Faculty of Agriculture & Veterinary Medicine (FAg / FVM)

Pastoralists’ Perceptions and Socio-economic Impact of Abortions in Flocks of Goats and Sheep in Isiolo, Kenya

2026-03-24T07:33:54Z

Pastoralists’ Perceptions and Socio-economic Impact of Abortions in Flocks of Goats and Sheep in Isiolo, Kenya Ngetich, Mercy C Abortions in ruminants have far-reaching impacts globally. They do not only affect the level of productivity in livestock but also create impacts associated with challenges in animal welfare and public health. Livestock keepers who depend on animals as their main source of livelihood are often affected when abortions occur in their herd of livestock. The aim of this study was to investigate perceptions of pastoralists on abortions in flocks of goats and sheep and their associated socio-economic impacts in Kinna, Isiolo County. The study utilized participatory epidemiology approaches for data collection including semi-structured interviews; proportional piling; pairwise ranking, and impact matrix scoring. Data were collected from eight groups of pastoralist from Kinna, in Isiolo County through focus group discussions. Both qualitative and quantitative data which were collected were summarised using thematic analysis and descriptive measures. The pastoralists reported experiencing abortions/stillbirths events in their flocks of sheep and goats. Tick-borne diseases were ranked as the most common diseases perceived to cause abortion events in flock of sheep and goats. The participants emphasised that abortions were not just isolated animal health problems, but were considered as critical issues that directly affected their economic stability and emotional well-being. The direct costs which were incurred due to measures taken to prevent or control infection and disease outbreaks were estimated to cost 4,000 KSH per flock per month. Besides the direct financial outlay, participants also reported that occurrence of abortion in flocks of sheep and goats resulted in significant losses in productivity and sources of livelihood including additional cost of treatment, decreased milk production, higher mortality and decreased fertility in flocks. Pastoralists reported that they often handled aborted foetus/contents and retained placentas with their bare hands as well as feeding aborted materials to dogs or they would throw them away in nearby bushes. These farm-level practices do not only pose health risks to people who are in contact with the infected flocks of sheep and goats but they also increase the risk of exposure to infection for the other animals that are grazed on pastures or farms that are connected to these systems. The results also showed a lack of awareness by pastoralists regarding potential health risks associated with poor sanitary practices. These findings provide evidence and support the need for continuous disease surveillance and help to inform policies on resource allocation for the implementation of disease control strategies to mitigate the impact of diseases and reproductive problems on livestock

Effects of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Postbiotics on Growth Performance, Haematological Parameters and Disease Resistance in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus) Fingerlings

