This document provides information on livestock production and management in Buliisa District. It covers topics such as common breeds of livestock, production systems, breeding and reproduction, housing, health and hygiene, good management practices, and marketing. The main livestock discussed are cattle, goats, sheep, pigs and poultry. Housing requirements, health issues, records keeping and economic considerations for profitable livestock farming are also summarized.

1. Veterinary Services Section
Buliisa District.

2.  Breeds of Livestock
 Livestock Production
Systems
 Livestock Breeding
and Reproduction
 Livestock Housing
 Health and Hygiene
 Good Management
Practices
 Management of waste
and environment.
 Basic Principle of
Economics in
Farming.
 Processing of
Marketing of Livestock
and Livestock
products.

3. Cattle
-Beef minimum 200 heads of cattle
-Dairy 100 litres per day in peak lactation
-Dual purpose 50-200 heads of cattle.
-Zero grazing 1-3 Cows
Goats/Sheep 50 goats.
Pigs 4 sows
Birds 500 layers; 1000 broilers ; 100
Locals.

4.  Hardy Animals.
 Hash Conditions
 Feeds
 Marginal agricultural
areas.
 Easy to handle by
women and children.

5.  A breed is a group of
animals that have a
common origin and
certain similar
physical
characteristics ,which
are distinguishable.
 Origin
 Body size
 Colour
 Coat type
 Ear shape and length
 Function
 Height of withers

6.  Tethering.
 Extensive grazing
systems
 Zero grazing systems
 Semi-intensive
systems
 A number of factors
including
culture,traditions,land
size and number of
livestock.
 Water
 Mineral Salts
 Common feeds,
grasses legumes and
supplementary
feeding.

7. Cattle 1 Head of cattle per acre
Goats 40 Goats per acre
Pigs
Poultry
Full deep litter Layers Growers Broilers
 per sq meter 4-6 6-8 10-15
birds

8. Pastures ,fodders and legumes.
Supplementary feeding.
Nutrients requirements.
Water requirements.
Domestic food wastes.
Hay and silage.
Mineral Supplements.

10.  It is important that
farmers get adequate
knowledge and control
over selection and
reproductive processes
of the male and female
livestock.
 Selection of desirable
good qualities are
selected.
 Bad qualities are
eliminated by culling.ie
removing of poor
parents and their
offspring
 Breeding options:
-Close breeding
.In breeding and line
breeding.
Out breeding:
-Cross breeding and Back
crossing.

11. Goats 40 female to 1
Pigs 20 female to 1
Cocks 1 female 20
Cows 40 to 1 Bulls
Guinea Fowl
Ducks

12.  Profitable farming is
aimed at maximizing
production and
productivity through
efficient utilization of
available resources
and minimizing the
outside inputs.
 Considerations:
-Suitable environment for
best performance
-Ability to adjust and
perform well in the new
environment.
-Production potential
-Cost of the breeding
stock
Cost-benefit analysis of
the enterprise or gross
margin.

13.  Individual data
 Lifetime performance
 Pedigree information
 Progeny Performance
 No. of offspring.
 Number of offspring
weaned.
 Weight of offsprings at
birth.
 Weaning weight.
 Growth rate
 Milk yield over
lactation period.
 Slaughter weight.

14.  Reduced performance
of flock
 Deformities which
may include:
-Undershort or
overshort jaws.
-Male with one testicles
-Female with long
pendulus udders/hard
udders.
-Hermaphrodites or
psuedo
hermaphrodites
-Infertile females and
males.

15.  Time of year when
there is plenty of
feeds.
 Right age for
breeding.
 Signs of heat period.
 Keeping of records
during breeding.

16.  Extra care in terms of
nutrition and
protection.
 A good plane (level) of
nutrition will improve
fertility and chances of
twinning.
 Flushing in the last
days of pregnancy will
improve chances of
normal delivery.
 Signs of giving births:
 -Enlarge udder
 Fluids from the teats
 Softened muscles of
the hip joints.
 Swollen vulva ,red
and white discharges.
 Restless.

17.  Withdraw from feeds
 Rapid breathing
 Turns and gazes at
her flank
 Straining in labour
 Abdominal muscle
contract
 Water bag protrudes
 Rush of water
 Appearance of two
legs of the young.
 Appearance of the
head resting on the
front legs
 The rest of the body is
pushed out.
 Incase of twins or
triplets other kids
come out at 10-20
minutes interval.

