tailieunhanh - Báo cáo y học: "Small ruminant feed systems: perceptions and practices in the transitional zone of Ghan"

Tuyển tập các báo cáo nghiên cứu về y học được đăng trên tạp chí y học Wertheim cung cấp cho các bạn kiến thức về ngành y đề tài: Small ruminant feed systems: perceptions and practices in the transitional zone of Ghana. | Duku et al. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2010 6 11 http content 6 1 11 JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE RESEARCH Open Access Small ruminant feed systems perceptions and practices in the transitional zone of Ghana Stephanie Duku1 2 Akke J van der Zijpp1 Patricia Howard3 4 Abstract Background Adequate feeding is essential to realizing the potential of small ruminants to alleviate poverty among smallholder farmers. This study was conducted in two villages in the Ejura-Sekyedumase District of Ghana and was motivated by farmers non-adoption of modern feed technologies but more importantly by the need to understand the small ruminant feed system considering farmers different socio-economic backgrounds and how these relate to small ruminant performance. In this study the feed system was defined as the type source and seasonality of feeds and how small ruminants access them. Methods Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to allow for triangulation. Data were collected in seven stages comprising key informant interviews a census a cultural domain study botanical specimen collection and identification focus group discussions a household survey and a small ruminant performance study. Results Farmers listed 175 items that are used as small ruminant feed and salience indexes were calculated. There was high consensus about the domain of small ruminant feeds with 15 items comprising the consensus model. Respondent agreement scores correlated positively with age and negatively with list length. Respondents from matrilineal lineages had higher agreement scores than those from patrilineal lineages. Natural pasture and wild browse scored high in pair wise ranking by village and sex groups. Of the 33 feeds that farmers fed to goats maize grains cassava peels and Margaritaria discoidea were the most salient. Six major feed system groups based on access were identified at household level which regrouped into three at village level based