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.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Chapter One:
- 1.0 Introduction
- 1.1 Problem statement and justification of the research
- 1.2 General objective of the study
- 1.3 Specific Objectives
- Chapter Two: Literature Review
- 2.1 World goat population
- 2.2 The role of goats' milk production
- 2.3 General management practices for dairy goats
- 2.4 Feeding behaviour of dairy goats
- 2.5 Voluntary feed intake of dairy goats
- 2.6 Feed resources for dairy goats in semi-arid areas
- 2.7 Dairy goat feeding and nutrient requirements
- Chapter Three: Materials and Methods
- 3.1 Description of the study area
- 3.2 Collection of baseline information on dairy goat feeds and feeding practices
- 3.3 Feeding experiments
- 3.4 Laboratory chemical analysis
- 3.5 Data Management and Statistical Analysis
- Chapter Four: Results
- 4.1 Household survey on feeds and feeding practices of dairy goats
- 4.2 Feeding experiments
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This dissertation aims to evaluate the effectiveness of supplementing dairy goat diets with indigenous leguminous tree leaf meals as protein sources in Kongwa District, Tanzania. Two on-farm experiments were conducted to assess the impact of these supplements on feed intake, growth, and milk yield in both lactating does and growing kids.
- Evaluation of indigenous leguminous tree leaf meals as protein sources for dairy goats.
- Impact of dietary supplementation on milk yield in lactating dairy goats.
- Assessment of growth performance in dairy goat kids under different dietary treatments.
- Comparison of the nutritional value of different feedstuffs (including Ficus thoningii, Melia azederach, and sunflower seed cake).
- Analysis of feed intake and nutrient utilization in dairy goats.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
Chapter One: Introduction: This chapter sets the stage for the research by introducing the problem of insufficient protein sources for dairy goats in the study area. It justifies the need for research into alternative protein sources, specifically focusing on locally available leguminous tree leaves. The chapter clearly defines the general and specific objectives of the study, outlining the parameters and goals of the subsequent experimental work. The introduction establishes a strong foundation by highlighting the practical significance of the research and setting the context for understanding the research's implications for dairy goat farming in semi-arid regions.
Chapter Two: Literature Review: This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of existing knowledge on dairy goat production, focusing specifically on aspects relevant to the study. It reviews global goat populations, the importance of goat milk, general management practices for dairy goats, and their feeding behavior. A critical aspect is the exploration of feed resources available in semi-arid areas, particularly focusing on leguminous trees and shrubs as potential supplements. The chapter also covers nutrient requirements of dairy goats and discusses the potential benefits and challenges associated with utilizing locally available resources like *Cenchrus ciliaris* hay. It serves to contextualize the present research within the broader body of existing literature and provides a framework for interpreting the findings.
Chapter Three: Materials and Methods: This chapter meticulously details the methodology employed in the study, providing a transparent and replicable account of the research process. It describes the study area in Kongwa District, Tanzania, including its climate, vegetation, and agricultural practices. The chapter outlines the methods for collecting baseline data on feeding practices and then describes the experimental design, detailing the formulation of the four dietary treatments (using Ficus thoningii leaf meal, Melia azederach leaf meal, sunflower seed cake, and maize bran) and the allocation of animals to treatment groups. The chapter also explains the data collection methods, laboratory analyses, and statistical analysis techniques used to interpret the results, ensuring the rigor and validity of the findings.
Chapter Four: Results: This chapter presents the findings of both the household survey on dairy goat feeding practices and the feeding experiments. The survey results provide a contextual understanding of current feeding practices in the study area. The experimental results detail the chemical composition of the experimental feedstuffs, their in-vitro digestibility, and the effects of the different diets on feed intake, weight gain, and milk yield in lactating does and growing kids. The data presented in this chapter form the basis for the discussion and conclusions of the subsequent sections.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Dairy goats, feed resources, leguminous trees, protein supplementation, milk yield, growth performance, Ficus thoningii, Melia azederach, sunflower seed cake, Kongwa District, Tanzania, semi-arid areas, animal nutrition.
Frequently Asked Questions: Dairy Goat Feeding in Semi-Arid Areas of Tanzania
What is the main topic of this dissertation?
This dissertation investigates the effectiveness of supplementing dairy goat diets with indigenous leguminous tree leaf meals as protein sources in Kongwa District, Tanzania. It focuses on assessing the impact of these supplements on feed intake, growth, and milk yield in both lactating does and growing kids.
What are the key objectives of the study?
The study aims to evaluate indigenous leguminous tree leaf meals as protein sources for dairy goats, assess the impact of dietary supplementation on milk yield in lactating does, evaluate growth performance in dairy goat kids under different diets, compare the nutritional value of different feedstuffs (including Ficus thoningii, Melia azederach, and sunflower seed cake), and analyze feed intake and nutrient utilization in dairy goats.
What methods were used in this research?
The research involved a household survey to collect baseline data on dairy goat feeding practices in Kongwa District. Two on-farm feeding experiments were conducted using four dietary treatments: Ficus thoningii leaf meal, Melia azederach leaf meal, sunflower seed cake, and maize bran. Laboratory chemical analysis was performed, and statistical analysis was used to interpret the results.
What are the key findings of the household survey?
The household survey results provide a contextual understanding of current feeding practices in the study area, informing the interpretation of the feeding experiment results. This information is presented in Chapter Four.
What were the key findings of the feeding experiments?
The feeding experiments detailed the chemical composition and in-vitro digestibility of the experimental feedstuffs. The results showed the effects of the different diets on feed intake, weight gain, and milk yield in both lactating does and growing kids. These results are presented in Chapter Four.
What specific leguminous tree species were investigated?
The study focused on Ficus thoningii and Melia azederach as potential sources of protein supplementation for dairy goats.
What other feedstuffs were used in the study?
Besides the leguminous tree leaf meals, sunflower seed cake and maize bran were used as additional dietary components in the feeding experiments.
Where was this research conducted?
The research was conducted in Kongwa District, Tanzania.
What is the significance of this research?
This research contributes valuable information on utilizing locally available resources to improve dairy goat productivity in semi-arid regions, promoting sustainable and cost-effective animal nutrition practices.
What are the key chapters and their contents?
The dissertation includes an introduction (Chapter One), a literature review (Chapter Two), materials and methods (Chapter Three), and results (Chapter Four). Each chapter provides a detailed account of its respective aspect of the research.
What are the keywords associated with this research?
Keywords include: Dairy goats, feed resources, leguminous trees, protein supplementation, milk yield, growth performance, Ficus thoningii, Melia azederach, sunflower seed cake, Kongwa District, Tanzania, semi-arid areas, animal nutrition.
- Quote paper
- Damas Msaki (Author), 2014, Local dairy goat feed resources in Kongwa District, Tanzania. An evaluation, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1035253
