alternative food.

Design and Field Test of a Low-cost Device for Real-time Livestock Tracking Using GPS/LoRa Communication

Highlights Monitoring movement is crucial to improve livestock management. GPS livestock tracking method using LoRa with an effective medium access control mechanism. Adaptive data collection with near real-time monitoring. GPS data were collected for improving home-range management. Low implementation costs with increasing lifespan of the devices. Abstract. Extensive livestock grazing systems are in line with agroecological principles. However, these systems are particularly complex to manage. Developing accurate and reliable monitoring of livestock movements and activities is a promising tool to improve the global performances of these systems. Various livestock management systems have been developed over the past decades, culminating in sophisticated systems in intensive controlled environments that allow the real-time monitoring of movements, behaviors, health and production parameters for livestock individuals/herds (e.g. dairy cattle). However, extensive and semi-extensive systems for which the animals are ranging freely outdoors at least part of the time, are presenting specific challenges for combined tracking data acquisition and communication. In this article, we present a GPS livestock tracking method using LoRa communication with a new medium access control mechanism. The node lifespan and performance of the system were evaluated in real on-farm conditions in three different locations in Thailand and Vietnam. The results showed that our system performed adequately well in terms of position accuracy and timeliness. The accuracy of GPS data collected are compatible with their usage for improved rangeland management, monitoring livestock movements and impacts on the environment, and for back-tracking epidemiological movements and contacts of individuals/herds to control diseases outbreaks. The communication system via LoRa allowed to some extent real-time location of livestock herds by farmers due to instant position updates to the Internet, although the performance depended largely on the relief of the landscape surrounding the rangeland used. Finally, reducing costs and increasing the lifespan of the devices remain critical objectives to foster the adoption of such system by farmers and by certification groups to provide field-based evidence for the traceability and quality control of livestock and animal products raised under healthy and environmental-friendly productions systems. Our current design, if produced in a large quantity of at least 100 units, would cost approximately $65 USD per unit, with an average lifetime of 20 days. Keywords: Cattle, GPS, LoRa, Tracking system.

Formalization of communal land tenure and expectations for pastoralist livelihoods

Despite progress towards recognizing communal land rights, there may be unintended outcomes, and for pastoral areas there is a need to be aware of how this may affect evolving pastoralist livelihoods. This paper examines trends in pastoralist livelihoods, perceptions and aspirations of pastoralists in a setting where a new communal property rights framework is in the early stages of implementation. The study was carried out in Dirre, a grazing unit of the Borana Zone in Ethiopia. It employed a mixed methods approach that included key informant interviews, focus group discussions, a workshop, a household survey and feedback sessions. The findings show that current livestock herd sizes make it difficult for pastoralists to rely only on livestock keeping, and have necessitated diversification. Crop production is increasingly becoming an alternative livelihood source, and most respondents reported wanting to expand their farms. Pastoralists also expect land certification to help secure land rights and enable better management of rangelands. However, there is also a widely held view that by providing security, certification will also make it easier for them to continue diversifying their livelihoods. This suggests that communal land certification is not likely to end the push to individualization of land and the transition to agropastoralism; it may even accelerate it. The strengthening of communal land rights can thus be used to guide this transition so that it represents a reorganization rather than a collapse of pastoralism. The focus of formalizing land rights for pastoralists should not be saving pastoralism or reversing the agropastoralist trend, but rather securing land rights to enhance the pastoralists’ capacity to make sound livelihood decisions.

How Biodiversity-Friendly Is Regenerative Grazing?

Regenerative grazing management (ReGM) seeks to mimic natural grazing dynamics to restore degraded soils and the ecological processes underpinning sustainable livestock production while enhancing biodiversity. Regenerative grazing, including holistic planned grazing and related methods, is an adaptive, rotational stocking approach in which dense livestock herds are rotated rapidly through multiple paddocks in short bouts of grazing to defoliate plants evenly and infrequently, interspersed with long recovery periods to boost regrowth. The concentrated “hoof action” of herds in ReGM is regarded vital for regenerating soils and ecosystem services. Evidence (from 58 studies) that ReGM benefits biodiversity is reviewed. Soils enriched by ReGM have increased microbial bioactivity, higher fungal:bacteria biomass, greater functional diversity, and richer microarthropods and macrofauna communities. Vegetation responds inconsistently, with increased, neutral, or decreased total plant diversity, richness of forage grasses and invasive species under ReGM: grasses tend to be favored but shrubs and forbs can be depleted by the mechanical action of hooves. Trampling also reduces numerous arthropods by altering vegetation structure, but creates favorable habitat and food for a few taxa, such as dung beetles. Similarly, grazing-induced structural changes benefit some birds (for foraging, nest sites) while heavy stocking during winter and droughts reduces food for seedeaters and songbirds. With herding and no fences, wildlife (herbivores and predators) thrives on nutritious regrowth while having access to large undisturbed areas. It is concluded that ReGM does not universally promote biodiversity but can be adapted to provide greater landscape habitat heterogeneity suitable to a wider range of biota.

