Management strategies for trypanotolerant draught animals in West Africa
This paper identifies the problems in using trypanotolerant cattle for work in the tsetseinfested ecological zones in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The interactions that occur between nutrition, work and tolerance in various types of infection are reviewed. The current feeding resources and practices that are available are identified. With the basic nutrition offered by natural pastures in SSA, most working animals will barely meet their maintenance requirements without the additional needs for work. Nutritional supplementation in itself may not prevent weight loss when the animals are working, but can maintain work output, important for food crop production. A realistic balancing of work load commensurate with the nutrition available can help to reduce the debilitating effects of trypanosomosis. The synergistic effects of work and the physiological demands of disease resistance can have a significant effect on the host metabolism even during sub-clinical infections. While quantitative nutritional thresholds are suggested in this paper (daily digestible organic matter intakes, DOMI, of at least 9g/kg live weight), chemo-prophylactic measures are also considered beneficial to trypanotolerant draught animals especially during work and high disease prevalence periods. The aim in feeding is to make the best out of the natural resources available by judicious use of animal power and feeding management.
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | conference_item biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
| Published: |
Wageningen Academic Publishers
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| Online Access: | http://agritrop.cirad.fr/515988/ http://agritrop.cirad.fr/515988/1/ID515988.pdf |
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