Feed resource availability and fodder markets in northern Ghana

United States Agency for International Developmen

Microbial approach to improving aerobic stability of silage

Aerobic deterioration of silage is a major challenge in the feed value chain. This review discusses microbial mitigations to improving aerobic stability of silages. Early detection of silage deterioration at the face of the silo is important to reduce further ingress of spoilage organisms into deeper layers of the silage. The traditional use of thermocouples to measure spot-temperature in aerobically-exposed silages is laborious. Thermal cameras are now used to instantly visualize heat distribution over the silo face by examining thermographs generated in real-time. Microbial mitigation of aerobic silage deterioration remains the safest and most reliable strategy of reducing losses during feed-out. Three generations of microbial additives that have been used to improve the aerobic stability of silages include first generation (1 G), second generation (2 G) and third generation (3 G) silage inoculants. Homolactic fermentation by 1 G produces the highest concentration of lactic acid but 1 G are less capable of reducing aerobic spoilage. Second generation and 3 G both have a dual benefit of improving aerobic stability, and ruminal fibre digestion and growth performance. Although heterolactic fermentation by 2 G and 3 G may cause minimal dry matter losses, improvements in fibre hydrolysis during ensiling and reduction in aerobic spoilage may outweigh these losses. Treatment of tropical forages which have higher concentrations of recalcitrant fibres, with 3 G inoculants could have benefits on ruminal fibre digestion. Development of fourth generation inoculants, possessing 3 G properties but capable of thriving intra-ruminally should be the focus of future research on silage inoculants

Impact Of Ethnic Conflicts On Livestock Production In Africa: The Case Of The Northern Region Of Ghana

Rampant ethnic conflicts and civil wars in the northern parts of most African countries have destroyed and continue to destroy the economies of such regions which are usually pastoral and dependent on livestock. This has resulted in a vicious cycle of poverty and under-development among the people of such regions. This study assessed the effects of the guinea fowl war (1994 – 1995) on household livestock holding sizes and other support services of the livestock industry in the northern region of Ghana. Before the conflict, every household owned livestock however during the conflict most feed and water resources were poisoned or destroyed, livestock stolen or indiscriminately killed or starved to death. After the conflict had subsided, 23%, 16%, 12% and 21% of households could not own any cattle, sheep, goats and poultry respectively. Commercial household holding sizes (>100) of cattle also declined from 12% before the conflict to 0% after the conflict and even a decade after the conflict had ended, it only increased by 0.7% per annum. The cumulative percentages of households who still kept more than 50 sheep, goats and poultry after the conflict also declined after the conflict. The conflict also destroyed other allied livestock support services and infrastructure culminating into sporadic outbreaks of livestock diseases. A postconflict recovery assessment indicates that only 23% of households had some surviving livestock left after the conflict that could be used for breeding to restock their farms. A relief package worth US$ 650,000 was implemented by the Government of Ghana through the MoFA to help ameliorate the livestock sector in the region but a decade after the conflict, most farmers have not yet fully recovered from the losses they suffered; household holding sizes have since remained small and subsistent. The effect of the conflict on livestock production was particularly severe because livestock production in northern Ghana is customarily the domain of males who unfortunately were the main victims of the conflict Keywords: conflict, guinea fowl war, livestock, recovery rateJournal of Agriculture and Social Research Vol. 8 (1) 2008: pp. 45-5

Effects of restricted feeding and re-alimentation of dietary protein or energy on compensatory growth of sheep

The study investigated the effects of re-alimenting dietary protein or energy on growth, carcass characteristics and meat eating quality parameters of sheep. Twenty-seven intact rams (~9 months; 11.3 ± 0.5 kg) were randomly divided into three groups. Each group was fed a maintenance diet (MT) containing, on dry matter (DM) basis, 105 g/kg crude protein (CP) and 8.4 MJ/kg DM metabolizable energy (ME) for 30 days. Thereafter, they were continually fed the same MT or re-alimented with a high protein diet (HP) containing 169 g/kg DM CP and 9.3 MJ/kg ME or a high energy diet (HE) containing 123 g/kg DM CP and 10.6 MJ/kg ME for an additional 30 days to determine the effects of re-alimentation of protein or energy on their growth performance and carcass characteristics. During the initial 30-day period, DM intake (DMI) and growth performance were similar among the three groups. However, upon re-alimentation, average daily gain (ADG) and feed efficiency of sheep re-alimented with HP were greater than those maintained continually on MT or re-alimented with HE. Sheep on HP had higher feed efficiency, ADG and heavier carcasses than those fed MT or re-alimented with HE during the whole 60-day period. Growth of most viscera was less responsive to the restriction-re-alimentation feeding regimen except for the weights of the lungs, heart and intestines. Meat from sheep re-alimented with HE had a more intense ‘sheepy’ flavour than those fed MT or re-alimented with HP, but juiciness and tenderness were not affected. The higher ADG of sheep re-alimented with protein may be related more to enhanced efficiency of feed utilization than to higher DMI.Keywords: average daily gain, feed restriction, nutrient utilization efficiency, visceral organ

Effects of ensiling cassava peels on some fermentation characteristics and growth performance of sheep on-farm

This study determined the effect of drying or ensiling cassava peels on some conservation characteristics and growth performance of sheep. Fresh peels were either sun-dried to a DM of 904 g/kg or ensiled for 45 days for determination of some chemical and microbial characteristics, and growth performance of sheep. 45 Djallonké sheep were randomly assigned to three supplementary dietary treatments (Control and dried or ensiled) and fed for 70 days. Ensiling reduced the pH from 5.65 in the fresh peel to 4.15 compared to 6.15 in the dried peel. Crude protein (CP) increased from 45±0.44 g/kg DM in the fresh peel to 46±0.48 and 52±0.88 g/kg DM in the dried and ensiled peel, respectively. Reduction in neutral detergent fibre concentration was greater by ensiling than by drying. However, a greater (P = 0.001) reduction in HCN concentration was achieved by drying than by ensiling. Moulds were greater (P = 0.011) in the ensiled than dry peels. Average daily weight gain was higher (P = 0.031) for sheep offered the ensiled than the dried or Control diet. In conclusion, sun-drying was more effective at reducing HCN concentration whereas ensiling improved the CP content of cassava peels and growth performance of sheep

Row spacing of annual peanut (Arachis Hypogaea l.) and the conservation of peanut haulm as hay or silage: Effects on nutritive value and growth performance of sheep

This study investigated the effects of planting annual peanut at inter-row spacings of 30, 45, 60 or 75 cm on haulm yield and nutritional quality (Experiment I), in vitro digestibility (Experiment II) and growth performance of sheep fed peanut hay or silage diets (Experiment III). At harvest, pea-nut haulms were either sun-dried as hay or ensiled and used to formulate two diets that were fed to sheep. Twenty West African Dwarf ram-lambs (29.7±0.99 kg) were randomly assigned to these two dietary treatments in a completely randomized design. Grain (P=0.033) and haulm (P=0.045) yields were highest at 30 cm as compared to the other spacings; whereas yeasts populations, and butyric acid and ammonia N concentrations were higher in the silage than hay (Experiment I). In vitro NDF digestibility linearly decreased (P=0.001) with increasing row space (Experiment II). In experiment III, the DM intake of the silage-based diet was depressed (P=0.069) by 235.8 g/d com-pared to the hay-based diet; whereas feed efficiency (P=0.053) and average daily gain (P=0.012) were lower for the silage- than hay-based diet. In conclusion, in vitro NDF digestibility of peanut haulm was higher at narrow row spacing whereas growth performance was superior for sheep fed the hay-based rather than the silage-based diet