Risk factors for Brucellosis and knowledge-attitude practice among pastoralists in Afar and Somali regions of Ethiopia

BackgroundBrucellosis is a neglected bacterial zoonotic disease with substantial economic impact on households. Pastoral communities are a potential risk group due to their way of life being closely interlinked with their large livestock herds. MethodologyA semi-structured questionnaire survey was conducted in households in the pastoral Afar and Somali (SRS) regions. All households had people and animals serologically tested for brucellosis. Questions were related to husbandry, consumption habits, and knowledge-attitude-practice towards the disease and zoonoses. Descriptive statistics and logistic analysis were performed to assess potential risk factors for having households with positive humans and/or animals. Result647 households were included in the survey. Herd brucellosis prevalence was 40.3 % (15.9–86.3 % in Afar; 4–72.2 % in SRS). Over half (56.3 %) of the households in Afar and 41.8 % in SRS had at least one human reactor. Nearly a quarter of the households (22.8 %), recalled abortions in goats in the last 12 months, whereas 52.5 % and 50.3 % recalled stillborn in all species and membrane retentions respectively. All respondents drank raw milk and discarded animal afterbirths in the direct surroundings with minimal protection. Risk factors for animal reactors were goat herd size, and goat abortion. There was no identified risk factor for having human reactors in households. None of the households knew about brucellosis. ConclusionAlthough being endemic in Afar and SRS, Brucellosis is not known by the pastoralists. Brucellosis control programs will have to be tailored to the pastoral context, accounting for their mobility, large, multi-species herds and habits.

The value of transhumance for biodiversity conservation: Vulture foraging in relation to livestock movements

In recent decades, intensive techniques of livestock raising have flourished, which has largely replaced traditional farming practices such as transhumance. These changes may have affected scavengers’ behaviour and ecology, as extensive livestock is a key source of carrion. This study evaluates the spatial responses of avian scavengers to the seasonal movements of transhumant herds in south-eastern Spain. We surveyed the abundance of avian scavengers and ungulates, and analysed the factors affecting the space use by 30 GPS-tracked griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus). Griffons’ foraging activity increased in the pasturelands occupied by transhumant herds, which implied greater vulture abundance at the landscape level during the livestock season. In contrast, facultative scavengers were more abundant without transhumant livestock herds, and the abundance of wild ungulates did not change in relation to livestock presence. We conclude that fostering transhumance and other traditional farming systems, to the detriment of farming intensification, could favour vulture conservation.

Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Increasing Illegal Livestock Grazing over Three Decades at Moyowosi Kigosi Game Reserve, Tanzania

The global increase of livestock has caused illegal intrusion of livestock into protected areas. Until now, hotspot areas of illegal grazing have rarely been mapped, long-term monitoring data are missing, and little is known about the drivers of illegal grazing. We localized hotspots of illegal grazing and identified factors that influenced spatio-temporal patterns of illegal grazing over three decades in the Moyowosi Kigosi Game Reserve (MKGR), Tanzania. We used questionnaires with local pastoralists (N = 159), georeferenced aerial survey data and ranger reports from 1990–2019 to understand the reasons for illegal grazing in the area. We found that hotspots of illegal grazing occurred initially within 0–20 km of the boundary (H (3) = 137, p < 0.001; (H (3) = 32, p < 0.001) and encroached further into the protected area with time (H (3) = 11.3, p = 0.010); (H (2) = 59.0, p < 0.001). Further, livestock herd sizes decreased with increasing distance from the boundary (R = −0.20, p = 0.020; R = −0.40, p = 0.010). Most interviewees (81%) claimed that they face challenges of reduced foraging land in the wet season, caused by increasing land used for cultivation, which drives them into the MKGR to feed their livestock. We conclude that there is spatio-temporal consistency in the illegal livestock intrusion over three decades, and hotspot areas are located along the boundary of the MKGR. We suggest focusing patrols at these hotspot areas, especially during the wet season, to use limited law enforcement resources effectively.

