Compliance with appropriate flock health program is vital for preventing introduction and minimizing impact of diseases in goat farms. Unfortunately, most goat farms in Uganda, especially in the Albertine Graben Zone lack flock health program. The associated frequent outbreaks slow down effort aimed at commercializing goat production. In this study, we documented flock dynamics, identified and prioritized pressing challenges experienced by goat farms during the year 2022 and generated appropriate flock health program and packaged it for dissemination to farmers. Materials and Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, semi-structured questionnaire, data were collected and analyzed with MS Excel 2013. The data included: location and socio-demographics of household, farming system, flock dynamics, housing, feeding system, health management, challenges encountered by goat farm and suggested solutions. Results: Beginning January 2022 to December 2022, the number of goats reared in all the 45 sample farms increased from 2128 to 2220 goats. Results showed that 884 kids were produced and 88 breeding goats were introduced into the farms. Three hundred ninety-nine goats died due to mainly diseases and 435 goats got withdrawn through nondeath. The average farm level and overall mortality rate were 21 goats per 1000 goatmonths and 15 goats per 1000 goatmonths respectively. The most pressing challenges encountered by sample farms were death of goats especially due to diseases, poor access to veterinary extension services, high cost of inputs and feed scarcity. Solutions suggested by sample farms were improved access to veterinary services, improved housing, enhanced vaccination of goats against diseases, and enhanced grazing land management and feed conservation, all of which were incorporated into the flock health program. Conclusion and Recommendations: An appropriate flock health program was generated based on flock dynamics and production constraints which reveal high mortality and limited access to veterinary services respectively. Actors are recommended to promote adoption and adherence to the flock health program so as to increase goat production and access to wider market.
References
[1]
Authority, K.C.C. (2019) Uganda Bureau of Statistics 2019 Statistical Abstract for Kampala City: Report Prepared with Support from Uganda Bureau of Statistics. Technical Report.
[2]
Webb, E. (2014) Goat Meat Production, Composition, and Quality. Animal Frontiers, 4, 33-37. https://doi.org/10.2527/af.2014-0031
[3]
Fowler, M. and Rauschendorfer, J. (2019) Agro-Industrialisation in Uganda. https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00X8JV.pdf
[4]
Hamel, S., et al. (2006) Population Dynamics and Harvest Potential of Mountain goat Herds in Alberta. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 70, 1044-1053. https://doi.org/10.2193/0022-541X(2006)70[1044:PDAHPO]2.0.CO;2
[5]
Cournut, S. and Dedieu, B. (2004) A Discrete Events Simulation of Flock Dynamics: A Management Application to Three Lambings in Two Years. Animal Research, 53, 383-403. https://doi.org/10.1051/animres:2004025
[6]
Monteiro, A., Costa, J.M. and Lima, M.J. (2017) Goat System Productions: Advantages and Disadvantages to the Animal, Environment and Farmer. In: Kukovics, S., Ed., Goat Science, 351-366. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.70002
[7]
Skapetas, B. and Bampidis, V. (2016) Goat Production in the World: Present Situation and Trends. Livestock Research for Rural Development, 28, 200.
[8]
Agriterra, H. (2012) Identification of Livestock Investment Opportunities in Uganda. Project Number: 12at-5813.
[9]
Aldridge, M.E., et al. (2018) Solutions for Grand Challenges in Goat and Sheep Production. Biotropia, 26, 55-64. https://doi.org/10.11598/btb.2019.26.1.944
[10]
Maesela, L.M. (2017) Assessment of the Production and Marketing Constraints of Dairy Goat and Goat Milk Faced by Rural Household Dairy-Goat Farmers in Sekhukhune District of Limpopo Province South Africa. Master’s Thesis, University of South Africa, Pretoria.
[11]
Goetsch, A., Merkel, R. and Gipson, T. (2011) Factors Affecting Goat Meat Production and Quality. Small Ruminant Research, 101,173-181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2011.09.037
[12]
Rajkumar, N.V. and Kavithaa, N. (2014) Constraints in Goat Farming Perceived by Farm Women in Erode District of Tamil Nadu. International Journal of Science, Environment and Technology, 3, 116-122.
