agri

• Animal health


  The state of wellbeing of an animal
• Disease


  Any departure from the state of health
• The best economic returns are realized when animals are kept in good health and disease problems are minimized
• Transmission of pathogens


  • Routes of transmission
• Symptoms of sick animals

  • Common symptoms
• Major diseases of farm animals

  • Viral
  • Bacterial
  • Protozoan
  • Parasitic
• Parasites


  • Internal
  • External
• Effect of diseases and parasites

  On animal production
• Indigenous knowledge plays a role in animal disease management
• Pathogens


  Disease-causing microorganisms
• Routes of transmission of pathogens

  • Direct contact with infected animal or its tissues/fluids
  • Ingestion of pathogens from contaminated feed, water, equipment
  • Spread during mating or before birth through placenta
  • Inhalation of droplets/dust containing pathogens
  • Vectors (living organisms like insects) carrying pathogens
• Symptoms of sick animals

  • Loss of appetite
  • Weight loss
  • Coughing
  • Unable to rise
  • Slow movement
  • Lameness
  • Isolation from herd/flock
  • Head/neck down, tired/lazy look
  • Watery/bad-smelling/bloodstained faeces and urine
  • Discharges from body openings
  • Sunken eyes
  • Raised hair coat
  • Rough skin
  • Dry muzzle
  • Swelling in joints
  • Variation in body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate
  • Death
• Diseases of farm animals are usually categorized as infectious and non-infectious
• Infectious diseases


  Caused by pathogenic organisms like virus, bacteria, protozoa, communicable from one animal to another or to humans
• Infectious diseases


  • Anthrax
  • Foot and mouth disease (FMD)
  • Newcastle disease
• Non-infectious diseases


  Neither caused by pathogens nor passed from one animal to another, may be caused by hereditary factors or environment
• Non-infectious diseases


  • Ketosis
  • Rickets
  • Poisoning
• The major animal diseases in Ethiopia include foot and mouth disease (FMD), anthrax, tuberculosis, brucellosis, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), mastitis, Newcastle disease, coccidiosis, trypanosomiasis
• Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP)

  1. Contact with infected body fluids like milk, urine

  2. Dry and painful cough, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing, inflammation of lungs

  3. Vaccination, isolation, slaughtering of infected animals
• Brucellosis


  1. Direct contact with infected animals, tissues, fluids, ingestion

  2. Abortion, infertility, intermittent fever, reduced milk, enlarged testicles

  3. Good herd management, burning/burying dead animals
• Anthrax


  1. Contact with infected animals/materials, inhalation of spores

  2. High fever, convulsion, rapid breathing, sudden death

  3. Isolation of infected animals, disposal of dead ones
• Newcastle disease (NCD)


  1. Airborne, contaminated vaccines/equipment

  2. Lack of appetite, respiratory difficulties, twisted neck, paralysis, soft shelled eggs, watery diarrhea

  3. Culling of sick birds, quarantine, vaccination
• Taeniasis


  1. Ingestion from soil during feeding

  2. Anaemia, vomiting, discomfort

  3. Regular de-worming, good sanitation
• Internal parasites (Endoparasites)


  Live in the blood or tissues of the animal's body, interfere with digestion and assimilation, cause diarrhea, anaemia, loss of condition, death
• External parasites (Ectoparasites)


  Annoy hosts by biting, embedding, or irritating the skin, attack blood, skin or hair, cause anaemia, weight/condition loss, restlessness, skin irritation and destruction, may transmit diseases
• External parasites


  • Ticks
  • Flies
  • Lice
  • Mites
• Effects of diseases and parasites on animal production

  • Loss of productivity
  • Mortality
  • Economic loss (reduced productivity, mortality, degraded hide/skin/wool, export restrictions, control/treatment costs)
  • Public health concern (zoonotic diseases)
• Practices for prevention and control of diseases and parasites

  • Proper hygiene/sanitation
  • Good management (nutrition, housing, grazing)
  • Quarantine and isolation
  • Medication (vaccination, drugs)
  • Spraying/dipping
  • Deworming
  • Biosecurity
• Indigenous knowledge in livestock disease treatment

  Plant-based remedies, inexpensive alternative to science-based treatments, mechanical, physical, pharmacological, surgical, ritual, managerial methods
• Bos indicus


  • Narrower body, longer legs, very prominent dewlap, humped
  • Adapted to tropical environment through natural selection
  • Delayed maturity, long calving interval, slow growth rate, short lactation, and low milk yield
• Bos taurus


  • Wider body, shorter legs, less prominent dewlap, humpless
  • Adapted to temperate environment through artificial selection
  • Early maturing, short calving interval, fast growth, milked up to 305 days, and high milk yield
• Representative breeds of Bos indicus

  • Sahiwal
  • Red Sindhi
  • Tharparker
  • Gir
  • Kankrej
  • Hariana
  • Kenana
  • Butana
  • Ethiopian cattle breeds
• Representative breeds of Bos taurus

  • Holstein Friesian
  • Jersey
  • Brown Swiss
  • Guernsey
  • Ayrshire
  • Milking Shorthorn
  • Red Danish
• Fogera cattle


  • Found in northwestern Ethiopia
  • Coat color is white with black spots or patches
  • Small sized breed
  • Milk yield of 915 litres per lactation
  • Butterfat content of 5.8%
• Arsi-Bale cattle


  • Found in the highlands of central Arsi and Bale
  • Variable coat color
  • Small body size
  • Compact body conformation
  • Selected cows produce up to 516 litres per lactation
  • Milk has high butterfat percentage (5.4 to 5.8%)
• Horro cattle


  • Originated in western Ethiopia, around Horro Guduru, Wollega
  • Dominant coat color is brown
  • Medium sized animals
  • Mainly raised for meat and draft use
  • Selected cows can produce up to 543 litres per lactation
• Holstein Friesian


  • Originated in the Netherlands
  • Black and White or Red and White color pattern
  • Large, angular animals
  • Require more feed than other dairy breeds
  • Outstanding milk producers, can produce over 6600 litres per lactation
  • Milk is low in butterfat (average 3.6%) and protein (average 3.2%)
• Jersey


  • Originated in the Island of Jersey, UK
  • Small-sized breed
  • Light gray to dark fawn coat color
  • Well-shaped udders, stronger udder attachments, ease of calving
  • Milk is richest in butterfat (average 5%) and protein (3.8%)
  • Require less feed than Holstein Friesian
  • Good foragers
• Dairy cattle selection


  Choice of breed based on climate, production objective, feeding system, and age of maturity
• Cross-breed animals


  • 50% exotic inheritance to retain adaptability, heat tolerance and disease resistance traits of local animals