EVALUATION OF THE PERFORMANCE OF MUTURU CATTLE UNDER THE TRADITIONAL VILLAGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN THE SOUTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA OF BENUE STATE, NIGERIA
EVALUATION OF THE PERFORMANCE OF MUTURU CATTLE UNDER THE TRADITIONAL VILLAGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN THE SOUTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA OF BENUE STATE, NIGERIA
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Date
1995-05
Authors
Uza, Daniel Verishima
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Abstract
A study was conducted to evaluate the performance of the
trypanotolerant Muturu Cattle kept under traditional village
management system in the trypanosomiasis endemic southern
guinea savanna of Benue State.
In the first study, surveys were conducted during the rainy
season months of May - July 1990 to obtain base line data on
systems of management, reproductive performance, disease,
marketing and constraints affecting productivity in 362
herds made up of 2,490 head of cattle. Under the
traditional village management conditions, more than half of
the farmers (57%) kept only a small herd size of 1 - 5
animals mainly for commercial purpose i.e. to generate
income. The most popular system of management was
semi-intensive (55%). During both dry and rainy season,
Muturu cattle obtained their feed from grazing (71.4
and 85.3% respectively) and supplementary feed was
hardly fed (3.6% in the rainy season and 8% in the dry
season) because many farmers (43.9%) never even heard of
it. Age at first service was less than 2 years (46.4%)
while age at first calving was 2 - 3 years (49.2%) in
these traditionally managed cattle. Abortion rate
(14.6%), calf mortality (10.8%) and incidence of disease,
diarrhoea (27.1%) were low. Most farmers (76.4%) did not
vaccinate their animals. Those farmers who treated
their animals (44.2%) and those who did not treat (45.0%)
were about the same. Those who treated, used traditional
methods i.e. herbs (81.2%). Most farmers sold their
animals life (73.5%) for reasons of family support
(34.0%). Lack of feed and water were the biggest
management problems facing most farmers (40.8%) while
lack of veterinary services, lack of capital and lack of
grazing land were the other problems faced by Muturu
cattle farmers. Most farmers (56.8%) said that granting
of loans to them would improve the numbers and management of
their Muturu herd.
Investigations conducted on Raav Livestock Investigation
and Breeding Centre (L.I.B.C.), the only institutional farm
in Benue State where Muturu cattle are kept, revealed
that age at first service was 18 - 30 months while age at
first calving ranged from 27 - 39 months. Calving rate was
57%, calf mortality 5%, weaning rate 80 - 90% and culling
rate of 1% mainly from cryptorchid bulls. The average
birth weight of calves was 14kg., average weaning weight
at 6 - 8 months was 48kg while average weight of cows at
mating was 143kg.
It appears from these results that Muturu cattle in Raav
LIBC did not perform better than those under traditional
village management condition. This may have been due to lack
of adequate supplementary feeding as funds for procuring them
were always insufficient.
It was concluded that Muturu cattle were hardy animals and
that under the traditional village management conditions,
it appeared disease was not a constraint militating against
production. Probably all that needs to be done now was to
explore and take advantage of these unique characteristics
and effect increased productivity through improved
management.
In the second study, surveys were conducted during the dry
season months of November, 1990 - February, 1991 to assess
the integration of Muturu into mixed farming system of the
people and address constraints of husbandry/management under
the traditional village production system. Results from
394 respondents involving 2,336 Muturu cattle
revealed that an overwhelming majority of Muturu farmers
(90.9%) kept other livestock (such as goats, pigs, sheep
and poultry) apart from Muturu cattle but 86.0% considered
rearing of Muturu cattle more important than keeping other
livestock for reasons of profitability (79.3%). All
Muturu cattle farmers (100%) cultivated crops mainly
yams (84.6%) and that crop farming was more important
(82.1%) than raising Muturu or other livestock. Majority
of Muturu farmers (66.1%) fed crop residues to their Muturu
cattle mainly yam and cassava peels (38.5 and 19.8%
respectively) while feeding of cereal crop residues such
as guinea corn (sorghum) stover, maize stover and rice
straw was low. Nearly all Muturu cattle farmers owned land
(97.7%) through inheritance (95.4%) and more of this land
was set aside for cropping (81.2%) rather than raising
Muturu cattle (16.0%). During the dry season, grazing
natural grass (92.9%) rather than improved pasture (6.9%)
was the rule. While an overwhelming majority of Muturu
cattle farmers (82.6%) allowed their cattle to roam freely
during the dry season, only 13.5% confined their cattle
mainly through tethering (79.4%) during the rainy season
(49.5%). Majority of Muturu farmers (80.2%) reported
problems of crop damage by free-roaming cattle while those
who did not experience this problem were very few (5.1%).
While a majority of Muturu cattle farmers (74.5%) did not
apply cattle manure on crop farms, 2 5.3% did. An
overwhelming majority of Muturu farmers (87.6%) did not
use Muturu cattle for traction while 3.0% said they did.
It appears from these findings that the rearing of Muturu
cattle is not properly integrated in the mixed farming
system in Benue State. However, the popular practice of
grazing natural pasture and feeding crop residues during the
dry season calls for an urgent need to determine and assess
the nutritional value of these feed resources in meeting
the demands for improved productivity of Muturu cattle under
the traditional village management system.
