A survey was conducted by way of personal interviews with 562 respondents
comprising 459 farmers and 103 butchers/traders in selected districts in the central
and western parts of Kenya, consisting of three predominantly smallholder and four
predominantly pastoral/extensive districts. The study aimed to provide a better
understanding of smallholder and pastoral/extensive sheep and goat farming
systems in the tropics, by taking Kenya as an example. Results show that 58% of
pastoral/extensive farmers and 46% of smallholders indicated livestock as their main
activity. Small ruminants ranked closely behind cattle in their importance. Thirty four
percent of the households kept only sheep, 18% only goats and 48% both species.
The survey demonstrated the relative importance to the farmers of tangible benefits
of farming sheep and goats (such as regular cash income, meat, manure and, in the
case of goats, milk) versus intangible benefits (such as the role of small ruminants as
an insurance against emergencies). Regular cash income and an insurance against
emergencies were the highest priorities. Seventy eight percent of the farmers
reported animal sales over the previous 12 months. Of these, the income was spent
on school fees (32%), purchase of food (22%), farm investment (18%), medical
expenses (10%), off-farm investment (9%), social activities (5%) and re-stocking
(4%). Indigenous genotypes were predominant among pastoral/extensive farmers
and mixed crosses predominant among smallholders. A range of traits: growth rate,
size, shape, drought tolerance, meat quality, fertility, disease and heat tolerance,
prolificacy and temperament were all considered important for both sheep and goats
in both farming systems and across the different genotypes. Compared with other
pure breeds Red Maasai sheep and Small East African goats were rated poorly in
terms of size, shape, growth and fertility but highly in terms of drought and (Red
Maasai) heat tolerance by both smallholder and pastoral/extensive farmers. In
general, crosses were perceived less favourably than indigenous pure breeds. Size
and performance ranked as the most important traits in the choice of breeding
males. Approximately half the farmers inherited their males, reared them on the farm
and kept them for an average of 2-3 years. Uncontrolled mating within the
Chapter 3
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household’s flock was predominant in both farming systems. Over 98% of the
farmers reported incidence of disease, especially pneumonia (in pastoral/extensive
areas), helminthosis, tick-borne diseases, diarrhoea and foot-rot. Over 95% of the
farmers fed supplements in both dry and wet seasons. Pure exotic and indigenous X
exotic genotypes fetched higher prices than indigenous genotypes due to their
heavier body weight.