Recording Systems and Their Effect on Animal Breeding in Ethiopia

By; -

Nahom Ephrem

INTRODUCTION

• Cattle extension and breeding schemes depend on reliable recording under existing production conditions.

• Performance recording is a pre-requisite to effective decision making on breeding program.

• A growing demand for livestock products and technological change is radically affecting the structure of the livestock production sector in both developed and developing countries (FAO, 2009).

Cont’d…

• Livestock production in developing regions is generally characterized by; -

-- small flock-size,

-- communally shared grazing,

-- uncontrolled mating, and

-- absence of pedigree and performance recording.

• These characteristics limit the implementation of effective genetic improvement programs (Kosgey, 2004).

Objectives

 General Objectives

To review on recoding systems and their effect on animal breeding in Ethiopia.

Specific Objectives

To review about records, record keeping and what records to be kept

To point out the benefit of keeping records to herd improvement in general and to breeding in particular

To show the effect of record keeping on animal breeding

To discover the potential constraints for adoption of recording systems by farmers

LITERATURE REVIEW

What are Records?

• Records are sets of information on and around an animal

• Recording system is the form and process of

• Records are worthless, unless they are used in decision making

 

Capturing Lvk data

Processing InterpretationDecision Making

Livestock identification

The basis for any record keeping system

Animal recording and identification are inseparable

According to ICAR (2011) the animal’s identity must be;-

• The animal's official identity

• Visible, Unique and Never be re-used

• Animals, which lose their identity device must be re-identified and, wherever possible, with their original number

Temporary or Permanent

Cont’d…Temporary

• Tags – Ear-tags, – Flank-tags, – tail-tags and Brisket-tags

• Collars or neck straps (chains)

• Paint and dyes• Hair Braiding • Naming

Permanent

• Tattooing (ear or under)• Description – diagrams, – sketches and– photographs

• Ear notching/Punching• Brands – Hot iron, – freeze and chemicals

Examples of livestock identification

Records to be Kept

• The major types of records are:

Breeding records Production records Feeding records Health records Financial records

Breeding Records

• Measure the productive efficiency of the herd

• Enable culling and selection

Breeding records include

• Pedigree/parentage(Dam name, grand dam, sire name, grand sire)

• Breed• Birth date• Heat dates• Earliest breeding date• Fertility (Age at first service,

age at first calving, date of calving, number of services per conception)

• Pregnancy examination• Expected calving date• Drying off date

Layout for breeding record

Production (Performance) Records

• Maintains the information associated with the performance of the cattle and the production of the land

• Records however, differ based on the objective of the farm (Infonet Biovision, 2012).

– Milk production– Meat production– Egg production etc…

layout of performance record

Health Records

• Health records provides an over all health information about the animals in the herd

• With the use of records, veterinarians can gain additional information about the probable causes of ill health in an individual animal ; -

Vaccination Dipping/spraying Treatment De-worming Postmortem

Layout of health record

Feeding Records• The amount of feed given as well as the type of feed

• Feeding records should be used the most for day-to-day management, evaluating pasture management practices and for planning of activities in the future

Available fodder on farm Quantity fed Concentrate supplemented MineralsLeft-over ( per head and per feed, if possible) and Spoilage (per

batch) Consumption /day/kg

Layout of feeding record

Financial records

• Economic records are of paramount interest in providing the farmer with information concerning the profitability of his farm

ExpensesFor feed, health, transportation..

IncomeFrom selling farm products – Milk, Live Animal…

Profit Loan/credit

Layout of financial record

Benefits of Record Keeping

For Herd Improvement (in General)

Aids in efficient management of the herd

Aid in breeding planning

Aid in gross margin analysis, to assess profitability/losses and credit/loan access

To rationalize labor

Aids in disease management

Aids in feed planning and management

Cont’d…For Animal Breeding (in Particular)

Setting up a breeding strategy and successful genetic improvement

Success in genetic improvement to a larger extent depends, among others, on accurate recording of the farm operations and periodic analysis of the data (Aynalem Haile et al., 2011) in Chencha Chebo and Kefyalew Alemayehu, 2012.

Selection and culling

Successful Cross breeding and control of Inbreeding

Wise use of AnGRs

The Effect of Keeping Records on Animal Breeding in Ethiopia

• Over the last three to four decades there has been interest to initiate and develop a national dairy recording scheme at smallholder production level

• Some dairy records are available in the country, but are limited to research institutions (Alemu Gebrewold, 1997).

Cont’d…

Effect on Successful Genetic Improvement

• Genetic improvement for productive traits in livestock, particularly in cattle, has been very slow and insignificant in the country.

• One of the main reasons for this is lack of well-organized and usable recorded information on the performance of both the indigenous and crossbreds (Belete Anteneh, 2006).

Biased Selection • Selection accuracy is strongly dependent on the degree of data

recording (Kassahun Awgichew, 2007).

Cont’d…

Unplanned Cross Breeding & Incidence of Inbreeding

• In Ethiopia, lack of record keeping believed to have increased the incidence of inbreeding in the country (Desalegn G/Medhin, 2011) in Chencha Chebo and Kefyalew Alemayehu, 2012.

• The cheapest way of making sure no inbreeding takes place is to keep close breeding records (Infonet Biovision, 2012).

• According to Timothy et al., (2003) inbreeding within flocks is probably occurring due to inadequate and non - formalized cockerel exchange system, long time use of parent stock and lack of record keeping.

Cont’d…

Effect on Wise use of Animal Genetic Resources(AnGRs)

• The wise use of AnGRs includes a broad mix of ongoing activities that must be well planned and executed

• It requires careful definition of breeding objectives, and maintenance of effective and efficient animal recording and breeding strategies (ILRI, 2006)

• According to Fedlu et al., (2007), Ethiopian cattle genetic diversity is currently under threat mainly due to unplanned as well as indiscriminate crossbreeding, and to some extent interbreeding among the local populations

Constraints that limit Adoption of Recording Systems

The key constraints are:

Inadequate and unsupportive policies and infrastructure

Inadequate resource mobilization and allocation to support pilot activities for livestock recording systems

Limited capacity and understanding of livestock recording, processing of information and feedback both at farmer level (because of illiteracy) and at institutional level

Small and dispersed herds/ flocks, leading to high transaction costs

Weak or non-existent organizations and institutions to carry out and support recording systems

Lack of personal interest

Summary and Conclusions• Record keeping is a platform for development and has various forms

related to different objectives in respect to the specific local conditions of animal production systems

• Record keeping affects production and management through improving the genetic merit of the herd, through selection and culling

• Our country is lacking those benefits, because most records in Ethiopia are limited to institutions, though it leads us to the uncontrolled breeding of animals, thus affecting the use, development and conservation of AnGRs.

• Several constraints limit the adoption and practice of livestock recording in Ethiopia, those factors lay on the hands of both the farmer, and the government

Recommendations

• Adequate and supportive policies and effective breeding strategy should be in place, Once the breeding plan is in place there has to be a follow up of the whole operation.

• Farmers should be trained on the benefits of animal identification for breed improvement and management and convince them to take steps

• Appropriate legal frameworks resulting in adequate and strong partnerships, networks and collaboration should be subjected

Thank you…!!!