The main objective of this study was to assess the nutritive value and suitability of leaf meals from locally available leguminous trees as sources of protein in supplementary diets of dairy goats kept by small-scale farmers in Kongwa District.
Dairy goats play vital roles in social and economic welfare of rural societies in Tanzania. It serves as a means for capital accumulation, income generation, provision of animal protein and manure for fertilization of crop fields. In Kongwa district, for instance, the majority of rural and poor farmers keep dairy goats.
Goats are preferred by rural poor people because of many desirable factors, among them being their tolerance to harsh environment, small size, short generation interval, low labour requirements and relatively low initial capital investment. By having four chambered stomachs, goats are able to utilize food materials like roughages and shrubs that are inedible by humans and convert them into edibles such as meat and milk.
There is a vicious cycle of poverty in Kongwa District. Small farmers in the district have low income, caused by low production capacity and, hence, low savings that brings down their capacity to invest from various enterprises surrounding them. Several initiatives for development of stakeholders have tried to intervene the situation so as to break down the cycle by advocating and introducing improved dairy goats in the area, among them being Heifer Project International (HPI), Dodoma Micro-projects Programme (D.M.P.P) and World Vision Tanzania (WVT).
In recent years, there has been an increase in interest for smallholder farmers to keep dairy goats. This follows foreseeing benefits of keeping these improved breeds. Kongwa district is one of the areas where smallholder farmers have shown such kind of interest. Competition for fodder has increased tremendously as the number of dairy goats increased, leading to higher scarcity of the feed resources for goat feeding, especially during dry season. Furthermore, farmers’ knowledge with regard to pasture establishment, feed conservation and protein/ or energy supplementation in the study area is still low.
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Problem statement and justification of the research
1.2 General objective of the study
1.3 Specific Objectives
2.0 Literature Review
2.1 World goat population
2.2 The role of goats’ milk production
2.3 General management practices for dairy goats
2.3.1 Housing for Dairy Goats
2.3.2 Milking and frequency of milking on dairy goat
2.3.3 Dairy goat disease and parasite management
2.3.4 Record keeping in dairy goats’ enterprise
2.4 Feeding behaviour of dairy goats
2.5 Voluntary feed intake of dairy goats
2.5.1 Factors affecting voluntary intake of dairy goats
2.5.1.1 Animal related factors
2.5.1.2 Feed related factors
2.6 Feed resources for dairy goats in semi-arid areas
2.6.1 Leguminous trees and shrubs
2.6.2 Effects of supplementing leguminous tree leaves on animal performance
2.6.3 Cenchrus ciliaris as basal feed for feeding dairy goats
2.7 Dairy goat feeding and nutrient requirements
2.7.1 Protein requirements of dairy goats
2.7.2 Energy requirements of dairy goats
2.7.3 Water requirements of dairy goats
3.0 Materials and Methods
3.1 Description of the study area
3.1.1 Location
3.1.2 Rainfall, temperature and soils pattern
3.1.3 Vegetation description
3.1.4 Crop and livestock production in Kongwa district
3.1.5 Demographic data
3.2 Collection of baseline information on dairy goat feeds and feeding practices
3.3 Feeding experiments
3.3.1 Feeds and preparation of treatment diets
3.3.1.1 Ficus thonningii leaf meal
3.3.1.2 Melia azederach leaf meal
3.3.1.3 Sunflower seed cake
3.3.1.4 Grass Hay
3.3.1.5 Maize bran
3.3.1.6 Formulation of the treatment diets
3.3.2 Experiment 1: Effects of treatment diets on feed intake, weight gain and milk yield of lactating dairy goats
3.3.3 Experiment 2: Effects of treatment diets on feed intake and growth performance of dairy goat kids
3.3.4 Management of experimental animals
3.3.4.1 Preliminary period
3.3.4.2 Feed intake recording
3.3.4.3 Milk yield and animals’ live weight recording
3.4 Laboratory chemical analysis
3.4.1 Proximate analysis
3.4.2 In vitro digestibility study
3.5 Data Management and Statistical Analysis
3.5.1 Feed intake and growth performance study
3.5.2 Milk yield Study
3.5.3 Economic analysis of experimental feeds
4.0 Results
4.1 Household survey on feeds and feeding practices of dairy goats
4.1.1 Breeds of dairy goats kept
4.1.2 Protein and Energy supplementation practiced by farmers
4.1.3 Locally available feed resources used for feeding dairy goats
4.2 Feeding experiments
4.2.1 Chemical composition of experimental feedstuffs
4.2.2 Anti nutritional factors for Melia azederach and Ficus thonningii
4.2.3 Chemical composition of treatment diets
4.2.4 In vitro digestibility of treatment rations
4.2.5 Experiment 1: Effects of treatment diets on feed intake, weight gain and milk yield of lactating dairy goat
4.2.5.1 Dry matter intake of lactating dairy goats
4.2.5.2 Protein intake of lactating dairy goats
4.2.5.3 Energy intake of lactating dairy goats
4.2.5.4 Weight gain of lactating dairy goats
4.2.5.5 Milk yield production of lactating dairy goats
4.2.6 Experiment 2: Effects of treatment diets on feed intake and growth performance of dairy goat kids
4.2.6.1 Dry matter intake of dairy goat kids
4.2.6.2 Protein intake of dairy goat kids
4.2.6.3 Energy intake of dairy goat kids
4.2.6.4 Growth performances of dairy goat kids
5.0 Discussion
5.1 Household survey on dairy goat feeds and feeding practices
5.1.1 Breeds of dairy goats kept
5.1.2 Protein and energy supplementation practiced by farmers
5.1.3 Locally available feed resources used for feeding dairy goats
5.2 Feeding experiment
5.2.1 Chemical composition of experimental feedstuffs
5.2.2 Anti nutritional factors for Melia azederach and Ficus thonningii
5.2.3 Chemical composition of treatment diets
5.2.4 In vitro digestibility
5.2.5 Experiment 1: Effects of treatment diets on feed intake, weight gain and milk yield of lactating dairy goats
5.2.5.1 Dry matter intake of lactating dairy goats
5.2.5.2 Protein intake of lactating dairy goats
5.2.5.3 Energy intake of lactating dairy goats
5.2.5.4 Weight gain of lactating dairy goats
5.2.5.5 Milk yield of lactating dairy goats
5.2.6 Experiment 2: Effects of treatment diets on feed intake and growth performance of dairy goat kids
5.2.6.1 Dry matter intake of dairy goat kids
5.2.6.2 Protein intake of dairy goat kids
5.2.6.3 Energy intake of dairy goat kids
5.2.6.4 Growth performances of dairy goat kids
5.3 Economic analysis feeds used in the experiment
6.0 Conclusion and Recommendation
6.1 Conclusion
6.2 Recommendations
Research Objectives and Topics
The primary objective of this research is to evaluate the suitability and nutritive value of local leguminous tree leaf meals as protein alternatives to commercial concentrates for dairy goats in the semi-arid Kongwa District, aiming to improve productivity among smallholder farmers.
