Variation in the functions of village goats in Zimbabwe and South Africa

Abstract

The objective of the study was to compare the functions and management systems of goats in Chirumanzu district in Zimbabwe and, Alfred Nzo and Amatole districts in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Data were collected using participatory rural appraisal techniques and direct observations. In addition, structured questionnaires from 344 households as follows; 69 from Alfred Nzo district, 144 from Amatole district and 132 from Chirumanzu district were also used to retrieve information from farmers. There were more female goat owners in male-headed households in Chirumanzu (75%) than in Amatole (27%) and Alfred Nzo (30%). Mean goat flock sizes per household were markedly high in Amatole (14.0 +/- 0.31) and Alfred Nzo (14.1 +/- 1.42) as compared to Chirumanzu (4.7 +/- 0.30). There were positive correlations (r = 0.30 for Amatole, r = 0.34 for Alfred Nzo and r = 0.25 for Chirumanzu; P < 0.05) between goat flock sizes and cattle herd sizes kept per household. Seventy-nine and 78% of households in Amatole and Alfred Nzo kept goats mainly for initiation ceremonies, respectively. Nearly all (95%) of the households in Chirumanzu reared goats for household consumption. Goat houses in all the districts were poorly constructed. Farmers' perceptions showed that most goat mortalities were mainly caused by gastrointestinal parasites and tick-borne diseases, especially heartwater. About 29, 15 and 27% of households in Alfred Nzo, Amatole and Chirumanzu, respectively, owned bucks. There were no formal markets for goats in the three districts. Chirumanzu had more females owning goats than the other two districts. No adolescents owned goats in all the three districts. Adolescent boys participated in the management of goats more than adolescent girls across the three districts. Differences in the importance of goats among countries and regions should be borne in mind when designing goat improvement and rural development programmes.

Seasonal variation in time spent foraging by indigenous goat genotypes in a semi-arid rangeland in South Africa

“…Forage starts to diminish in quality and quantity with time into the dry season. Many studies have reported fluctuations in quality and quantity of forage with season and this consequently affects the performance of livestock species on semiarid rangelands (Berhane and Eik, 2006;De Vries, 2008;Rumosa Gwaze et al, 2009a). Under-performance of livestock on rangelands is marked during the dry season compared to the wet season.…”

Estimation of goat production potential and efficiency in the resource-poor communal areas of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

“…The observation that goat sales occurred mainly during ceremonial periods (June and December) indicates the relative importance attached to ceremonies, especially the rite of passage for boys and this is confirmed by Rumosa Gwaze et al (2009a). Besides being a traditional ceremony period, December is a festive season and the demand for meat is high (Masika and Mafu 2004).…”

“…Communal goats fulfill multiple roles that include provision of meat, manure, milk, and cash from sales of the goats and their by-products (Homann et al 2007;Rumosa Gwaze et al 2009a). Their contribution to household economies is, however, poorly understood with the assumption that it is similar across communities, production systems, and flock sizes (Verbeek et al 2007).…”

The food habits of goats on rangelands with different amounts of fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens) cover

“…Goat production on natural range is one of the main sources of income for peasants in many developing countries with arid and semiarid zones (Davran et al, 2009;Rumosa Gwaze et al, 2009). Because of severe overgrazing and the low and seasonal rainfall in these areas, natural forage resources fluctuate greatly in quantity and quality throughout the year (Manzano et al, 2000).…”