19.  Check for breathing by
removing mucus.
 Swing if lifeless by the
hind legs.
 Press the sides of the
new born until it shows
life.
 Apply tincture iodine on
the umbilical cord.
 If the mother does not
have milk use foster
mother.
 Assist the kid to suckle by
holding it and guiding its
mouth to the teat.
 Check that teats are not
blocked.
 If all this fail ;feed the
young using feeding bottle
 The young must get
colostrums within the first
12-14 hours.

20.  Appropriate and
adequate housing is
an absolute necessity
for livestock farming.
 Protection from
adverse weather.
 Hygiene
 Predators
 Thieves.

21. The type of houses and
size varies with:
 Farming system
 Size of herd
 Resources available
Different groups of
animals have varying
housing requirements.
Breeding males, Pregnant
females, Young ones
and the sick.
 Principals features of a
house.
-Siting
-Design
-Type of roof
-Roof

24.  Animal health is
important factor in
production .
 High economic losses
range from death of
more than 50% of
flock, mortalities and
morbidities .
 Weak vet. services
and farmer ignorance.
 Predisposing factors
to diseases are:
-Husbandry practices
-Breeding
-Nutrition and
-Stress.

25.  Time spent on
obtaining an accurate
description of the
problem or disease
infection .
 Indicators of ill health.
 Consequences of ill
health
 Causes of diseases:
 Viruses
 Protozoa
 Bacteria
 Fungi
 Helminthes
 External parasites
 Poisons
 Physical injuries
 Nutritional disorders
 Genetics.

26.  General animal care
which include :good
feeding,shelter,breeding,c
are of hooves, treatment
and prevention of
diseases is necessary.
 Bad health leads reduced
growth rate in the young
and productivity in adults
which in turn increases
production costs as well
as veterinary costs.
 Failure of the young one
to feed ,poor sanitation
and poor feeding makes
the animals more
susceptible to
diseases/infections.
 Identify and isolate the
sick animals and give
them special care until
recovery.

27.  Release the sick
animal to join the rest
of the animals ,only
after its feeding has
returned to normal
and signs of disease
have subsided.
 Routine health care
including good
management
practices must be
practiced and these
include among others
treatment against
diseases ,Deworming
and vaccinations.

28.  Good management
practices and
procedure is an
essential tool in
livestock farming like
any other business.
 Record management.
-Identification
-Reproduction
-Production
Health records
 Expenditure and
income.
 Flock numbers.

29.  Identification of
animals
 Hoof trimming
 Dehorning
 Castration
 Drenching of animals
 Taking temperature
 Aging animals
 Estimation of weight.

30.  Death of the young in the
first three months.
 Respiratory problems.
 Pneumonia
 Mastitis
 Diarrhea
 Internal parasites.
 Mange
 Lice
 Orf
 Tick borne diseases
 Brucellosis
 Bloat
 NCD
 Fowl pox
 ASF
 Fowl Pox
NB: For purposes of
diagnosis ,it is
important that a
veterinary scout or a
veterinary surgeon be
consulted.

31.  Livestock may
degrade the
environment if not
properly managed.
 Stray animals e.g.
Pigs
 Animal waste may be
used as:
-Manure
-Fertilizers
-Fish pond fertilizer

32.  Farmers must understand
why they should opt for
livestock farming.
 Informed of what is
involved in an efficient
and effective livestock
farming system.
 Informed of what must
guide them in decision
making
 Undertake a simple
economic analysis of
livestock farming.
 Efficiency of
production:
Is the production per unit of
food eaten by the animal.
I1. Meat = live weight before
slaughter.
Determined by lean meat.
Is determined by growth
rate.
2.Milk= quantity and
quantity.
3. Flock performance.
4. Feed conversion rate.

33.  Reproductive
Efficiency=Reproducti
ve Performance.
 Reproductive rate of
individual and flock.

34.  Value increases with
demand.
 Popularized products.
 Excess from family
requirements should
prepared for market.
 Handling, processing
and marketing skills
required.
 Milk and Milk
derivatives e.g..
Yorghut,skimmed milk
,butter and cheese.
 Meat
 Skins
 Fibre
 Horns

35.  Direct selling to local
consumers.
 Individual or single
marketing
 Selling under
environmental and
climatic pressures like
drought.
 When they have urgent
needs of cash i.e. school
fees medical.
 Market Interventions:
-Direct collection.
-Promotional sale
-Collective transport.
 Assistance to farmers:
 Formation of Producer
groups, associations and
cooperatives.
 Contract supplies
 Support from Government
Agencies .e.g.
NAADS,DDA,NUSAF.

37.  NAADS Goat
Production Manual-
2005.
 NAADS Pig Production
Manual-2005
 NAADS User guide on
Dairy husbandry
Practises-2011.
 NAADS User guide on
poultry rearing-2011.