Major Factors Associated With High Morbidity, Mortality and Poor Performance of Camel Calves, Kids and Lambs I the Rendille and Samburu Pastoral Herds in Marsabit District, Kenya

Abstract

This thesis describes a study on the major factors associated with morbidity, mortality and performance of camel calves, kids and lambs in Rendille and Samburu pastoral herds in Marsabit district, Kenya. The main objective of the study was to identify and assess the major factors in order to formulate guidelines for appropriate disease control strategies for improved performance. The study was conducted in three phases for a period of 27 months from March 2000 to May 2002. The first phase was to assess pastoral perceptions on the livestock production systems in the study area. A pastoralists' appraisal was conducted through rapid rural appraisal (RRA) by community meetings in six sublocations namely Olturot, Ilaut, and Ngurunit in the arid agroecological zone (AEZ) V and in Kargi, Korr and Loglogo in the very arid AEZ VI from 20th March to May 2000. The meetings were held in six settlements know by the same names. These were purposively selected, as they were the only physical foci easily accessible and representing the six administrative sublocations. In all the sublocations, the major livestock reared were indigenous camels, cattle, sheep and goats. The camels reared were described as Rendille/Gabra; cattle as the Zebus; goats as the East African breed and sheep as Blackhead. The pastoralists reported that some exotic breeds of camels, cattle and goats had been introduced in the area and that a few households had also accepted chicken and bees. Donkeys and dogs were also important domestic animals among the pastoralists. Twenty-six household and six commercial needs were listed as fulfilled by the animals kept. Milk for household use from camels, cattle, goats and sheep was ranked as the most important utilization of livestock....