Department of Veterinary Academic Hospital

Permanent URI for this community

http://hdl.handle.net/11070/3472

Browse

Browsing Department of Veterinary Academic Hospital by Author "Bhebhe, Evison"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Artificial insemination in Nyagatare district: Level of adoption and the factors determining its adoption
    (2017) Mushonga, Borden; Dusabe, Jean P.; Kandiwa, Erick; Bhebhe, Evison; Habarugira, Gervais; Samkange, Alaster
    This study was undertaken to characterize and to estimate the level of adoption of artificial insemination (AI) as well as to identify factors determining its adoption by communal farmers of Nyagatare, Rwanda. This followed the launching of the official Government AI programme in the district several years earlier. A questionnaire was used to carry out a survey of the breeding methods used for small scale dairy cows by farmers from five selected sectors of Nyagatare district of the Eastern Province of Rwanda. Of the 360 respondents, 16.9% primarily used AI, 63.1% used natural service and 20.0% used both methods for breeding. A significant percentage of respondents residing within 5km of the AI centres (79.2%; P<0.05) adopted AI whilst a significant percentage of respondents residing more than 15km from AI centres (92.5%; P<0.05) preferred natural service. A significant percentage of respondents from big families with 6-7 members were using AI (54.1%; P<0.05), whilst all the respondents from small families with up to 3 members opted for natural service (100% P<0.05). A significant percentage of respondents with secondary education (76.9%; P<0.05) opted for AI whilst a significant percentage of respondents with no formal education (98.5%; P < 0.05) opted for natural service alone. A significant percentage of respondents working in both agriculture and animal husbandry (93.1%; P<0.05) opted for AI whilst a significant percentage of respondents working in crop production and other none animal husbandry related sectors (93.2%; P<0.05) opted for natural service alone. Land size in excess of 5 hectares did not significantly influence adoption of AI. The study showed that there were several underlying factors that had the potential to influence farmers' choice of breeding methods. Chief among these factors are level of education of farmer, family size, distance to AI station and occupation in agriculture or animal husbandry.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    An epidemiological survey of the magnitude and local perceptions of porcine cysticercosis by two methods in Nyaruguru district, Rwanda
    (University of Namibia, 2018) Mushonga, Borden; Habarugira, Gervais; Birori, Aloys; Kandiwa, Erick; Samkange, Alaster; Bhebhe, Evison
    This study investigated the magnitude of porcine cysticercosis (PC), its risk factors, economic effects and the perceptions of 80 pig farmers from Nyabimata (n=38) and Muganza (n=42) and 20 registered butchers in the Nyaruguru district of Rwanda. January to December 2013 slaughter records from Kamirabagenzi market were also analysed for PC diagnoses based on the tongue test and meat inspection. During this period, the responding farmers' records showed a tongue test-based PC magnitude (3.9%, n=984) which was lower than the collective tongue test-based PC magnitude of 9.2% (n=1720) at Kamirabagenzi (p < .05). The overall magnitude of PC based on routine meat inspection diagnosis at Kamirabagenzi was 4%. The overall magnitude of PC for respondents using Free-range production systems (7.9%) was significantly greater than for those in Semi-intensive (2.1%) and Intensive production systems (1.5%) (p < .05). Though most farmers (90%) knew that PC is zoonotic, only 22.5% of the farmers opted for treatment of PC-infected pigs and 52.5% were willing to seek veterinary inspection while the rest (25%) opted to circumvent veterinary inspection (P > .05). Most butchers (70%) indicated they would circumvent veterinary inspection and continue to slaughter PC-positive animals whilst the rest (30%) indicated they would resell PC positive animals to defray costs (P < .05). The low sensitivity and specificity of methods used for PC detection in the study, implies that this may just be the tip of an iceberg and the actual magnitude is most likely to be much higher. In conclusion, PC is endemic in the Nyaruguru district of Rwanda with a high proportion of positive animals. The condition has public health implications and is worsening the economic plight of the impoverished Nyaruguru community.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    A three-year prospective study of the incidence of Dystocia in dairy cows in Gatsibo District, Rwanda
    (2017) Mushonga, Borden; Tumushime, Jean Claude; Bhebhe, Evison; Kandiwa, Erick; Samkange, Alaster; Habarugira, Gervais
    The Rwandan government launched the Girinka ('One Cow Per Poor Family') program in 2006 through the use of Friesian/Holstein bulls and semen to inseminate indigenous, cross-bred and exotic breed dairy cows in a bid to reduce childhood malnutrition and alleviate poverty. Reproductive failure was one of the challenges encountered in this program. The current study was undertaken to determine the factors affecting the incidence of dystocia and postpartum complications in the dairy cows of Gatsibo district over a three year period (2011-2014). Materials and Methods: The breed, method of insemination, parity, sex of calf, postpartum complications and mortalities of calves or dams were recorded for a total of 5611 parturitions from 3007 cows between 2011 and 2014 in the Kiziguro sector of Gatsibo. Statistical analysis of data was carried out using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16.0. Chi-square contingency tables were used in data analysis and p values <0.05 were considered significant. Results: Higher incidence of dystocia (p<0.05) was reported in indigenous (17.31%) than in crossbred (5.47%) and exotic breeds (4.61%). Artificially inseminated cows had a higher incidence of dystocia (16.67%) than those serviced by bulls (4.96%) (p<0.05). In addition, primiparous cows showed a significantly higher dystocia incidence (11.34%) than pluriparous cows (5.95%) (p<0.05). The incidence of dystocia was significantly higher in dams carrying male calves (11.54%) than in those with female calves (6.80%) (p<0.05). Moreover, retained placenta (53.09%) was significantly the most common complication of dystocia in comparison to postpartum bleeding (19.14%) and calf death (20.37%) (p<0.05). Whilst calf death and postpartum bleeding had a significantly higher incidence (p<0.05) than cow death (3.09%) and hind limb paralysis (4.32%). There was, however, no significant difference between the incidence of postpartum bleeding and calf death (p>0.05), nor between cow death incidence and hind limb paralysis (p>0.05). The revenue losses resulting from dystocias encountered in this study amount to US$11 323.08. Conclusion: The study concluded that artificially inseminated primiparous indigenous cattle with male calves had the highest incidence of dystocia, suggesting that the introduction of high quality dairy bulls or semen was counter-productive if indigenous cows were not upgraded. More so, the use of pedigree semen or bulls in indigenous dairy herd improvement programmes in Gatsibo, Rwanda resulted in a significant increase in incidence of dystocia and postpartum complications.