Study on management practices and work-associated health problems of draught oxen around Debreberhan, Central Ethiopia

摘要

AstudywascarriedoutinWeranaandBassodistrictsofNorthShewazonearoundDebereberhantown,CentralEthiopiatoassessthemanagementpracticesandwork-associatedhealthproblemsofdraughtoxenthroughaquestionnairesurveyandclinicalexaminationofoxencomingtoDebereberhanveterinaryclinic.Thesurveyindicatedunevenoxendistributionamonghouseholdswiththeaveragebeing1.35oxenperhousehold,whichisquitelowerthanapairnormallyrequiredfortillagework.Owingtotheshortageofoxen,about23%ofthefarmerswereengagedindifferentformsofdraughtoxensharingarrangements.Theaveragetrainingageandservicelifeofoxenwerefoundtobe2.8and13.8years,respectively.Averagedailyworkdurationandareaploughedwere7.6hoursand0.38hectaresperapairofoxen,respectivelywithapeakworkdurationof3.75monthsperyearindicatingseasonalpatternofoxenutilization.Onaverage,ahouseholdpossesses2.3hectaresoflandofwhichonly17%wasleftforpasture,themajorityoftheremaininglandbeingusedforcropproduction.Ofatotalof402householdssurveyed,79(19.7%)ofthemrespondedthattheiroxenweresufferingfromoneormoreofhealthproblemsassociatedwithwork.Ofatotalof543draughtoxenincludedinthisstudy(bothinsurveyandclinicalexamination),84(15.5%)werefoundtobesufferingfromwork-associatedhealthproblemswithmajorproblemsobservedintheirorderofimportancebeinginjuriesofthehump,hoof,legandwhiplashes.Significantdifference(X2=16.16,P0.01)wasobservedintheprevalenceofwork-associatedhealthproblemsamongthedifferentagegroupsofdraughtoxenwiththehighestbeinginadultoxen(2-8yearsold).Dailyworkduration(X2=15.42,P0.01)andareaoflandploughed(X2=8.54,P0.01)significantlyinfluencedtheoccurrenceofhumpsore(yokegall)showingdirectrelationshipinprevalenceofhumpinjuryandbothfactors.Clinicalexaminationconductedonatotalof48oxenthatcametoDebreberhanveterinaryclinicindicatedthat20.8%(10)werefoundtosufferfromwork-associatedhealthproblemsmainlyofhumpandhoofinjuries.Humpandhoofinjuriesarefoundtobethemajorwork-associatedhealthproblemsinthestudyareawiththeprincipalprecipitatingfactorsbeingroughnatureofworkinggrounds,narrowandroughbearingsurfaceoftraditionalharnesses(yoke)andlackofpropercarewhileatwork.Ingeneral,thestudyindicatedthatthepotentialoftheexistingoxenpopulationisnotefficientlyutilizedduetoseveralconstraintsamongwhicharepoormanagementinputs,improperworkingstrategies,poorharnessingdesign,malnutritionandpoorhealthcare.