H.S.K. Nsubuga
Professor of Animal Science, Makerere University P.O. Box 7062. Kampala, Uganda
Introduction
Introducing the South African Boer goat into Uganda
Materials and methods
Discussion
Reference
There are about 400 million goats in the world, with Africa accounting for 67%. In East Africa, Kenya has a goat population of 6.4 million, Tanzania 4.3 million and Uganda 3.9 million. The trends in Ugandan small ruminant population dynamics can be seen in Table 1. One method of increasing the number of goats and sheep is to select for twinning traits within a population. The twinning rate of East African goats is 30% and triplets occur at the frequency of 2%. Goats have a unique feeding characteristic of browsing which accounts for 60% while the grazing preference is only 40%.
Table 1. Sheep and goats census in Uganda, 1935-94.
|
Year |
Sheep |
Goats |
|
1935 |
1,062,139 |
2,335,033 |
|
1945 |
995,321 |
2,143,533 |
|
1950 |
1,065,822 |
2,324,232 |
|
1955 |
1,093,247 |
2,513,732 |
|
1960 |
865,000 |
2,592,000 |
|
1965 |
790,933 |
1,997,713 |
|
1970 |
827,444 |
1,801,311 |
|
1975 |
700,000 |
2,000,000 |
|
1980 |
1,000,000 |
2,100,000 |
|
1985 |
700,000 |
2,500,000 |
|
1990 |
570,000 |
3,700,000 |
|
1994 |
1,100,000 |
3,900,000 |
Goats and sheep make an important contribution to the subsistence subsector of the economy of Uganda and, indeed, of many countries in Africa. Over one million goats and sheep are slaughtered and consumed annually for meat. The skins contribute substantially to foreign exchange earnings as well as permitting import substitution for use in the local tannery and leather craft industry of Uganda. Locally the skins are used extensively in traditional technoculture. They are used notably in the making of mats, covering handles of tools (knives, dancing costumes, ropes, drums and shields) and covering ornamental articles. Footwear, strings and specific musical instruments are also made from skins.
Exotic goats of the Toggenburg and Anglo-Nubian breeds were imported to Uganda for cross-breeding with local goats with a view to enhancing milk yield and meat production in the offspring. In the early 1960s exotic wool sheep were introduced into Uganda and were bred on Government farms with the objective of assessing their ability to survive, reproduce and produce wool and meat in Uganda's climatic, technical and management environment.
It was planned that wool sheep production could be integrated with beef cattle ranching where tick-borne diseases were controlled. Sheep prefer shorter pastures than cattle and they would therefore follow cattle in rotation management system within fenced paddocks.
Exotic sheep, goats and their crosses with indigenous stock are more susceptible to helminth infection than the local breeds. Therefore every care should be taken to institute an effective regime of preventive measures comprising adequate rotational systems of grazing coupled with strategic prophylactic cover and all reinforced by regular chemotherapeutic preventive treatments.
It has to be emphasised that meat production from small ruminants is very important in Africa. This is so because these animals are more suitable for family consumption of 5-10 people, than cattle owing to their comparatively small carcases (10-15 kg).
Furthermore, there is lack of regular beef supplies outside the main cash-crop harvesting season. Absence of networks of rural electrification virtually prevents exploitation of refrigeration technology and hence limits preservation and storage capacity of the perishable meat surplus. Indeed, there is a positive correlation between slaughtering and consumption of beef and the availability of cash in rural areas during the main crop (coffee and cotton harvest) sales.
Before the second world war, goats were kept in almost every household in the rural areas. At that time children 8-15 years of age contributed the main source of household labour for herding the flocks of goats. During the last 50 years schooling has deprived rural parents of their source of cheap and convenient labour for herding small ruminants. Goats exhibit great activity in their search for feeds through browsing, grazing and eating household residues. They are relatively more difficult to herd than sheep which tend to fit in well in a system of joint herding with cattle.
In extensive areas of northern and north-eastern Uganda, there was a potential of rearing large flocks, 200-300 goats, using one herdsman particularly if trained sheep dogs were introduced and the husbandry internalised in the farming community.
Breeds of goats
In Uganda there are three distinct breeds of goat reared for meat production.
The commonest type is the smallest of the three and can be described as the Small East African (SEA). Its mature live weight is 20-25 kg. It occurs extensively in northern and eastern short savannah ecological areas and the drier areas of Buganda in the northern parts of Luwero and Mukono districts (Buruli, Bulemezi and Bugerere).
The second type is described as the Mubende goat. This is a large animal of 30-35 kg live weight. It is renowned for its popular skin on the international market. The skin is called "Kampala skin" in trade circles. This breed is concentrated in the Mubende District.
The third type falls in between the first two in live weight, 25-30 kg. Its typical ecological niche is in Kabale, Kisoro and Rukungiri in Kigezi District. It is referred to as the Kigezi goat.
The colour of the three types above ranges between pure white to pure black and includes all shades between those two colours.
