Abstract
Herd dynamics of indigenous pigs were determined in a semi-arid farming area of Chirumanzu, Zimbabwe. Thirty-two pig herds were monitored once every month for 12 months. Consequently, pig production potential (PPP) and pig production efficiency (PPE) were computed for each month. Incidences of farrowing were higher in times of pig confinement (57%) than in times when the pigs were free ranging (43%). About 23% of the farmers interviewed had access to irrigation. The mean pig herd size per household was 3.3. The average litter size per farrowing was 7.7. Pigs were free ranging for most of the year and penned during the rainy season. Herd sizes changed with month (P < 0.05). Farmers who had access to irrigation had higher (P < 0.05) herd sizes, number of piglets and the number of adult pigs. Highest piglet numbers were observed during the rainy months. The number of mature pigs contributing to pig production efficiency was low. Piglet mortality was the major cause of exits from the herd and was higher in farmers with no access to irrigation facility (P < 0.05). The PPP was highest in farmers who had access to irrigation (P < 0.05), except in June and July. The PPE was low and not affected by either month, village or access to irrigation (P > 0.05). It can be concluded that pig production efficiencies were low and intervention strategies to improve them need to be developed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amanor, K.S., 1995. Dynamics of herd structures and herding strategies in West Africa: A study of market integration and ecological adaptation. Journal of the International African Institute, 65 (3): 351–394.
Anderson, S., 2003. Animal genetic resources and sustainable livelihoods. Ecological Economics, 45: 331–339.
Central Statistics Office (CSO), 2004. Digest of Statistics. Zimbabwe Government. (Ministry of Finance, Economic, Planning and Development, Harare, Zimbabwe).
Chimonyo, M. and Dzama, K., 2007. Estimation of genetic parameters for growth performance and carcass traits in Mukota pigs. Animal, 1: 317–323.
Chimonyo, M., Dzama, K. and Bhebhe, E., 2006. Genetic determination of individual birth weight, litter weight and litter size in Mukota pigs. Livestock Science, 105: 69–77.
Chimonyo, M., Dzama, K. and Bhebhe, E., 2007. Genetic determination of mothering ability and piglet growth in indigenous Mukota sows of Zimbabwe. Livestock Science (In Press), DOI 10.1016/j.livsci.2007.02.014.
Drucker, A.G. and Anderson, S., 2004. Economic analysis of animal genetic resources and the use of rural appraisal methods: lessons from southeast Mexico. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, 2: 77–97.
Drucker, A. and Scarpa, R., 2003. Valuing animal genetic resources. Ecological Economics, 45: 315–317.
Ellis, M., Easter, R.A. and Wolter, B., 1997. The current status and future productivity improvements in swine. Prepared for Illinois world food and sustainable agriculture program conference “meeting the demand for food in the 21st century: challenges and opportunities for Illinois agriculture”, May 28 1997.
Friendship, R.M., Wilson, M.R., Almond, G.W., McMillan, I., Hacter, R.R., Pieper, R. and Swaminathan, S.S., 1986. Sow wastage: Reasons for and effect on productivity. Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research, 50: 205–208.
Gollin, D. and Evenson, R., 2003. Valuing animal genetic resources: lessons from plant genetic resources. Ecological Economics, 43: 353–363.
Hall, S.J.G., 1992. Conservation of livestock breeds. In: proceedings of the research planning workshop held at the International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 19–21 February 1992.
Hall, S.J.G., 1998. Traditional livestock in semi-arid north-eastern Zimbabwe: Mashona cattle. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 30: 351–360.
Holness, D.H., 1991. Breeds and breed improvement. In: The Tropical Agriculturalist: Pigs. J. Smith (Ed.) Second Edition, Tropical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation. (Macmillian Education Ltd Publishers, Wageningen, Netherlands).
Holness, D., Patterson, R. and Ogle, B., 2005. Pigs. In: Livestock and Wealth Creation: Improving the husbandry of animals kept by resource-poor people in developing countries. E. Owen, A. Kitalyi, N. Jayasuriya and T. Smith, (Ed). (Nottingham University Press, Hampshire, England.) Pages 343–360.
Kanengoni, A.T., Dzama, K., Chimonyo, M., Kusina, J. and Maswaure, S.M., 2002. Influence of level of maize cob inclusion on nutrient digestibility and nitrogen balance in the Large White, Mukota and F1 crossbred pigs. Animal Science, 74: 127–134.
Kanengoni, A.T., Dzama, K., Chimonyo, M., Kusina, J. and Maswaure, S.M., 2004. Growth performance and carcass traits of Large White, Mukota and Large White × Mukota F1 crosses given graded levels of maize cob meal. Animal Science, 78: 61–66.
Kanis, E., De Greef, K.H., Hiemstra, A. and van Arendonk, J.A.M., 2005. Breeding for societally important traits in pigs. Journal of Animal Science, 83: 948–957.
Kyriazakis, I. and Whittemore, C.T., 2006. Whittemore’s science and practice of pig production. Third Edition, Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Mashatise, E., Hamudikuwanda, H., Dzama, K., Chimonyo, M. and Kanengoni, A., 2005. Socio-economic roles, traditional management systems and reproductive patterns of Mukota pigs in semi-arid north-eastern Zimbabwe. Bunda Journal of Agriculture, Environmental Science and Technology, 3: 97–105.
Mhlanga, F.N., 2002. Community-based management of animal genetic resources: A participatory approaches framework. (Department of Animal Science, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe).
Motsi, P, Sakuhuni, C., Halimani, T.E., Bhebhe, E., Ndiweni, P.N.B. and Chimonyo, M., 2006. Influence of parity, birth order, litter size and birth weight on duration of farrowing and birth intervals in commercial exotic sows in Zimbabwe. Animal Science, 82: 569–574.
Muchadeyi, F.C., Sibanda, S., Kusina, N.T., Kusina, J. and Makuza, S.M., 2005. Village chicken flock dynamics and the contribution of chickens to household livelihoods in a smallholder farming area in Zimbabwe. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 37: 333–344.
Ncube, M., Dzama, K., Chimonyo, M., Kanengoni, A. and Hamudikuwanda, H., 2003. Effect of boar genotype on reproductive performance of the local sows of Zimbabwe. Livestock Research for Rural Development, 15 (Number 2, February): http://www.cipav.org.co/lrrd/lrrd15/2ncub152.htm.
Ndindana, W., Dzama, K., Ndiweni, P.N.B., Maswaure, S.M. and Chimonyo, M., 2002. Digestibility of high fibre diets and performance of growing Zimbabwean indigenous Mukota pigs and exotic Large White pigs fed maize based diets with graded levels of maize cobs. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 97: 199–208.
Scoones, I., 1992. The economic value of livestock in a communal area in Southern Zimbabwe. Agricultural Systems, 39: 339–350.
Statistical Analysis Systems, 2003. Statistical analysis system user’s guide (5th Edition), Version 6, (SAS Institute Inc., Raleigh, North Carolina, USA).
Zanga, J., Chimonyo, M., Kanengoni, A., Dzama, K. and Mukaratirwa, S., 2003. A comparison of the susceptibility of growing Mukota and Large White pig genotypes to infection with Ascaris suum. Veterinary Research Communications, 27: 653–660.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chiduwa, G., Chimonyo, M., Halimani, T.E. et al. Herd dynamics and contribution of indigenous pigs to the livelihoods of rural farmers in a semi-arid area of Zimbabwe. Trop Anim Health Prod 40, 125–136 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-007-9071-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-007-9071-8