Movement and dispersal of a habitat specialist in human-dominated landscapes: a case study of the red panda

BackgroundHabitat specialists living in human-dominated landscapes are likely to be affected by habitat fragmentation and human disturbances more than generalists. But there is a paucity of information on their response to such factors. We examined the effect of these factors on movement patterns of red pandas Ailurus fulgens, a habitat and diet specialist that inhabits the eastern Himalaya.MethodsWe equipped 10 red pandas (six females, four males) with GPS collars and monitored them from September 2019 to March 2020 in Ilam, eastern Nepal. We collected habitat and disturbance data over four seasons. We considered geophysical covariates, anthropogenic factors and habitat fragmentation metrics, and employed linear -mixed models and logistic regression to evaluate the effect of those variables on movement patterns.ResultsThe median daily distance travelled by red pandas was 756 m. Males travelled nearly 1.5 times further than females (605 m). Males and sub-adults travelled more in the mating season while females showed no seasonal variation for their daily distance coverage. Red pandas were relatively more active during dawn and morning than the rest of the day, and they exhibited seasonal variation in distance coverage on the diel cycle. Both males and females appeared to be more active in the cub-rearing season, yet males were more active in the dawn in the birthing season. Two sub-adult females dispersed an average of 21 km starting their dispersal with the onset of the new moon following the winter solstice. The single subadult male did not disperse. Red pandas avoided roads, small-habitat patches and large unsuitable areas between habitat patches. Where connected habitat with high forest cover was scarce the animals moved more directly than when habitat was abundant.ConclusionsOur study indicates that this habitat specialist is vulnerable to human disturbances and habitat fragmentation. Habitat restoration through improving functional connectivity may be necessary to secure the long-term conservation of specialist species in a human-dominated landscape. Regulation of human activities should go in parallel to minimize disturbances during biologically crucial life phases. We recommend habitat zonation to limit human activities and avoid disturbances, especially livestock herding and road construction in core areas.

Income Diversification by agro- Pastoralists in Cholistan Desert Punjab, Pakistan

The pastoralists are economically depend upon livestock for their income which include their herds of livestock and the bi products produced and sold. The nomads keep moving in search of food and forage so they do not completely destroy the natural resource of a particular area. During their journey of searching water sometimes make them closer to the agriculture land near towns where they used to earn through off farm activities which include the income earned through their unskilled labour activities. The multinomial probit regression employed in this study for analysis revealed that many pastoralists adopt the income diversification strategies which are the coping strategies for other than livestock income to reduce the risks attached with livestock income. The role of Govt. and NGOs for improvement in infrastructure is envisaged to find the enhancement of livestock sector in the area is explored in this study. The study is unique in providing perspective on providing access to different facilities and the role of government in improving living of population.

Impacts of Climate Change on Livestock Location in the US: A Statistical Analysis

Livestock production is a valuable part of US agriculture as it contributes 50% of total agricultural value. Climate change is likely a threat to livestock production, but research regarding the impact of climate change on livestock sectors is limited. This paper examines how climate change affects livestock mix and location. Specifically, we examine climate effects on grazing animals and, in particular, on beef cattle, dairy cattle, goats, and sheep. We examine this in the US based on county-level data by using fractional multinomial logit econometrics. Our results show that climate is an influential determinant of where livestock herds are located and species mix. The impacts of climate vary by species and region. We also find significant influences from geographic characteristics and animal product prices. Subsequently, we project how climate change would influence future livestock mix and location. It reveals a likely growth in beef cow land shares across most of the US with the largest gains in the northwest. We also find substitutions between species as climate change progresses with dairy cows exhibiting the largest reduction.