In a third study, a one - year two season study of the
prevalence of trypanosomiasis and its effect on rectal
temperature and some blood parameters in 247 Muturu cattle
was carried out between September 1991 and July 1992. The
studies were conducted during the rainy season months of
September 1991, May and July 1992 and the dry season months
of November 1991, January and March 1992 in five (5)
randomly selected L.G.As of the former Benue State namely;
Gboko, Gwer, Katsina-Ala, Kwande and Ushongo.
ix
Analysis of data showed that the prevalence of
trypanosomiasis in Muturu cattle as determined by the
parasitological method of thick smear examination, was low
(8.9%). T. vivax was most prevalent followed by T.
brucei while T. conqolense could not be detected by this
method. More cattle had trypanosomiasis in the rainy season
(5.7%) than in the dry season (3.8%). Gwer L.G.A. had the
highest prevalence rate of 19.6% during the rainy season.
Investigations using Antibody ELISA technique however showed
a higher prevalence rate of infection (66.8%) than the
conventional parasitological techniques (8.9%). The Antibody
ELISA also discriminated between infected and non-infected
cattle and differentiated between the different Trypanosome
Species in cases of mixed infection.
The results of the study suggested that the Antibody ELISA
was a more useful technique for epidemiological assessment of
bovine trypanosomiasis in Nigeria than the conventional
parasitological techniques.
The prevalence of other blood parasites was very low (1.2%
for babesiosis).
Analysis of blood parameters in 247 Muturu cattle grazing
natural pasture and crop residues under the traditional
village management system revealed that the animals
maintained normal rectal temperatures, Haemoglobin (Hb),
Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Magnesium (Mg), Calcium (Ca) and
Phosphorus (P) during the period of the study. Total Protein
(TP) in the blood of all these animals were, however,
consistently low.
Trypanosomiasis had no significant effect (P>.05) on rectal
temperature and blood variables examined in this study.
However, serum Mg levels in Muturu cattle from Gwer, Kwande
and Ushongo LGAs were significantly (P<.01) higher than those
from Gboko and Katsina-Ala LGAs. Serum Hb, PCV, TP, and Ca
were significantly (P<.001) higher in the rainy season than
in the dry season, while serum TP in female animals were
significantly (P<.001) higher than those in male animals. Age
did not have any significant effect on rectal temperature and
the other blood variables studied.
Correlation between the variables studied revealed that there
were many more correlations in the females than in the males.
In the male animals, only Hb was significantly (P <.05)
correlated to TP (r = .295), whereas in the female animals,
Hb (r = .224), and PCV (r = .413) were highly correlated to
TP at (P < .01) and (P <.001) respectively. PCV was however
negatively correlated (r = - .402) with rectal temperature,
and highly significant (P < .001). Ca and P were also highly
correlated to Mg (r = .295 and .315 respectively). These
correlations were highly significant, (P < .001 and P < .01
respectively). The higher correlation in the females may have
been due to higher numbers of females (185) than males (68)
used in the study. These differences may also have been due
to the complex physiological processes in the female arising
from pregnancy, formation of skeleton of the foetus and
lactation.
In the fourth study, the nutritive value of natural pastures
and crop residues which were the commonly used feed resources
for feeding Muturu cattle, were determined and assessed for
their sufficiency or insufficiency in protein and mineral in
meeting requirements for the dry and wet seasons.
During both seasons Andropogon spp appeared to be the most
common native grass grazed by the animals. Other grasses
included Imperata cylindrica, Hyparrhenia sp. Penicum sp and
Pennisetum pedicellatum. Chemical composition values did not
differ among the Local Government Areas (LGAs). Only the DM,
Ash and Ca were significantly influenced by season. DM of
grasses consumed during the dry season was significantly (P<
0.001) higher (96.3 ± 1.18%) than those consumed in the wet
season (30.2 ± 1.40%). Ash content in the wet season (25.2 ±
2.36%) was higher (P< 0.01) than those in the dry season (7.9
± 2.00%). The Ca content of grasses consumed in the dry
season (0.69 ± 0.053%) was significantly (P< 0.01) higher
than that found in the grasses consumed in the wet season
(0.34 + 0.063%).
The chemical composition of crop residues (yam peels, cassava
peels, sorghum stover, maize stover and rice straw) revealed
that the DM, CP and Ca contents of the residues were not
statistically different (P> 0.05). On the other hand NDF,
ADF and P differed significantly (P< 0.01) among the various
residues. Similarly, Ash and Mg contents differed (P< 0.05)
among the various crop residues. NDF of yam peels (81.6 +
3.98%) differed significantly (P< 0.001) from those of
cassava (30.0 ± 3.98%). The P content of sorghum stover
(0.25 ± 0.024%) was significantly (P< 0.05) higher than that
of maize stover (0.05 ± 0.024%). Similarly, the P and Mg
contents of sorghum stover was significantly (P< 0.01) higher
than that for rice straw. Ash contents of rice straw was
significantly (P< 0.001) higher than that of maize stover
while Mg contents of maize stover was significantly (P<
0.05) higher than the corresponding value for rice straw.
When the tuber peels were compared with the cereal
stovers/straw, the NDF, ADF and Ash contents were all
significantly (P< 0.05) higher for the stovers than the
peels.
On the whole, the native grasses and crop residues were
highly fibrous, low in protein and deficient in P and Mg
during the wet and dry seasons. It was concluded that
protein, phosphorus and magnesium were limiting in the diets
of these traditionally managed Muturu cattle in Benue State.
It was suggested that supplementation with protein,
phosphorus and magnesium be encouraged.
Description
Submitted to the Post-Graduate School,
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in partial
fulfilment of the requirements for the
degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in
Animal Science.
The Department of Animal Science
Faculty of Agriculture,
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
May, 1995.
Keywords
EVALUATION,, PERFORMANCE,, MUTURU CATTLE,, TRADITIONAL,, VILLAGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM,, SOUTHERN,, GUINEA SAVANNA,, BENUE STATE,