title: Husbandry practices and health in smallholder dairy farms near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
abstract: Our study was conducted from November 2001 to April 2002 in the Debre-Zeit area (near Addis Ababa), Ethiopia to assess the husbandry practices and to identify health constraints in 100 market-oriented smallholder dairy farms. A questionnaire survey, farm visit and animal examination were conducted. Thirty-eight percent of the smallholder farms were owned by women. Women-owned farms had more cows (median=3) than men-owned ones. The median herd size (including young animals) was four animals per farm. Median age, parity number and daily milk production of cows were, respectively, 5 years, 3 and 10l. The housing conditions were tie-stall barns for 53% and shades for the rest. About 48% of the herd were kept under poor housing conditions; land-resource limitation was mentioned as the major problem. Twenty percent of the farms were using hired labour. Mastitis (both clinical and subclinical) was the most-frequently encountered disease condition (prevalence at herd level 30%) followed by foot-and-leg problems. Farms owned by men or using hired labour had higher disease prevalences. The poor housing conditions were associated with the observed prevalences of health constraints.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 34, Debre-Zeit, Ethiopia. alemu57@yahoo.com
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Mekonnen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Asmamaw
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Courreau
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D000881:Anthrax / Q000517:prevention & control; D002417:Cattle / Q000502:physiology*; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003612:Dairying / Q000379:methods*; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006799:Housing, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008414:Mastitis, Bovine / Q000453:epidemiology; D010067:Ownership; D015995:Prevalence