1. SMALL RUMINANT FEED AND HEALTH INTERVENTION IN NORTHERN GHANA
S. Salifu, A. Ayantunde, N. Karbo, F. Avornyo

2. Background
CSIR-Animal Research Institute and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) conducted on-farm testing of feed and health packages on small ruminant flocks in northern Ghana under the Africa RISING project.
The objective of these on-farm experiments was to measure the effect of the intervention packages on the productivity of village small ruminant flocks.

3. Intervention communities
Regions/communities
2013/2014
2015/2016
Northern Region
Tingoli, Tibali
Botingli, Duko, Tibali
Upper East Region
Bonia, Gia
Nyangua, Sambologo, Gia
Upper West Region
Nartuduori, Guo
Passe, Zanko, Guo
6 COMMUNITIES
9 COMMUNITIES

4. TREATMENTS Treatments Description of treatment Feed and health package
Offer of 200g of small ruminant concentrate feed daily
Vaccination against PPR once per year,
Anthelmintic treatments every other month,
Ectoparasite control with Ivermectin
Antibiotic treatments for sick animals
Health package only (2014/2016)
Vaccination against PPR, anthelmintic treatments, ectoparasite control , antibiotic treatments for sick animals
Control
Farmer’s normal practices

5. Small ruminant concentrate feed formula
Ingredient
% inclusion
Maize 30
Maize bran
28.2
Rice bran 15
Cotton seed
Soya bean 4
Fishmeal 5
Dicalcium Phosphate 1
Vitamin premix
Salt
0.8
Total
100

6. 2014/2016 intervention communities and treatment
NORTHERN REGION
UPPER EAST REGION
UPPER WEST REGION
TIBALI (FEED + HEALTH)
GIA (FEED + HEALTH)
GUO (FEED + HEALTH)
DUKO (HEALTH PACKAGE)
SAMBOLOGO (HEALTH PACKAGE)
ZANKO (HEALTH PACKAGE ONLY)
BOTINGLI (CONTROL)
NYANGUA (CONTROL)
PASSE (CONTROL)

7. Experimental farmers Regions/communities Sex of farmer Female Male
Total
Northern Region
Botingli 5 10
Duko
Tibali 4 6
Upper East Region
Gia
Nyangua
Sambologo
Upper West Region
Guo
Passe 8 2
Zanko
Grand Total 44 46 90

8. Implemented work and achievements
Small ruminant monitoring (data collection on weight dynamics, survival, reproductive rate, offtake rate data)
Training of experimental farmers on feed formulation
Training of community animal health workers (CAHWs)
Training manual for CAHWs produced
Vaccination of small ruminants at the community level
Integration of forages into communityTechnology Parks

9. Achievements
Feed and health intervention has led to increased small ruminant productivity in terms of average daily gains, reproductive rate, survival rate and offtake rates.
Capacities of farmers built on feed formulation.
Community animal health workers (CAHWs) trained in communities for timely report of disease outbreaks to mainstream veterinary health system.

10. Growth rate of small ruminants

11. Number of observations
Daily gain
Table 1: Average daily gain of growing small ruminants
Category
Number of observations
Average daily gain (g/day)
Overall
1206
47.231.35
Treatment
Feed and Health
519
55.92.64a
 **
Health only
292
43.11.77b
Control
398
39.31.69b
Region
Northern Region
665
45.341.76b
** 
Upper East Region
286
58.243.46a
Upper West Region
255
40.261.92b
Specie
Sheep
762
52.021.90a
Goats
444
39.281.58b
Sex of animal
Male
467
55.032.1a
Female
738
42.441.7b
Means in a column with different superscripts are significantly different at the 99% level of probability.

12. Birth rate 2013/2014

13. Birth rate 2014/2016

14. Mortality

15. Offtake rates

16. Community-level PPR vaccination campaign
Table 2: Number of households and small ruminants covered in PPR vaccination campaign
Region/community
Number of households
Number of sheep vaccinated
Number of goats vaccinated
Total number vaccinated
Northern Region
Duko 43
314
400
Tibali 24
288 55
Region subtotal 67
602
455
1,057
Upper East Region
Gia
116
1030
860
Sambologo
242
1143
1752
358
2173
2612
4,785
Upper West Region
Guo 23
233
194
Zanko 26
121
316
Region Subtotal 49
354
510
864
Grand totals
474
3129
3577
6,724

17. Training on feed formulation
39 farmers in communities on the feed treatment trained on concentrate feed formulation.

18. Feed formulation in training in intervention communities

19. Farmers formulating feed

20. Standardized container for measuring ingredients

21. Training of Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs)
CAHWs trained and equipped with basic operation materials and manual.

22. CAHWs practical training: deworming

23. CAHW practical training: dipping of sheep

24. Forages in Technology Parks

25. Cajanus cajan (Pigeon pea)

26. Forage sorghum

27. Bracharia ruziziensis (Congo grass)

28. Lablab

29. Gaps Integration of crop and livestock activities still weak.
Feeding of concentrate in association with legume and cereal crop residues has not been investigated.
Breed improvement to increase productivity is not an area of focus in this project
Other important causes of animal mortalities still not addressed e.g. soya bean and fresh grain consumption by small ruminants, sheep pox outbreak without preventive vaccine in the country.
Forage not being planted at the community level: only present in the Technology Park.

30. Lessons learned
Some feed ingredients for concentrate formulation are not available at certain times of the year.
Spike in small ruminant mortalities around time of harvest due to consumption of soya and maize grain during grain processing. Collective action needs to be taken at the community level to collect products of grain processing. Use of tarpaulin has been discussed.
Mass distribution of small ruminants to farmers by projects without proper quarantine procedures could be fueling disease spread eg Sheep pox in Northern Region in 2015.
Sick small ruminants are an important source of meat animals; when detected, sick/dying animals are salvaged by selling cheaply to butchers.
Butchers who round up sick animals from different sources for slaughter end up spreading diseases.
Relocation/inactivity of CAHWs soon after receiving training

31. THANK YOU