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Tropentag, September 20 - 22, 2017 in Bonn

"Future Agriculture: Social-ecological transitions and bio-cultural shifts"


Feeding of Dairy Cows, Beef Cattle and Pigs in Peri-/Urban Agriculture in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Julian Plagemann, Serge Eugène Mpouam, Regina Rößler, Eva Schlecht

University of Kassel / Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Animal Husbandry in the Tropics and Subtropics, Germany


Abstract


Urban and peri-urban livestock keeping serves socio-economic functions and has positive effects on food security. But livestock keepers in cities often face lack of feed, and feeding therefore accounts for the most important variable costs of their activity. As quantitative data on peri-/urban feeding strategies remain scarce, the present study tried to help filling this gap.
Within the BMBF-funded UrbanFoodPlus project (GlobE 03/A242-A), feeding strategies were monitored in 10 visits between 11/2014 and 03/2016. Twenty-one farms representing the diversity of production systems in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou were selected. Data was collected, inter alia, on individual feed intake and live weight (LW) development of 1091 animals.
Apart from three completely pasture-based ruminant farms, all other farms practiced homestead feeding. Additionally, animals were only sent for grazing by one, one and three farmers during early dry, late dry and rainy season, respectively.
In terms of quantity of feed offered (on dry matter basis - DM), beef cattle predominantly received roughages and crop by-products (90%), in particular cereal straws (18%), grass hay (19%), residues from corn milling (31%) and brewers' grains (13%). Dairy cattle were also fed roughages (58%), particularly grass hay (23%), and a substantially higher share of protein plus energy feeds (41%). These comprised commercial dairy concentrate (24%), corn milling residues (12%) and brewers' grains (11%). Pigs were mainly fed with brewers' grains (44%), corn milling residues (28%) and commercial concentrates (14%), corresponding to a 62% and 34% share of the concentrates and roughages.
Feed intake (g DM kg-0.75 LW) during homestead feeding of beef cattle averaged 97 ± 24 as compared to 73 ± 50 for dairy cattle. Pigs were in most cases exclusively stall fed and consumed 99 ±63 of feed.
The data shows that long-term on-farm monitoring allows for credible insights into farmers' feeding practices; it points to a high variability in their strategies, which are partly determined by seasonal fodder availability and prices. Further analyses will allow comparing nutrient and energy intake of the animals to their performances and thus conclude on resources use efficiency.


Keywords: Animal nutrition, beef, Burkina Faso, cattle, dry matter intake, pig, urban and peri-urban agriculture


Contact Address: Eva Schlecht, University of Kassel / Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Animal Husbandry in the Tropics and Subtropics, Steinstraße 19, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany, e-mail: tropanimals@uni-kassel.de


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