[13]
da Silva, J.C., et al. (2006) Veterinary Dairy Herd Health Management in Europe Constraints and Perspectives. Veterinary Quarterly, 28, 23-32. https://doi.org/10.1080/01652176.2006.9695203
[14]
Radostits, O., et al. (2007) A Textbook of the Diseases of Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Pigs and Horses. Veterinary Medicine 10th Edition Bailliere. Tindall, London, 1576-1580.
[15]
Simões, J., et al. (2021) Managing Sheep and Goats for Sustainable High Yield Production. Animal, 15, Article ID: 100293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2021.100293
[16]
Hall, D.C., Ehui, S.K. and Shapiro, B.I. (2004) Economic Analysis of the Impact of Adopting Herd Health Control Programs on Smallholder Dairy Farms in Central Thailand. Agricultural Economics, 31, 335-342.
[17]
Pugh, D.G. and Baird, N.N. (2012) Sheep & Goat medicine-E-book. Elsevier Health Sciences.
[18]
Pence, M.E. (2005) Herd Health Programs for a Beef Cattle Enterprise. https://hdl.handle.net/10724/34617
[19]
Ochan, G. and Makosa, D. (2020) An Assessment of the Role of Proper Health Management in Reducing Goat Mortality in Kraals: A Case of Napak District in Eastern Uganda. International Journal of Livestock Production, 11, 102-107.
[20]
Bõlske, G., et al. (1995) Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia in Uganda and Isolation of Mycoplasma capricolum Subspecies Capripneumoniae from Goats and Sheep. Veterinary Record, 137, 594.
[21]
Tumusiime, D., et al. (2023) Mapping the Risk of Rift Valley Fever in Uganda Using National Seroprevalence Data from Cattle, Sheep and goats. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 17, e0010482. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010482
[22]
Morgenstern, H. and Bursic, E.S. (1982) A Method for Using Epidemiologic Data to Estimate the Potential Impact of an Intervention on the Health Status of a Target Population. Journal of Community Health, 7, 292-309. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01318961
[23]
Guma, W. , Baguma, S. , Asekenye, L. , Mulabuke, L. , Kalunda, P. and Magala, J. (2022) Flock Dynamics and Approaches for Reducing Mortality Rate among Mubende Goats at BuZARDI Semi-Intensive Farm, Hoima, Uganda. Open Journal of Veterinary Medicine, 12, 135-154. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojvm.2022.1211012
[24]
Mbindyo, C., Gitao, C. and Peter, S. (2018) Constraints Affecting Dairy Goats Milk Production in Kenya. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 50, 37-41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-017-1397-2
[25]
Dubeuf, J.-P. (2011) The Social and Environmental Challenges Faced by Goat and Small Livestock Local Activities: Present Contribution of Research-Development and Stakes for the Future. Small Ruminant Research, 98, 3-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2011.03.008
[26]
Dipheko, K., et al. (2016) Characteristics of Small-Holder Dairy Goat Production in Three Districts of Botswana. UNESWA Journal of Agriculture (UJA), 19, 1-17.
[27]
Simões, J. and Gutiérrez, C. (2018) Sustainable Goat Production in Adverse Environments: Volume I: Welfare, Health and Breeding. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71294-9
[28]
Abdullah, F.F.J., et al. (2015) Survey of Goat Farmers’ Compliance on Proper Herd Health Program Practices. International Journal of Livestock Research, 5, 8-14.
[29]
Steven, J. and Jeremy, P. (2015) Herd Health Program for Meat Goats. Agriculture and Natural Resources. https://www.uaex.uada.edu/publications/pdf/FSA3097_2020.pdf
[30]
Salisi, M.S., Saad, M.Z. and Kasim, A. (2012) Implementation of Herd Health Program to Improve Survival of Boer Goats in Malaysia. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 44, 207-211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-011-0008-x
[31]
Shahudin, M., et al. (2018) The Necessity of a Herd Health Management Programme for Dairy Goat Farms in Malaysia. Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science, 41, 1-18.
[32]
Miller, B.A. and Lu, C.D. (2019) Current Status of Global Dairy Goat Production: An Overview. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences, 32, 1219-1232. https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.19.0253
[33]
Niemann, D. (2018) Raising Goats Naturally: The Complete Guide to Milk, Meat, and More. New Society Publishers, Gabriola.