Effective biotechnologies for revolutionalizing the livestock industry in Nigeria after COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe health and hunger challenges both in developed and developing economies of the world thereby posing a serious threat to the economies and food security issues particularly of vulnerable regions of the world. Currently in Nigeria, there is a great increase in the market prices of crops and livestock products occasioned by the prevailing clashes between crop farmer and livestock herders. There is thus a huge gap in the demand and supply of available essential agricultural products leading to the high inflation rate being witnessed in the country today. With the current population of over 200 million which is expected to double by 2050, the task of feeding these Nigerians is daunting and very challenging. To overcome these challenges, the livestock industry in Nigeria needs to be transformed accordingly. FAO report of 2019 had advised African livestock producers to work to expand the scope of their operations and to invest in productivity-enhancing technologies in order to meet the growing demands for livestock products. The adoption of biotechnological innovations already available in animal reproduction, nutrition, health and genetics, is a clear pathway to enhance livestock production in Nigeria. The Nigerian Government is expected to play a leading role by providing enabling environment that will make for easy and seamless adoption of these technologies. Nigerian livestock farmers on their part should be ready and willing to embrace these technologies to enhance the productive capacity of their stock as well as improving their own welfare and economic wellbeing.
 Key words: COVID-19 pandemic, biotechnology, livestock industry, development, Nigeria

The Animal Welfare Science of Working Dogs: Current Perspectives on Recent Advances and Future Directions

Working dogs are prevalent throughout our societies, assisting people in diverse contexts, from explosives detection and livestock herding, to therapy partners. Our scientific exploration and understanding of animal welfare have grown dramatically over the last decade. As community attitudes toward the use of animals continue to change, applying this new knowledge of welfare to improve the everyday lives of working dogs will underpin the sustainability of working with dogs in these roles. The aim of this report was to consider the scientific studies of working dogs from the last decade (2011–2021) in relation to modern ethics, human interaction, and the five domains of animal welfare: nutrition, environment, behavioral interaction, physical health, and mental state. Using this framework, we were able to analyze the concept and contribution of working dog welfare science. Noting some key advances across the full working dog life cycle, we identify future directions and opportunities for interdisciplinary research to optimize dog welfare. Prioritizing animal welfare in research and practice will be critical to assure the ongoing relationship between dogs and people as co-workers.

Perceptions, Vulnerability and Adaptation Strategies for Mitigating Climate Change Effects among Small Livestock Herders in Punjab, Pakistan.

Pakistan is an agrarian nation that is among the most vulnerable countries to climatic variations. Around 20% of its GDP is produced by agriculture, and livestock-related production contributes more than half of this value. However, few empirical studies have been conducted to determine the vulnerability and knowledge of livestock herders, and particularly the smaller herders. Comprehending individual perceptions of and vulnerabilities to climate change (CC) will enable effective formulation of CC mitigation strategies. This study intended to explore individual perceptions of and vulnerabilities to CC based on a primary dataset of 405 small livestock herders from three agro-ecological zones of Punjab. The results showed that livestock herders’ perceptions about temperature and rainfall variations/patterns coincide with the meteorological information of the study locations. The vulnerability indicators show that Dera Ghazi Khan district is more vulnerable than the other two zones because of high exposure and sensitivity to CC, and lower adaptive capacity. However, all zones experience regular livelihood risks due to livestock diseases and deaths resulting from extreme climatic conditions, lower economic status, and constrained institutional and human resource capabilities, thus leading to increased vulnerability. The results indicate that low-cost local approaches are needed, such as provision of improved veterinary services, increased availability of basic equipment, small-scale infrastructure projects, and reinforcement of informal social safety nets. These measures would support cost-effective and sustainable decisions to enable subsistence livestock herders to adopt climate smart practices.

Social-Ecological Change on the Mongolian Steppe:\xa0Herder Perceptions of Causes, Impacts, and Adaptive Strategies

Pastoral people in rangelands worldwide are experiencing uncertainty due to a combination of climatic, economic, and political stressors. Our study seeks to create a full view of the drivers, impacts, and adaptations to change for livestock herders in rural Mongolia, making use of herder traditional knowledge and select instrumental data. Interview respondents described undesirable trends in livestock herds, pasture, wildlife, and their livelihoods in three sites in northern, central, and eastern Mongolia from 1995 to 2015, including decreased lake levels. There was more agreement for precipitation trends than for temperature. We developed a systems model based on herder descriptions of the sequence and prominence of interacting drivers of change. Finally, we describe measures herders are taking to adapt to these changes, such as more frequent livestock movement. We present a transdisciplinary view of social-ecological change and applications for more regionally focused governance in an era of climate uncertainty.

