Utilisation of Non-Conventional Animal Waste as Feeds by Multiple Livestock Species Farmers in Lake Victoria Crescent of Central Uganda
- 1 Department of Agricultural Production, Kyambogo University, Kyambogo, Uganda
- 2 Department of Livestock and Industrial Resources, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- 3 Department of Wild Life and Aquatic Resources, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- 4 Department of Wild Life and Aquatic Resources, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
Abstract
A cross-sectional survey was conducted to establish the utilisation of non-conventional animal waste in multiple livestock species systems. Farmers (150) were selected from four out of ten districts of Central Uganda in Lake Victoria Crescent. A structured questionnaire was used and descriptive analysis showed that over 80% are smallholder farmers on <1.0 Ha of land practice mixed livestock combinations. Farmers (16%) are shifting to integrated livestock species combinations with the acquisition of faming experience (>3.0) years. Household husbands (80%) significantly (P < 0.001) influence choices of livestock and production systems. Labour is majorly family (40.7%) with house wives (63.3%) actively involved in farm operations. Farmers (86.3%) use costly conventional feeds which influence (P < 0.001) livestock categories and production efficiency. Farmers (16.7%) are shifting to cheaper and readily available non-conventional feeds with over 50% using swills ranked I (RI) for its availability, nutritious and cheap followed by blood (RII) and bone meal (RII). Others in RII are meat offal, fish meal, insect meal and rumen offal. In RIII are dead chicks, hatchery rejects and animal litter. In RIV are oyster shells while bio-yeast and insect-maggot-worm are in RV which are the most costly and unavailable feeds. Maggot and worm feed are cheaply cultured from poultry faeces (52%) and cattle dung (25%) for mainly fish and monogastric production. Untreated non-conventional feeds are relatively risky (RR > 1.0) as they cause poor livestock health due to pathogens, parasites and toxins which are associated (OD > 1.0) with poor growth, mortality and condemnation of livestock products. The remedy to unsafe non-conventional feeds is to apply effective solar-heating (75%), chemical and ensiling treatment methods. The study showed that there are no significant (P < 0.001) public health risks associated with utilising treated non-conventional feeds instead it improves production and sustainability of multiple livestock species systems.
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