- Nutritive assessment of local fodder trees.
- Comparative analysis of different concentrate diets on milk and growth performance.
- Evaluation of economic benefits of utilizing local feed resources.
- Identification of common dry-season feeding practices among local farmers.
Excerpt from the Book
1.0 Introduction
Dairy goats play vital roles in social and economic welfare of rural societies in Tanzania. It serves as a means for capital accumulation, income generation, provision of animal protein and manure for fertilization of crop fields. A study by Devendra (2005) revealed the importance of small ruminants on economic and ecological improvement in agricultural systems in developing countries such as Tanzania. In Kongwa district, for instance, the majority of rural and poor farmers keep dairy goats. Goats are preferred by rural poor people because of many desirable factors, among them being their tolerance to harsh environment, small size, short generation interval, low labour requirements and relatively low initial capital investment. By having four chambered stomachs, goats are able to utilize food materials like roughages and shrubs that are inedible by humans and convert them into edibles such as meat and milk. Van Saun and Robert (2006) noted that this ability has nothing to do with the animal’s digestive enzymes, but totally is dependent upon the symbiotic relationship that exist between host animal and microbial populations residing in the anaerobic fermentation system.
Summary of Chapters
1.0 Introduction: This chapter outlines the socio-economic importance of dairy goats in Tanzania and the specific challenges faced by smallholder farmers in Kongwa District regarding feed availability and nutrition.
2.0 Literature Review: This section provides a theoretical background on goat population trends, management practices, feeding behavior, and the nutritional value of various leguminous tree species.
3.0 Materials and Methods: This chapter describes the study area and details the methodology used for the two feeding experiments, including diet preparation and statistical analysis models.
4.0 Results: This chapter presents the data collected from the household survey and the experimental trials, focusing on feed intake, growth performance, milk yield, and economic analysis.
5.0 Discussion: This section interprets the findings in the context of existing literature, comparing performance metrics across different dietary treatments and discussing the implications for local farmers.
6.0 Conclusion and Recommendation: This chapter synthesizes the results to offer final conclusions and provides practical recommendations for local farmers and future research.
Keywords
Dairy goats, Kongwa District, Ficus thonningii, Melia azederach, sunflower seed cake, leguminous tree leaves, protein supplementation, milk yield, growth performance, smallholder farmers, dry matter intake, semi-arid areas, fodder trees, feed formulation, economic analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this dissertation?
The work investigates the use of indigenous leguminous tree leaves as protein supplements for dairy goats in the semi-arid Kongwa District of Tanzania to overcome the high cost and scarcity of commercial feed.
Which specific tree species were evaluated?
The research focuses on the nutritional value and performance effects of Ficus thonningii and Melia azederach leaf meals when used in dairy goat diets.
What is the core research question?
The study aims to determine whether locally available leguminous leaf meals can effectively substitute for conventional protein sources like sunflower seed cake to improve milk yield and growth rates in a cost-effective manner.
What scientific methods were employed?
The research utilized a mix of structured household surveys and on-farm feeding experiments using a complete randomized design (CRD), complemented by laboratory chemical analysis and in vitro digestibility studies.
What key topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers literature on dairy goat management, the chemical composition of local feedstuffs, and the measured outcomes of feeding experiments regarding feed intake, milk production, and animal growth.
How are these findings relevant to smallholder farmers?
The findings provide practical, low-cost feeding strategies that can help farmers increase their income through improved animal performance without relying on expensive commercial supplements.
How did the performance of Toggenburg and Saanen goats compare in this study?
The study found that while both breeds are kept in the region, their response to the experimental diets varied, with Toggenburg often showing slight differences in performance metrics compared to Saanen, attributed to genetic potential and environmental adaptation.
What was the conclusion regarding the economic benefit of the feed treatments?
The research concluded that substituting conventional protein sources with locally harvested leaf meals, particularly Melia azederach, significantly improves the gross margin for dairy goat enterprises by reducing production costs.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Damas Msaki (Autor:in), 2014, Local dairy goat feed resources in Kongwa District, Tanzania. An evaluation, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1035253
