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Footsteps 10

SMALL LIVESTOCK

The role which various small livestock play in the nutrition and economy of most families is an important one. In rural areas, many farmers unable to keep larger livestock regard sheep and goats as an investment - ready cash when money is needed for school fees or sickness. Smaller livestock - chickens, rabbits, etc - mean that hospitality is always available for visitors, and provide a supply of eggs and meat for the family, even though this is often only for special occasions.  

Improving production of small livestock will bring great benefits for the health of the whole family. We hope health workers can use some of these suggestions in their communities. Would a rabbit project, for example, be a useful addition to your community clinic? 

Please find below articles from Footsteps issue 10.


by Dr Roger Sharland. Sheep and goats are often neglected in development projects. But they are very important in the lives of those who do keep them. They act as a type of bank - animals can be sold for special occasions or for a particular need. ... More >>

Our commitment to development: the parable of the talents by Dr Isaac Zokoue FATEB, Central African Republic.  This is a familiar story, so we will not look at all the details, but there is much to learn about our attitude to development from this s... More >>

The role which various small livestock play in the nutrition and economy of most families is an important one. In rural areas, many farmers unable to keep larger livestock regard sheep and goats as an investment - ready cash when money is needed for ... More >>

by Mike Carter.  Many smallholder farmers are short of land. They may want to keep livestock because animals provide security, but are unable to do so because they do not have enough land for large animals. One solution to this is to raise goats in... More >>

by Dr Chris Curtis.  Malaria is caused by parasites (called Plasmodium) which are carried from the blood of one person to that of another by Anopheles mosquitoes (see above). This type of mosquito generally bites late at night, so bednets would be ... More >>

Issues raised by AIDS We have discussed protection of health workers from AIDS at a number of meetings. The conclusion is always - not a great risk, unless you have cuts and even then it’s OK as long as you’re careful to cover the cut and wear two p... More >>

by Mike Carter.  You have probably seen an ‘intensive’ poultry project: day-old chicks of a ‘grade’ or ‘hybrid’ type have been bought; an expensive poultry house has been built for them, perhaps with a corrugated tin roof; special feed is brought r... More >>

Rabbits are kept by small-scale producers in virtually every country of the world. When well managed, they are very productive, reproducing rapidly and producing good quality meat and fur. They are useful animals for individual farmers, village group... More >>

AGRICULTURE The Tropical Agriculturalist Series published by CTA and Macmillan Rabbits by Denis Fielding ISBN 0-333-52311-3 (106 pages) A particularly useful book for anyone considering rabbit production or wanting to improve their knowledge. ... More >>

The guinea pig or cavy (cuy or cobayo) comes from the Andes in South America. Villagers in many parts of South America keep guinea pigs in their kitchens. Guinea pigs have many good points: They are small animals that are herbivorous (live only o... More >>

Muscovy ducks are an excellent way of controlling flies. At a recent ceremony in Togo, a number of muscovy ducks were killed and prepared for cooking. An employee of the Heifer Project opened their crops, out of interest, to see what they had been ea... More >>

A farmers’ discussion group in Kenya identified five main causes for low production with village chickens: predators killing young chicks as they scavenged for food disease epidemics low amount of food eaten while chickens scavenge poor, unp... More >>