Breeding Programme and Infrastructure – The Case of Red Maasai Sheep in Kenya

EMELIE ZONABEND KÖNIG

Painting: Frances Simpson, Kenya Website: http://www.francessimpson.co/

BreedingProgrammeandInfrastructure–theCaseofRedMaasaiSheepinKenya

§  Supervisorsandco-authors

§  Dept.ofAnimalBreedingandGeneDcs

§  InternaDonalLivestockResearchInsDtute

§  FoodandAgriculturalOrganizaDonoftheUnitedNaDons

§  SwedishMinistryofForeignAffairs

§  Farmersandstakeholders

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

§  Livestockareimportant

§  Sub-SaharanAfricaholds25%ofthesheepandgoatpopulaDonand20%ofthecaSlepopulaDonintheworld

§  LivestockinAfricacontributeto22%ofagricultureGDP,moreinEastAfrica

CONTRIBUTION OF LIVESTOCK TO THE LIVELIHOOD

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Africa Asia Europe Northern America Oceania South America & Caribbean

Mill

ion

of h

eads

Cattle Chickens (10 million) Goats Pigs Sheep

§  Currently800millionpeopleareundernourished,mostinsub-SaharanAfrica

§  LargerproporDonofproteinfromanimalsourceisneeded

§  IncreasedproducDvityperanimalisneeded

FOOD SECURITY

§  HighertemperaturesandunforeseeableweatherpaSerns

§  AthreattolivestockproducDon

§  Animalsneedtocopewithchanges

§  ConsidergeneDcdiversity

CLIMATE CHANGE AND DIVERSITY

BREEDING STRATEGIES AND SUPPORTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE

§  Breedingstrategiesarevitaltoconserveandimprovebreeds

§  SupporDveinfrastructureisneeded

§  Policiesaredriversforthesector

§  Recordingsystemsareneeded

§  Widelydistributed

§  MulDfuncDonal

§  LowercapitalrequirementsandshortergeneraDonintervalcomparedtocaSle

§  SurvivebeSerthancaSle

SHEEP ARE IMPORTANT

§  IndigenousbreedinKenyaandneighbouringcountries

§  Fattailedsheep

§  Diseaseresistantanddroughttolerant

§  Usedtobeverycommon

§  IndiscriminatelycrossedwithDorperforbeSermeatproducDon

§  RedMaasaipopulaDondrasDcallydeclining–threatenedbreed

RED MAASAI SHEEP

§  ImportedfromSouthAfrica

§  SyntheDcbreedofDorsetandBlackheadPersianbreeds

§  Meattypebreed

§  NotadaptedenoughtoharshclimaDccondiDons

§  UncontrolledcrossbreedingwithRedMaasai

DORPER SHEEP

§  AssessinfrastructureforthesupportofsustainableuseofanimalgeneDcresources

§  InvesDgatetraitsofpreferenceforbreedingobjecDvesandbreeddifferencesofRedMaasai,Dorpersheepandtheircrossesintwodifferentlowinputareas

§  StudyopportuniDesforimprovementofRedMaasaisheepbycomparingpurebreedingwithdifferentlevelsofcrossbreedingwithDorpersheepintwoenvironmentallydifferentareas

AIMS OF THE THESIS TO STUDY POTENTIAL BREEDING STRATEGIES APPLICABLE TO INDIGENOUS LIVESTOCK WITHIN EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA

STUDIES INCLUDED IN THESIS

I Infrastructure for sustainable use of animal genetic resources in Southern and Eastern Africa

II Participatory definition of breeding objectives for sheep breeds under pastoral systems – the case of Red Maasai and Dorper sheep in Kenya

III Live weight, conformation, carcass traits and economic values of ram lambs of Red Maasai and Dorper sheep and their crosses

IV Purebreeding of Red Maasai and crossbreeding with Dorper sheep in different environments in Kenya

INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SUSTAINABLE USE OF ANIMAL GENETIC RESOURCES

Uganda

Zambia

BotswanaMo

zambiq

ue

Kenya

Tanzania

DescribeandassesstheexisDnginfrastructurefor

animalgeneDcresourcesinasampleofcountriesin

SouthernandEasternAfrica

§  Livestockpolicyexistedbutnotalwaysbreedingpolicies

§  Countrieswithleastuniversitytraininginanimalbreedinghadthemostpoorlydevelopedpoliciesandinfrastructure