The incidence of twinning is rather low, estimated at 30%. Milk yields are sufficient to satisfactorily raise one kid. In case of twins, there is often poor initial growth which points to an inadequate supply of milk.
Strategy for improvement
As with other basically meat producing species of livestock and poultry, increases in meat production from goats can be based on the basic principles and practices of animal breeding. These are exemplified by selection and cross-breeding methods.
In an exercise of this nature it is useful to use genetic resources which have been improved but are indigenous to the African continent. Such an animal is typified by the Boer goat.
The Boer goat, as the name implies, was selected from indigenous goats and bred over many generations by the Boers of South Africa with the aim of improving meat production. The mature female weighs about 60-75 kg live weight and the mature male weighs about 90-100 kg live weight. The goat has a cream-white body with a reddish-brown head.
The twinning rate is 50% and the rate for triplets is 6%. The breed has a high milk yield and adapts well to semi-arid conditions. Its carcass dressing percentage is relatively high and its skin has excellent quality for leather manufacture.
In 1971 Boer goats were imported into Kenya and were used for cross-breeding with the typical East African goat similar to the one described for Uganda. A comparison was made between the performance of the East African goat breed and the Boer X East African F1 cross. Tables 2 and 3 summarise the results
Table 2. Live weight (kg) according to age of the Small East African goat and its F1 cross with the Boer goat.
|
Age group |
Boer x Small East African (F1) |
Small East African |
Difference |
|
Birth |
2.06±0.4 |
2.3±0.5 |
0.3 |
|
42 days |
8.3±1.5 |
6.9±1.3 |
1.3 |
|
150 days |
19.7±2.5 |
14.9±2.7 |
4.8 |
|
180 days |
21.8±2.8 |
16.2±2.9 |
5.6 |
|
275 days |
28.2±2.8 |
20.2±2.3 |
8.0 |
|
365 days |
34.3±2.4 |
20.0±3.1 |
12.3 |
Table 3. Average daily gain (g) from birth to weaning and from weaning to 1 year old.
|
Period |
Breed |
||
|
Boer x small East African (F1) |
Small East African |
Difference |
|
|
Birth to weaning (6 weeks) |
114±16 |
84±18 |
30 |
|
Weaning to 365 days |
64±10 |
32±10 |
32 |
The performance of the native Small East African kids was fully comparable with Mubende kids studied by Sacker and Trail (1966). The crossbreds weighed more and grew faster than the SEA goats at all ages. This superior weight performance improved with age.
In March 1993 the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Makerere University, imported 35 female and 5 male Boer goats from the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. Preliminary research results on the Boer goats, Small East Africa goats and crosses between the two breeds are shown on the following extracts compiled at Buyana Faculty Farm in Mpigi District of central Uganda.
Statement of objectives: The experiment aims to improve the productivity of the Small East African goat as far as meat production is concerned in the context of "How Boer goats will be best put to use". A detailed study of the reproduction, growth and meat production performance of the Boer goats will be carried out. Disease factors that limit production will also be studied.
Introduction
The total goat population of Uganda stands today at some 3.9 million head. These goats are basically of one main type - the Small East African goat. It is small, compact, hardy and specially adapted to humid environments. Mature weights are about 25 to 30 kg. The importance of goats in Uganda is based on meat and skins. Some of the major reasons for promoting goat production in Uganda include:
· The human population is growing steadily creating a significant and increasing demand for goat meat in Uganda and in the Arab world.· The capital investment for the farmer is relatively low, the reproductive turnover is high and managing the goats is not labour intensive.
· The genetic potential of the local goats can be improved by selection and cross-breeding. If this is combined with improved feeding and health, overall production gains could be considerable.
· In ranching areas goats can become very useful animals in bush clearing and they can be used as pasture improvers.
Thirty-five ewes and five rams of Boer goats were imported from Northern Cape Province of South Africa on 18 March 1993. The female goats were bred in March and April. Thirty Small East African goats were bought in June 1993 from Kisozi Ranch for the purpose of cross-breeding with Boer goat rams in August 1993. The goats were kept under intensive system of management. Animals graze in the day and are housed overnight.
Preliminary results
The birth weight of the crossbred kids was superior to the Small East African kids. Unfortunately, there was no correlation between the birth weight and the daily gain.
Boer goats were more prolific than the SEA goats considering their relatively higher twining rate (Table 4). The SEA indicate an interesting sex ratio of the young.