2026-03-24T07:27:18Z

Effects of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Postbiotics on Growth Performance, Haematological Parameters and Disease Resistance in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus) Fingerlings Ndambuki, Merceline N The use of antimicrobial feed additives and chemical substances in aquaculture systems to promote fish growth, prevent diseases, and treat infections has led to increased antibiotic resistance in infectious bacteria. Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation postbiotics (SCFP) are eco-friendly alternatives to antibiotics, which have shown strong potential for improving sustainability and enhancing aquaculture productivity. This research assessed the effect of dietary SCFP supplementation on growth performance, haematological parameters, and susceptibility to disease infection in Nile tilapia fingerlings. A feeding trial of 55 days was conducted at the Department of Veterinary Pathology fish-holding unit, University of Nairobi. Monosex tilapia fingerlings weighing 6.79 ± 0.11 g, were purchased from a commercial hatchery. A basal diet containing 30% crude protein and 3000 Kcal of digestible energy (DE) per kilogram was formulated and used in this trial. SCFP was added at 0g(control), 2g, 4g, and 6g per kilogram of feed to make four dietary treatments. The fingerlings were weighed and randomly assigned to the four diets containing different levels of SCFP. Each diet was fed to a group of 25 fish replicated 3 times to make 75 fish per treatment in a completely randomized experimental design. Water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels were maintained at 28ºC and above 4.5 ml/liter, respectively. Water quality parameters (dissolved oxygen, temperature, total ammonia, and pH) were monitored daily to ensure to make sure they were within the optimum range. The fish body weights and lengths were measured every 10 days to assess growth and feed utilization. The remaining 30 fish per treatment were subjected to a challenge experiment where twenty were injected intraperitoneally with Aeromonas veronii biovar sobria at a concentration of 0.5×108, while the other 10 fish were untreated controls. All the fish were fed on their allocated diets at 3% body weight thrice daily and monitored every day for 12 days for deaths and/or clinical manifestations of the bacterial disease. After the feeding trial, blood samples were collected for haematology. A post-mortem examination was conducted on surviving fish, and organ samples were taken for recovery of inoculated bacteria. Fish-fed diets containing the postbiotic had significantly higher growth compared to those fed on the control diet. Those fed on diets containing 4g/kg postbiotic (T2) exhibited higher growth performance, followed by those fed on 6g/kg postbiotic diet (T3) and 2g/kg postbiotic diet (T1). Fingerling on the diet without SCFP supplementation had significantly lower growth performance. No significant difference was found in all growth performance and feed utilization indices between T2 (4g postbiotic) and T3 (6g postbiotic). After challenge infection, SCFP-supplemented fingerlings had higher red and white blood cell counts than controls, though not significantly different. Similarly, the former had a higher survival percentage (T1=50%, T2=80%, T3=70%) than the control (30%). The clinical manifestations of the bacterial disease induced were most severe in the control group when compared to the treatment groups and comprised lost appetite, lethargy, abnormal movement, distended abdomen, skin ulcers, erosions, haemorrhages darkening, pale gills, and inflamed vents. A post-mortem examination of clinically sick fingerlings revealed ascites and enlargement of visceral organs, especially the liver and spleen. The results of this study indicate that SCFP supplementation has the potential to improve tilapia growth performance, boost protective immunity, and increase the survival of O. niloticus in the face of bacterial challenge. Future studies should explore the residual impacts of postbiotic supplementation during the fingerling stage on the growth and performance of tilapia during grow out in larger systems

Utilization of Prosopis Juliflora Plant in Taita Taveta County and Effects of Supplementation With Pod Meal on Performance of Weaner Galla Goats

2026-02-05T09:41:53Z

Utilization of Prosopis Juliflora Plant in Taita Taveta County and Effects of Supplementation With Pod Meal on Performance of Weaner Galla Goats Ratemo, Hellen M To evaluate utilization of Prosopis juliflora in Taita Taveta County and the effects of supplementation with Prosopis juliflora pods meal on performance of male weaner Galla goats, two studies were conducted. The first study focused on the community perception, use, and impacts of Prosopis juliflora in Taita Taveta County. A total of 314 respondents were randomly selected from each of the 4 wards in Taveta sub-county ensuring representation based on age, gender, wealth and occupation. Four Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) comprising 78 participants (47 males and 31 females) were held in four locations within the pastoral and agropastoral communities. The data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. The key data collected included community perceptions, impacts of Prosopis juliflora and its use. The three most common uses of prosopis were as a source of firewood (64%), charcoal (24%) and animal feed (23%). Poisonous thorns were cited as the major negative impact (56%), invasiveness (25%), reduction in soil fertility (8%), injurious (6%) and difficulty of eradication (5%). It was concluded that Prosopis has been used for fencing, income generation, shade, windbreaker, food, traditional medicine, soil erosion control, construction feed, and supplements and fodder for livestock The second study was carried out to assess the effect of supplementation with different levels of Prosopis juliflora pods meal on feed intake (FI), digestibility, body weight gain (WG) and feed conversion ratio of Galla goats. Twenty-four male weaner Galla goats of approximately 18kg live weight (18±1.9kg) were purchased from the local market and randomly assigned to four treatment groups with six goats each. Experimental diets consisted of a basal ration of Cenchrus ciliaris grass hay fed ad-libitum, maize germ cake, cotton seed cake, and different levels of milled Prosopis juliflora pods. Ground Prosopis pods (Pp) meal was fed at different levels of 0g/d Pp, 100g/d Pp, 200g/d Pp, and 300g/d Pp for the 4 experimental groups TR1 (control), TR2, TR3, and TR4 respectively. The highest feed intake (FI) was recorded for Treatment 4 (TR4) 754g/d and it was significantly (p<0.05) higher than 543g/d, 611g/d, and 655g/d for TR1, TR2, and TR3 respectively. The highest weight gain (WG) was recorded for TR4 (69g/d) and it was significantly (p<0.05) higher than TR1 (25g/d) and TR2 (40g/d) but not significantly (p>0.05) different from TR3(50g/d) The lowest feed conversion ratio (FCR) was recorded in TR4 (11.8), which was lower than TR3(14), TR2(18), and TR1(27). The highest crude protein digestibility was recorded for Treatment 4 (TR4) 74% and was significantly (p<0.05) higher than TR1 (55%) and TR2 (65%). The best level of Prosopis juliflora pods meal inclusion in the goats' diets was 300g/d. It was recommended that male weaner Galla goats can be supplemented with Prosopis pods meal at 300g/d to improve FI, WG, FCR, and feed digestibility.