§  InsDtuDonsandorganizaDonswerepoorlylinked

§  Livestockrecordingwaslimited

§  NocountryhadfullyfuncDoningbreedingprogrammes

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS INFRASTRUCTURE

WORKING WITH PEOPLE… Stakeholdersworkingwithanimalbreedingissues

PilotsheeprecordingschemeintwoMaasaivillageareas

-Similardatafromresearchranches(KapiDandNaivasha)

Amboseli,Pastoral Group Ranch, in [II]

Kapiti Plains,ILRI Research Station,

in [III]

Isinya,Semi Pastoral Farming,

in [II]

Naivasha,Governmental farms

Nairobi

Kenya

RECORDING GROWTH, HEALTH AND FERTILITY ON RED MAASAI, DORPER SHEEP AND THEIR CROSSES

Interviews Defining age Ear tagging

Weighing Linear measurements Reproduction and Diseases

PARTICIPATORY DEFINITION OF BREEDING OBJECTIVES

Nairobi

Amboseli,Pastoral Group Ranch

extremly harsh

Isinya, Semi Pastoral Farming

semi-harsh

Kenya

AimedtocharacterizeRedMaasai,Dorperandtheircrossesanddeterminefarmers’traitpreferences

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Growth and Body size

Condition Milk production Mothering ability and

Reproduction

Drought and Disease

resistance

Dorper Red Maasai Cross

Relative percentage of responses

WHAT FARMERS LIKE IN THEIR SHEEP BREEDING OBJECTIVES

DIFFERENT NEEDS DEPENDING ON ENVIRONMENT BREEDING OBJECTIVES

§  RedMaasaiwassimilarinbothenvironments

§  DorperandcrosseshadhigherbodyweightinIsinya

§  AllbreedgroupsproducedmoremilkinAmboseli

§  FarmerswerewillingtopaymorethantwiceasmuchforDorperinIsinyacomparedtoAmboseli

LIVE WEIGHT, CONFORMATION, CARCASS TRAITS AND ECONOMIC VALUES

§  Crossbredsweregenerallysuperiortopurebreds

§  Dorperhadalargerbodysizebutcarcassweightdidnotdiffer

§  EvaluatorswerewillingtopaymoreforDorper

§  DressingpercentagewashigherforRedMaasai

§  LiveweightwasthebestmeasureinpredicDngcarcassweight

AimedatinvesDgaDngbreeddifferencesformeatproducDon

PUREBREEDING OF RED MAASAI AND CROSSBREEDING WITH DORPER SHEEP AimedtoexaminetheopportuniDesforconservaDonand

improvementofRedMaasaisheep

Kenya

Nairobi

Amboseli,Pastoral Group Ranch in [II]arid, far from infrastructure

Kapiti Plains,Research Station, ILRI

in [III], semi-arid, similar to Isinya

Isinya, Semi Pastoral Farming

in [II], semi-arid

PUREBREEDING OF RED MAASAI AND CROSSBREEDING WITH DORPER SHEEP

1.PurebreedingofRedMaasai

2.Purebreedingwithsubnucleus

3.Includingalsocrossbreeding

4.Crossbreedingwithsubnucleus

KapiD

Isinya Amboseli

PUREBREEDING AND CROSSBREEDING

§  TheannualproducDonoflambmeatpereweincreasedby1.1kgover15years

§  GeneDcimprovementwasratherhighforcarcassweightandlowforsurvivalandmilkyield

§  CrossbreedingcouldbefavourableinabeSerenvironment

§  PurebreedingofRedMaasaiwasbestinharshenvironments

§  Purebreeding,scenario2,gavehighestincome,carcassweightandgeneDcimprovement

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

§  Skilledpersonnel,clearpoliciesandproperlymandatedinsDtuDonsareneededforsustainableuseofanimalgeneDcresources

§  Bodysize,milkandsurvivalwereimportanttoincludeinbreedingobjecDves

§  Differencesinbodysizewerefoundbetweenbreedgroupsandenvironments,butonlysmalldifferencesintheharshestenvironment

§  CarcassesofDorperlambswerenotheaviereventhoughthelambswereheavierlive

§  InharshcondiDonsonlypurebreedingofRedMaasaiisbest

§  AnucleusbreedingprogrammecouldimproveproducDvityofanindigenousbreed

OVERALL CONCLUSIONS

Thanks!

Breeding Programme and Infrastructure – The Case of Red Maasai Sheep in Kenya

EMELIE ZONABEND KÖNIG