Table 4. The reproductive performance of the Boer goat and the Small East African goat.
|
Parameters |
Goat breed |
||
|
Boer goat |
Small East African goat |
||
|
No. of does that kidded |
29 |
25 |
|
|
Type of kidding (%) |
|||
|
|
Single |
37.9 |
64.0 |
|
|
Twin |
62.1 |
36.0 |
|
Kid sex (%) |
|||
|
|
Male |
66.7 |
50.0 |
|
|
Female |
33.3 |
50.0 |
Table 5. Daily average gain (g/day) of lambs aged 30 days.
|
Kid sex |
Boer goats |
Small goats |
East African |
Crossbreed |
goats |
Twins |
|
Single |
Twins |
Single |
Twins |
Single |
||
|
Male |
236 |
160 |
145 |
73 |
156 |
100 |
|
Female |
218 |
159 |
147 |
46 |
160 |
98 |
From Table 5, it could be deduced that the Boer goat kids gained most weight followed by the crossbreds and then the SEA goat kids in descending order. Irrespective of type of birth and breed of goat, male kids gained more than female kids. As expected also, single kids gained faster than twin kids irrespective of breed of goat and sex of kid.
When assessing the results one has to take into consideration:
· the number of goats sampled for the different groups is statistically low
· all goats lambed for the first time
· the results of Boer goats are influenced by adaptation to the new environmental conditions.
Nevertheless, the results are promising enough for the experiment to continue. It seems that the South African Boer goats adapted well to the environmental conditions of the Buyana Stock Farm.
The reproductive performance of Boer goats with 62.1% of twin births is higher than that of the Small East African goat with 36% of does kidding twins.
The mortality rate of Boer goat kids was about 11 %. All kids which died were one of a set of twins. The main causes of mortality were digestion disturbances and mismothering of twin kids within the first few days of life. The mortality rate of Small East African goat lambs was also 11 % with the same causes of mortality.
Very little attention with regard to feeding is paid to the young stock. They live on their mother's milk and begin to nibble at vegetation from a few days of age. The main problem likely to be encountered is the presence of worms which can cause serious economic losses. Severe worm infestation (Trichostrongyle, Moniezia) were observed in the young stock and treated successfully with a dose of Wormicid Plus.
Female goats get an extra feeding of approximately 150 g Calf Early Weaner Pellets per day. The recorded daily average gain of Boer goat lambs aged 30 days corresponds with the results recorded in South Africa.
Table 5 shows that the expected hybrid vigour appears when crossing Boer goats and Small East African goats. The first cross progeny are superior to the Small East African goat in the daily average gain and mean masses of lambs aged 30 days.
There is no doubt that cross-breeding will become an important and very popular method in commercial meat goat production. The first results show that the general excellence of the F1 generation will consequently increase the goat breeder's return.
Sheep
In the annual report of 1961 the Director of Veterinary Services and Animal Industry reported research results on the crosses of indigenous sheep with the exotic Dorset Horn breed as follows:
A study was initiated in 1959 to compare the Ankole Fat-tailed sheep with its Dorset Horn breed cross. Data collected to date would indicate that lambing percentages are maintained and there is a marked improvement in weight gains. Birth weights were heavily in favour of the crossbreds and at 18 months the latter were double the weight of the pure Ankole sheep. However, as so frequently happens in Africa, the net productive gain after mortality was considered rather reversed the picture. Mortality from all causes for the 3-year period of the trial up to 6 months of age was 17.6% in the case of pure Ankole sheep and 24. 1% for the crossbreds.
During 1959, 68.4% of the crossbred sheep died and in 1960 68.2% died. The figure for 1961 was 22.1 %. It should be noted, however, that the bulk of the mortality in 1959 and 1960 was due to a toxaemic jaundice of unknown origin. Sheep of about 10 months of age were mainly affected and while some pure Ankole sheep were involved the disease occurred almost entirely in crossbreds. There was very little evidence of the disease in 1961, hence the lower mortality rate of 22.1%. This is but further evidence of the vital role played by disease factors in the upgrading and management programmes in Africa. This study was to be continued and extended to include back-crossing to the Ankole.
Milk goats
Some research on imported Toggenburg exotic milk goat and its crosses with Mubende goats was done in the 1960s and 1970s at the Livestock Experimental Station, Entebbe.
Both the pure Toggenburg and the crosses of Toggenburg x Mubende goats showed promising results in terms of milk yield: up to 4 kg per goat per day for the pure Toggenburg and 2 kg for the crossbred goats. Furthermore, growth rate and mature weight were improved in crossbreds compared with the indigenous Mubende goats.
Today a number of women's non-governmental organizations have introduced the Toggenburg breed and its crosses to Uganda, notably to Kasese and Bushenyi districts in western Uganda.
Finally, a comment on Table 1 showing a virtually stagnant census of goats and sheep in the last 60 years 1934-94. This situation poses a challenge to policy makers and policy implementers. It is hoped this conference will discuss and address positively future directions in the breeding, nutrition, animal health, management and economics of small ruminants at the farm and national levels in Uganda as well as in countries represented in this conference.
Meanwhile the export market for live goats and sheep in the oil rich Middle East Arab countries appears limitless. It is estimated to be of the order of one million small ruminants per annum. Therein lies the challenge.
Sacker G. D. and Trail J.C.M. 1966. Production characteristics of a herd of East African Mubende goats. Tropical Agriculture (Trinidad) 43: 43-51.
