Abstract
Production objectives and breeding practices of smallholder households participating in dairy goat breeding projects were analysed in relation to their ability to bring about sustainable genetic improvement in the dairy goat flocks in Kenya. A stratified survey involving 311 goat keepers in 4 project sites was used. This employed both qualitative and quantitative research methods to get a holistic view of dairy goats, and take into account the full array of contributions of dairy goats to the smallholder households. Milk production and sales of breeding stock were high priority functions for the objective to create a financial buffer. The breeding objective traits that farmers perceived as being of primary importance were milk yield, growth rate, body size, fertility and disease tolerance. There were logical trade-offs in the choice of these traits by farmers. Female dairy goats were mainly culled due to old age, poor fertility, small body size and poor health. Farmers did not place a large significance on unsatisfactory milk performance when culling female goats, mainly due to the very small production size and the high demand existing for breeding animals. Factors affecting milk yield and flock size presented satisfied a P < 0.1 significance level. The performance levels of dairy goats were mainly influenced by breeding strategies and the resource availability at the farm level. The optimisation of genotype x environment interactions remains the biggest challenge given the objectives set by the farmer.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- DGAK:
-
Dairy Goat Association of Kenya
- HEL-EUCDGP:
-
Higher Education Links-Egerton University Community Dairy Goats Project
- HPI:
-
Heifer Project International
References
Ajala, A.A., 1995. Women’s tasks in the management of goats in Southern Nigeria. Small Ruminant Research, 15, 203–208
Ayalew, W., Rischkowsky, B., King, J.M., Bruns, E., 2003. Crossbreds did not generate more net benefits than indigenous goats in Ethiopian smallholdings. Agricultural Systems, 76, 1137–1156 doi:10.1016/S0308-521X(02)00033-1
Baiden, R.Y., 2007. Birth weight, birth type and pre-weaning survivability of West African Dwarf goats raised in the Dangme West District of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 39, 141–147 doi:10.1007/s11250-007-4354-7
Barillet, F., 2007. Genetic improvement for dairy production in sheep and goats. Small Ruminant Research, 70, 60–75 doi:10.1016/j.smallrumres.2007.01.004
Boonbrahm, N., Peters, K.J., Intisang, W., 2004. The influence of calf rearing methods and milking methods on performance traits of crossbred dairy cattle in Thailand. 1. Milk yield and udder health. Archives of Animal Breeding, 47, 211–224
Boyazoglu, J., Hatziminaoglou, I., Morand-Fehr, P., 2005. The role of the goat in society: Past, present and perspectives for the future. Small Ruminant Research, 60, 13–23, doi:10.1016/j.smallrumres.2005.06.003
Boyazoglu, J., Morand-Fehr, P., 2001. Mediterranean dairy sheep and goat products and their quality. A critical review. Small Ruminant Research, 40, 1–11 doi:10.1016/S0921-4488(00)00203-0
Collier, R.J., Dahl, G.E., van Baale, M.J., 2006. Major advances associated with environmental effects on dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science, 89, 1244–1253
Crepaldi, P., Corti, M., Cicogna, M., 1999. Factors affecting milk production and prolificacy of Alpine goats in Lombardy (Italy). Small Ruminant Research, 32, 83–88 doi:10.1016/S0921-4488(98)00156-4
DFID, 2003, Pakistan Participatory Poverty Assessment (Balochistan Province Report, August 2003). http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/ppa-balochistan.pdf. (Date accessed 23 Dec. 07)
Donkin, E.F., Boyazoglu, P.A., 2004. Diseases and mortality of goat kids in a South African milk goat herd. South African Journal of Animal Science, 34, 258–261
Fröberg, S., Aspegren-Güldorff, A., Olsson, I., Marin, B., Berg, C., Hernández, C., Galina, C., Lidfors, L., Svennersten-Sjaunja, K., 2007. Effect of restricted suckling on milk yield, milk composition and udder health in cows and behaviour and weight gain in calves, in dual-purpose cattle in the tropics. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 39, 71–81 doi:10.1007/s11250-006-4418-0
Gootwine, E., Pollott, G.E., 2000. Factors affecting milk production in Improved Awassi dairy ewes. Animal Science, 71, 607–615
ILRI, 1999. Livestock Policy Analysis. ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute) Training Manual 2. ILRI, Nairobi, Kenya. 264
Jaitner, J., Sowe, J., Secka-Njie, E., Dempfle, L., 2001. Ownership pattern and management practices of small ruminants in The Gambia-implications for a breeding programme. Small Ruminant Research, 40, 101–108 doi:10.1016/S0921-4488(00)00221-2
Kahi, A.K., Rewe, T.O., Kosgey, I.S., 2005. Sustainable community-based organizations for the genetic improvement of livestock in developing countries. Outlook on Agriculture, 34, 261–270
