SMALL RUMINANT FEED AND HEALTH INTERVENTION IN NORTHERN GHANA S. Salifu, A. Ayantunde, N. Karbo, F. Avornyo

Background CSIR-Animal Research Institute and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) conducted on-farm testing of feed and health packages on small ruminant flocks in northern Ghana under the Africa RISING project. The objective of these on-farm experiments was to measure the effect of the intervention packages on the productivity of village small ruminant flocks.

Intervention communities Regions/communities 2013/2014 2015/2016 Northern Region Tingoli, Tibali Botingli, Duko, Tibali Upper East Region Bonia, Gia Nyangua, Sambologo, Gia Upper West Region Nartuduori, Guo Passe, Zanko, Guo 6 COMMUNITIES 9 COMMUNITIES

TREATMENTS Treatments Description of treatment Feed and health package Offer of 200g of small ruminant concentrate feed daily Vaccination against PPR once per year, Anthelmintic treatments every other month, Ectoparasite control with Ivermectin Antibiotic treatments for sick animals Health package only (2014/2016) Vaccination against PPR, anthelmintic treatments, ectoparasite control , antibiotic treatments for sick animals Control Farmer’s normal practices

Small ruminant concentrate feed formula Ingredient % inclusion Maize 30 Maize bran 28.2 Rice bran 15 Cotton seed Soya bean 4 Fishmeal 5 Dicalcium Phosphate 1 Vitamin premix Salt 0.8 Total 100

2014/2016 intervention communities and treatment NORTHERN REGION UPPER EAST REGION UPPER WEST REGION TIBALI (FEED + HEALTH) GIA (FEED + HEALTH) GUO (FEED + HEALTH) DUKO (HEALTH PACKAGE) SAMBOLOGO (HEALTH PACKAGE) ZANKO (HEALTH PACKAGE ONLY) BOTINGLI (CONTROL) NYANGUA (CONTROL) PASSE (CONTROL)

Experimental farmers Regions/communities Sex of farmer Female Male Total Northern Region Botingli 5 10 Duko Tibali 4 6   Upper East Region Gia Nyangua Sambologo Upper West Region Guo Passe 8 2 Zanko Grand Total 44 46 90

Implemented work and achievements Small ruminant monitoring (data collection on weight dynamics, survival, reproductive rate, offtake rate data) Training of experimental farmers on feed formulation Training of community animal health workers (CAHWs) Training manual for CAHWs produced Vaccination of small ruminants at the community level Integration of forages into communityTechnology Parks

Achievements Feed and health intervention has led to increased small ruminant productivity in terms of average daily gains, reproductive rate, survival rate and offtake rates. Capacities of farmers built on feed formulation. Community animal health workers (CAHWs) trained in communities for timely report of disease outbreaks to mainstream veterinary health system.

Growth rate of small ruminants

Number of observations Daily gain Table 1: Average daily gain of growing small ruminants   Category Number of observations Average daily gain (g/day) Overall 1206 47.231.35 Treatment Feed and Health 519 55.92.64a  ** Health only 292 43.11.77b Control 398 39.31.69b Region Northern Region 665 45.341.76b **  Upper East Region 286 58.243.46a Upper West Region 255 40.261.92b Specie Sheep 762 52.021.90a Goats 444 39.281.58b Sex of animal Male 467 55.032.1a Female 738 42.441.7b Means in a column with different superscripts are significantly different at the 99% level of probability.

Birth rate 2013/2014

Birth rate 2014/2016

Mortality

Offtake rates

Community-level PPR vaccination campaign Table 2: Number of households and small ruminants covered in PPR vaccination campaign   Region/community Number of households Number of sheep vaccinated Number of goats vaccinated Total number vaccinated Northern Region Duko 43 314 400 Tibali 24 288 55 Region subtotal 67 602 455 1,057 Upper East Region Gia 116 1030 860 Sambologo 242 1143 1752 358 2173 2612 4,785 Upper West Region Guo 23 233 194 Zanko 26 121 316 Region Subtotal 49 354 510 864 Grand totals 474 3129 3577 6,724

Training on feed formulation 39 farmers in communities on the feed treatment trained on concentrate feed formulation.

Feed formulation in training in intervention communities

Farmers formulating feed

Standardized container for measuring ingredients

Training of Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) CAHWs trained and equipped with basic operation materials and manual.

CAHWs practical training: deworming

CAHW practical training: dipping of sheep

Forages in Technology Parks

Cajanus cajan (Pigeon pea)

Forage sorghum

Bracharia ruziziensis (Congo grass)

Lablab

Gaps Integration of crop and livestock activities still weak. Feeding of concentrate in association with legume and cereal crop residues has not been investigated. Breed improvement to increase productivity is not an area of focus in this project Other important causes of animal mortalities still not addressed e.g. soya bean and fresh grain consumption by small ruminants, sheep pox outbreak without preventive vaccine in the country. Forage not being planted at the community level: only present in the Technology Park.

Lessons learned Some feed ingredients for concentrate formulation are not available at certain times of the year. Spike in small ruminant mortalities around time of harvest due to consumption of soya and maize grain during grain processing. Collective action needs to be taken at the community level to collect products of grain processing. Use of tarpaulin has been discussed. Mass distribution of small ruminants to farmers by projects without proper quarantine procedures could be fueling disease spread eg Sheep pox in Northern Region in 2015. Sick small ruminants are an important source of meat animals; when detected, sick/dying animals are salvaged by selling cheaply to butchers. Butchers who round up sick animals from different sources for slaughter end up spreading diseases. Relocation/inactivity of CAHWs soon after receiving training

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