IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/ssefpa/v16y2024i3d10.1007_s12571-024-01452-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Opportunities to improve goat production and food security in Botswana through forage nutrition and the use of supplemental feeds

Author

Listed:
  • Andrew S. Cooke

    (University of Lincoln
    Rothamsted Research, North Wyke)

  • Honest Machekano

    (Botswana International University of Science and Technology
    University of Pretoria)

  • Javier Ventura-Cordero

    (Escuela Superior de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Campeche
    Queen’s University Belfast)

  • Aranzazu Louro-Lopez

    (Rothamsted Research, North Wyke)

  • Virgil Joseph

    (Botswana International University of Science and Technology)

  • Lovemore C. Gwiriri

    (Rothamsted Research, North Wyke
    Coventry University)

  • Taro Takahashi

    (Rothamsted Research, North Wyke
    University of Bristol)

  • Eric R. Morgan

    (Queen’s University Belfast)

  • Michael R. F. Lee

    (Rothamsted Research, North Wyke
    University of Bristol
    Harper Adams University)

  • Casper Nyamukondiwa

    (Botswana International University of Science and Technology
    Rhodes University)

Abstract

Goats fulfil a central role in food and nutritional security across Africa with over half of households owning or rearing goats in rural areas. However, goat performance is poor and mortality high. This study assessed the nutritional quality of commonly used feeds and proposes feed-baskets to enhance goat nutrition and health. Feeds were collected from 11 areas within the Central District of Botswana, and macronutrient analyses were conducted, including crude protein, fibre fractions, ash, and metabolizable energy (ME). Forage nutrition was compared across seasons and soil types. Additionally, seasonal supplementation trials were conducted to evaluate consumption rates of various supplements, including crop residues, pellets, Lablab purpureus, and Dichrostachys cinerea. Each supplement was provided ad libitum for a 24-h period, and consumption rates determined. Findings revealed significant differences in nutrition among various feed sources, across seasons, and in relation to soil types (p

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew S. Cooke & Honest Machekano & Javier Ventura-Cordero & Aranzazu Louro-Lopez & Virgil Joseph & Lovemore C. Gwiriri & Taro Takahashi & Eric R. Morgan & Michael R. F. Lee & Casper Nyamukondiwa, 2024. "Opportunities to improve goat production and food security in Botswana through forage nutrition and the use of supplemental feeds," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 16(3), pages 607-622, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:16:y:2024:i:3:d:10.1007_s12571-024-01452-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s12571-024-01452-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12571-024-01452-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12571-024-01452-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:16:y:2024:i:3:d:10.1007_s12571-024-01452-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.