Improvement of the productivity of small ruminants: A way of diversification of income and fighting against food insecurity

摘要

Smallruminants(sheepandgoats),animalspeciesofshortcycle,prolificandofpopularhusbandryarewellfittedforastrategicwayoffightingagainstfoodinsecurity.However,theproductionsandproductivityofsmallruminantsremainlowbecauseoftheincreasingneedsinproteinsofhumanpopulationandthelowlevelofproductionsoftheanimals.Theobjectiveofthisstudywastoimprovetheproductivityandmilkproductionofsmallruminantsbyappropriateusesofmodernlivestocktechniques.nbsp;TwovillagesoftheregionofKayesinMaliwerechosenassitesoftheexperiment.Inbothvillages,animalsofbothspeciesweredividedinto2groupsinwhichthefirstwasacontrolandthesecondwastheexperimentalgroup.Animalsofthecontrolgroupwerevaccinatedandwormed.Animalsoftheexperimentalgroupwerevaccinated,wormedandwerereceivingfeedsupplements.Animalswereconductedonnaturalgrazinglandsduringthedayandaftertheirreturn,theexperimentgroupwasreceivingfeedsupplements.nbsp;Inbothspecies,fertility,birthrateandnumericproductivitywerebetterinfemalesreceivingfeedsupplements.Thetimesofkiddingandofkidsbornperpregnancywerehigherinsupplementedanimals.Feedsupplementsincreasedmilkproductionperlactationfrom26.1to43.2lforsheepandfrom69.6to91.2lpergoat.Abroadestimateoftheeconomicprofithasshowsthatthetechnology(vaccination,wormingandfeedsupplementation)costs7495F.CFAperanimalfromwhichfeedsupplementationaccountedfor5520F.CFA.Thevaluesobtainedfrommilkproductionandproductivityperonehundredoffemalesperyearwas914700F.CFAforsheepand1028400F.CFAforgoats.Annualprofitsobtainedfromonehundredoffemaleswere362700F.CFAforsheepand476400F.CFAforgoats.nbsp;Theuseofthistechnologythathasimprovedproductivityandmilkproductionofsmallruminantscouldcontributetothediversificationoftheincomeofsmallscalefarmersandtofightagainstfoodinsecurity.