AGE 402 — Husbandry of Ruminant Animals: Lecture Note

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AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Course code: AGE 402 Course title: Husbandry of Ruminant Animals Course credit load: 2 Units Series 1: Fundamentals of Ruminant Animal Husbandry • Part 1.1: Definition, Classification, and Economic Importance o Sub Part 1.1.1: Definition and characteristics of ruminant animals o Sub Part 1.1.2: Classification and examples of ruminant species o Sub Part 1.1.3: Economic and social importance in Nigeria • Part 1.2: Livestock Terminology and Ageing o Sub Part 1.2.1: Common livestock terms for cattle, sheep, and goats o Sub Part 1.2.2: Ageing by dentition o Sub Part 1.2.3: External body parts and conformation • Part 1.3: Reproductive Parameters and Management o Sub Part 1.3.1: Reproductive cycle and puberty in ruminants o Sub Part 1.3.2: Mating systems and breeding ratios o Sub Part 1.3.3: Pregnancy, parturition, and care of the young • Part 1.4: The Beef, Dairy, and Small Ruminant Industries o Sub Part 1.4.1: The beef cattle industry in Nigeria o Sub Part 1.4.2: The dairy industry in Nigeria o Sub Part 1.4.3: The sheep and goat industry in Nigeria

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Introduction Ruminant animals, particularly cattle, sheep, and goats, form the backbone of livestock farming in Nigeria. They provide meat, milk, hides and skins, draught power, manure, and social capital. Understanding the basic concepts of ruminant animal husbandry, from the definition of what a ruminant is, through the terminology used by livestock farmers, to the reproductive parameters that determine herd productivity, is the essential foundation for all the management topics covered in subsequent Series. This Series establishes that foundation. We begin by defining and classifying ruminants, describe their economic importance in Nigeria, introduce the standard livestock terminology used in describing cattle, sheep, and goats, explain how animals are aged by their teeth, cover the key reproductive parameters and care of the young, and conclude with an overview of the beef, dairy, and small ruminant industries in Nigeria. All subsequent Series build on the concepts introduced here. Series Learning Outcomes Upon completing this Series, you should be able to: • SLO 1.1 define ruminant animals and list their distinguishing characteristics (Linked to Part 1.1), • SLO 1.2 classify ruminants and give examples of species important in Nigerian agriculture (Linked to Part 1.1), • SLO 1.3 explain the economic and social importance of ruminant animals in Nigeria (Linked to Part 1.1), • SLO 1.4 use correct livestock terminology for cattle, sheep, and goats and explain its importance in animal husbandry (Linked to Part 1.2), • SLO 1.5 age cattle, sheep, and goats using dentition and describe the external body parts (Linked to Part 1.2), • SLO 1.6 describe the reproductive parameters of cattle, sheep, and goats including puberty, oestrous cycle, gestation, and breeding ratios (Linked to Part 1.3), • SLO 1.7 describe the process of parturition and the care of the young ruminant (Linked to Part 1.3), and

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS • SLO 1.8 describe the structure and challenges of the beef, dairy, and small ruminant industries in Nigeria (Linked to Part 1.4). 1.1 Definition, Classification, and Economic Importance 1.1.1 Definition and characteristics of ruminant animals A ruminant is an even-toed hoofed mammal (order Artiodactyla) that digests plant-based food by initially softening it within the animal's first stomach (the rumen), then regurgitating the semi-digested mass known as cud and chewing it again; this process is called rumination or chewing the cud. Ruminants are characterised by: a complex multi-compartment stomach (rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum); the ability to digest cellulose through microbial fermentation in the rumen; the absence of upper incisor teeth (they have a dental pad instead); even-toed hooves (two functional toes per foot); and the regurgitation and re-chewing of feed (rumination) after initial ingestion. These characteristics enable ruminants to convert low-quality fibrous feeds (grass, crop residues, browse, straw) that non-ruminant livestock (pigs, poultry) cannot utilise into valuable animal products, making them uniquely suited to the feed resources available in Nigerian farming systems. The rumen supports a complex community of bacteria, protozoa, and fungi that produce enzymes (cellulases and hemicellulases) to break down plant cell wall fibre; in return the microorganisms receive a warm, stable environment and a continuous supply of fermentable substrates. Rumen microbes also synthesise B vitamins and microbial protein that the animal can absorb further along the digestive tract. Fill in the blank: Ruminants digest fibrous feed through microbial ________ in the rumen; the microorganisms produce enzymes that break down cellulose and hemicellulose in plant cell walls.