Kosgey, I.S., Okeyo, A.M., 2007. Genetic improvement of small ruminants in low-input, smallholder production systems: Technical and infrastructural issues. Small Ruminant Research, 70, 76–88 doi:10.1016/j.smallrumres.2007.01.007
Kosgey, I.S., Rowlands, G.J., van Arendonk, J.A.M., Baker, R.L., 2008. Small ruminant production in smallholder and pastoral/extensive farming systems in Kenya. Small Ruminant Research, 77, 11–24
Krause, A.-N., 2005. Breeding programmes for small ruminants in the tropics with special reference to the crossbreeding programme of the Dairy Goat Association of Kenya (DGAK), (Unpublished PhD Thesis. Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany)
Marsland, N., Wilson, I., Abeyasekera, S., Kleih, U., 2001. Combining quantitative (formal) and qualitative (informal) survey methods. Socio-economic Methodologies for Natural Resources Research Best Practice Guidelines. Natural Resources Institute, Chatham, UK, 16 p. http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/BPG10.pdf (Date accessed 23 Dec. 07)
Min, B.R., Hart, S.P., Sahlu, T., Satter, L.D., 2005. The effect of diets on milk production and composition, and on lactation curves in pastured dairy goats. Journal of Dairy Science, 88, 2604–2615
Morand-Fehr, P., 2005. Recent developments in goat nutrition and application: A review. Small Ruminant Research, 60, 25–43 doi:10.1016/j.smallrumres.2005.06.004
Mtenga, L.A., Kifaro, G.C., Berhanu, B., 1992. Studies on factors affecting reproductive performance and mortality rates of small East African goats and their crosses. In: S.H.B. Lebbie, B. Rey and E.K. Irungu (eds), Small Ruminant Research and Development in Africa, Proceedings of the 2nd Biennial Conference of the African Small Ruminant Research Network, AICC, Arusha, Tanzania, 7–11 December, 69–74
Mwacharo, J.M., Drucker, A.G., 2005. Production objectives and management strategies of livestock keepers in South-East Kenya: Implications for a breeding programme. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 37, 635–652 doi:10.1007/s11250-005-4253-8
Olivier, J.J., Cloete, S.W.P., Schoeman, S.J., Muller, C.J.C., 2005. Performance testing and recording in meat and dairy goats. Small Ruminant Research, 60, 83–93 doi:10.1016/j.smallrumres.2005.06.022
Peacock, C., 2005. Goats — A pathway out of poverty. Small Ruminant Research, 60, 179–186 doi:10.1016/j.smallrumres.2005.06.011
PECAD, 2004, Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division (PECAD), Foreign Agricultural Service, http://www.fas.usda.gov (Date accessed 23 Dec. 07)
Peris, S., Caja, G., Such, X., Casals, R., Ferret, A., Torre, C., 1997. Influence of kid rearing systems on milk composition and yield of Murciano-Granadina dairy goats. Journal of Dairy Science, 80, 3249–3255
Peters, K.J., Zumbach, B. 2002. Needs for research and development in livestock recording systems (LRS) in transition and developing countries. In: Development of Successful Animal Recording Systems for Transition and Developing Countries, Mäki-Hokkonen, J., Boyazoglu, J., Vares, T., Zjalic, M., (eds), Proceedings of the FAO/ICAR Seminar, Interlaken, Switzerland, 155–174
Petheram, R.J., Basuno, E., 1986. Livestock component farming systems research in Java - The case for work with women. Agricultural Administration and Extension, 21, 119–127 doi:10.1016/0309-586X(86)90048-8
Sinn, R., Ketzis, J., Chen, T., 1999. The role of woman in the sheep and goat sector. Small Ruminant Research, 34, 259–269 doi:10.1016/S0921-4488(99)00078-4
Sölkner, J., Nakimbugwe, H., Zarate, A.V., 1998. Analysis of determinants for success and failure of village breeding programmes. In: Proceedings of the Sixth World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, vol. 25, 11–16 January, 1998, Armidale, NSW, Australia, 273–280
Thomas, D., Barton, D., 1995. Interactions between livestock production systems and the environment- Impact domain: Crop-Livestock Interactions, http://www.fao.org/ (Date accessed 23 Dec. 07)
Wollny, C.B.A., 2003. The need to conserve farm animal genetic resources in Africa: should policy makers be concerned? Ecological Economics, 45, 341–351 doi:10.1016/S0921-8009(03)00089-2
Acknowledgements
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is thanked for granting the first author the financial assistance to carry out this study. We also greatly acknowledge Humboldt University of Berlin and Egerton University for provision of facilities. Thanks to the Dairy Goat Association of Kenya, Heifer Project International and Higher Education Links-Egerton University Community Dairy Goats Project for their cooperation.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Appendix
Appendix
List of quotations derived from the qualitative data i.e., information from the key informants, observations by enumerators and focus group discussions
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bett, R.C., Kosgey, I.S., Kahi, A.K. et al. Analysis of production objectives and breeding practices of dairy goats in Kenya. Trop Anim Health Prod 41, 307–320 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-008-9191-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-008-9191-9