Polymorphism of MBL1 gene in Holstein cattle of Republic of Tatarstan

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in using genetic techniques to create more disease-resistant livestock herds. In such studies, the mannose-binding lectin 1 (MBL1) gene is one of the promising genes because of its important role in the immune system. The study was aimed at studying the polymorphism (p. 2569 T> C) of the MBL1-Hae III gene by PCR-RFLP in the Holstein cattle population of the Republic of Tatarstan. In the course of DNA diagnostics 1059 cows of Integrated Agricultural Production Centre “Stud farm named after Lenin" of the Atninsky district were identified alleles C (0.637) and T (0.363), and genotypes CC (42.3%), TC (42.8%) and TT (14.9%). The variability between the observed and expected distribution of genotypes was 5.98. Chi-square testing found that the genetic balance in the study population was not disturbed. Analysis of the genetic structure of various populations and breeds of cattle demonstrates that, depending on the breed, the frequency of occurrence of one or another genotype changes. The results obtained in the study provide important information that can be used in future breeding and breeding programs using markers for groups of Holstein cattle resistant to diseases.

Prevalence of Pulmonary Mycotic Lesions and Antifungal Susceptibility Pattern of Fungi Isolated from Nigerian Trade Cattle

Pulmonary mycosis is a major cause of deaths in many livestock herds, especially in immune-compromised animals. A total of 138 lung samples (6mm in size) were collected from cattle slaughtered for meat at Nsukka abattoir. Swab sticks were dipped into each lung sample and streaked on freshly prepared Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) for fungal isolation. Isolated fungi were identified using morphological and microscopic features. Disc diffusion method was used to test the antifungal susceptibility pattern of a randomly selected isolates with voriconazole (1μg), fluconazole (25μg) and methanol extract of Garcinia kola, using disc diffusion method. The lung samples were examined for lesions using histopathological procedures. Out of the 138 lung samples, 23 had fungal growths while 115 had no growth of any sort. A total of 34 fungi were isolated as pure cultures. Aspergillus spp. had the highest frequency of isolation, 44.92%, followed by Penicillium spp. 11.76%, Trichophyton spp. 5.88%, Conidiobolus and Sporothrix species had 2.94% isolation rate each. About 29.6% of the isolated fungi could not be identified. Fungal positive lungs showed acute to sub-acute inflammatory responses with bronchiolar septal, alveolar interstitium and peribronchial inflammatory cell infiltration and thickening of the lung tissues. All the screened fungal isolates were sensitive to voriconazole with the zone of inhibition ranging from 12-27mm. The fungal isolates were all resistant to fluconazole and G. kola extract, except one that showed sensitivity to the extract. Voriconazole showed strong antifungal effect on all the fungi; but the efficacy of the G. kola on the fungal isolates was very low compared to voriconazole.

Frequency, territorial distribution and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella spp. on bovine cattle feces from the Altos Sur region of Jalisco State, Mexico

Multidrug resistance is a global public health problem. In 2017, in Mexico, Salmonella caused 192,771 foodborne zoonosis cases. Sonora, Hidalgo, Mexico State and Jalisco have reports of multi-resistant Salmonella strains in chicken and beef carcasses in slaughterhouses; however, the prevalence in livestock herds is unknown. From January 2012 to October 2013, 144 diarrheal stool samples were collected from bovine hatchlings from the Altos Sur region of the Jalisco State. As a result, the presence and serotype of Salmonella was determined, as well as the antibiotic resistance profile, and the genetic relationship, using PFGE. The Salmonella prevalence was 4.16 % (6/144) in feces, identifying the serotypes Anatum, Pullorum, Poona, Typhi, Gallinarum and Salmonella enterica subsp. arizonae. All the strains showed resistance to ampicillin, cephalothin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and some of them, additionally, to amikacin, cefotaxime and/or ceftriaxone. In addition, the persistence and potential spread of two Salmonella Anatum strains was discovered in one herd. This is the first study conducted in neonate bovine in the Jalisco State, Mexico, to detect multidrug resistant Salmonella. Continuous monitoring of multi-drug resistance in animal biota for human food and ongoing training of veterinary doctors are key elements for efficient prophylaxis and antimicrobial pharmacotherapy.