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS 1.1.2 Classification and examples of ruminant species Ruminants belong to the suborder Ruminantia (excluding camelids, which ruminate but belong to a separate group). The major families of ruminants are: Bovidae (cattle, sheep, goats, buffalo, bison); Cervidae (deer and related species); Giraffidae (giraffe); and Camelidae (camels, llamas, alpacas; these are pseudo-ruminants with a three-compartment stomach). In Nigerian agriculture, the economically important ruminants are cattle (Bos indicus: zebu cattle and Bos taurus: taurine cattle), sheep (Ovis aries), goats (Capra hircus), and to a lesser extent West African dwarf cattle, buffalo (Syncerus caffer used for draught in very limited areas), and camels (in the far north). Cattle are the most numerous large ruminants in Nigeria, with a national herd estimated at approximately 20 million head. Sheep and goats are even more numerous, with approximately 40 million sheep and 75 million goats, placing Nigeria among the top five countries globally for small ruminant populations. These numbers reflect the adaptability of small ruminants to Nigerian farming conditions: they can be kept in small numbers, require minimal capital, produce output rapidly (short generation interval), and serve as a savings and insurance asset for smallholder farm families. Fill in the blank: Nigeria's national ruminant herd includes approximately 20 million cattle, 40 million ________, and 75 million goats, placing Nigeria among the top five countries globally for small ruminant populations. Species Scientific Name Family Approximate Nigerian Population Primary Products Cattle Bos taurus / Bos indicus Bovidae ~20 million Meat, milk, hides, draught Sheep Ovis aries Bovidae ~34 million Meat, wool, milk, skins Goat Capra hircus Bovidae ~76 million Meat, milk, skins West African Dwarf Cattle Bos taurus brachyceros Bovidae ~1 million Meat, milk, draught Camel Camelus dromedarius Camelidae ~0.3 million Meat, milk, hides, draught

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Table 1.1: Classification of economically important ruminant animals in Nigeria 1.1.3 Economic and social importance in Nigeria Ruminant animals contribute to the Nigerian economy and rural livelihoods in multiple ways. Meat production: beef, mutton, and chevon (goat meat) are the most widely consumed meats in Nigeria; cattle are slaughtered at abattoirs supplying urban butcheries and restaurants, while small ruminants are slaughtered locally at eid-el-kabir (during which millions of rams and bulls are sacrificed) and other ceremonies. Milk production: the Fulani cattle keepers (pastoralists) produce fresh milk (fura de nono) and fermented milk products marketed along migration routes and in urban centres; commercial dairy farming is small-scale but growing. Hides and skins: Nigeria is a major exporter of hides and skins (particularly from Kano, Sokoto, Kaduna, and Maiduguri), feeding the leather industry. Social and cultural importance: livestock is a form of social currency; cattle are given as bride price (bride wealth) in many northern Nigerian cultures; small ruminants are sacrificed at naming ceremonies, weddings, and funerals; and herd size is a measure of social status among pastoral Fulani communities. Agricultural importance: ruminants provide draught power (oxen for cultivation) in the north; manure for soil fertility improvement; and income diversification for crop farmers. The pastoral and agropastoral livestock sector is estimated to contribute 5 to 8 per cent of Nigeria's GDP directly, with indirect contributions through leather, traction, and organic fertiliser significantly higher. Fill in the blank: Livestock contributes 5 to 8 per cent of Nigeria's GDP; cattle are important as a form of ________ price (bride wealth) in northern Nigerian cultures and as social capital among Fulani pastoral communities. Pilot questions 1.1 1. Define a ruminant animal and state four characteristics that distinguish ruminants from non-ruminant livestock. 2. Explain how the multi-compartment stomach of ruminants enables them to utilise feed resources unavailable to pigs and poultry.

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS 3. Name the three main ruminant species kept in Nigeria and give the estimated national population of each. 4. State six ways in which ruminant animals are economically important in Nigeria. 5. Explain the social and cultural significance of ruminant animals in Nigerian communities. 1.2 Livestock Terminology and Ageing 1.2.1 Common livestock terms for cattle, sheep, and goats Precise livestock terminology is essential for communication in animal husbandry; using the wrong term can cause confusion in records, trade, and management instructions. For cattle: bull (intact male); steer (castrated male); heifer (young female

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