Bio-ecology of the False Codling Moth, Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in the Capsicum agro-system in Selected Counties in Lower Eastern Kenya

2026-01-20T10:58:35Z

Bio-ecology of the False Codling Moth, Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in the Capsicum agro-system in Selected Counties in Lower Eastern Kenya Oundo, Judith N The False Codling Moth (FCM) [Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick), (Lepidoptera; Tortricidae)] is an economically significant insect pest that simultaneously attacks and destroys many cultivated crops, and Capsicum [Capsicum spp. (Solanales: Solanaceae)] is among the most affected. Despite this pest causing a reduction in crop yield and quality, it is also considered a quarantine pest thus it constrains international trade of vulnerable crops. Despite the menacing effects of this pest, there is scanty data on baselines of the occurrence, prevalence, damage and varietal differences in FCM preference and performance in Lower Eastern Kenya (Kitui, Machakos and Makueni). The current management strategies and perspectives of farmers toward FCM are yet to be assessed and documented. To fill this gap, a field survey was conducted between 2021- 2023, a total of 135 farmers were randomly interviewed using a structured questionnaire. From the interviewed farmers (135), a total of 75 farms were chosen (based on the availability of mature fruits) for onsite sampling. Fifty plants were randomly selected on each farm to basing on visual inspection for damage symptoms of FCM. Of 28 farms sampled in Kitui County, FCM was present in 15 farms, equivalent to 53.6 %, followed by Makueni County, 7 out of 23 farms, equivalent to 29.2% and lastly, Machakos County, 3 out of 24 farms, equivalent to 12.5%. These differences in prevalence rate were significant (F = 13.89, df = 2, 70, p< 0.05). The damage level was also significant in Kitui 25.74 ± 4.36 compared to Makueni 5.89 ± 1.34 and Machakos 4.27 ± 1.12 which were similar (F = 12.3, df = 2, 70, p < 0.001). The average infestation of FCM was significantly affected by the intercropping system in Kitui County (LR = 8.50, df = 3, 24, p = 0.036) and Machakos County (LR = 8.96, df = 3, 20, p = 0.029) but failed in Makueni (LR = 92.35, df = 3, 19, p = 0.502). The survey indicated that only 29% of farmers interviewed knew of false codling moth. Pesticides were the primary method of pest management. The study also found that FCM oviposition preference and performance were significantly (p<0.05) influenced by the Capsicum species offered to them. The highest number of eggs was laid on bell peppers, followed by bullet chillies and long chillies, while the lowest number of eggs were laid on chilli peppers both in the choice test and no choice test, respectively. These findings are beneficial in predicting the population dynamics, host preference, and providing baselines for the crafting of alternative strategies like screening for resistant varieties to mitigate the negative effects of pesticide resistance