Livestock selection should ensure sustainable farm productivity

Livestock selection is not an independent practice and should be driven by production objectives and targets.

However, the ultimate choice should not compromise the animal’s potential, the environment, or management abilities, but ensure sustainable farm productivity.

This is according to Agribank’s technical advisor for livestock and rangeland, Erastus Ngaruka.

He says that the objectives of livestock farming enterprises are aimed at increasing and sustaining production, both of which exert pressure on an animal’s physiological abilities to perform.

These performance aspects include reproduction, health, feed conversion, and general adaptability, amongst others.

Ngaruka says that farm productivity depends on the environment, the animals, and the applied management regime.

“When these factors are separated at any time, the animal’s productive potential may noticeably be compromised to some degree.”

The role of each of these factors are highlighted below.

The animal factor:

Ngaruka says that there are various livestock breeds with different structural and physiological abilities, which in turn influence their performance in any given environment.

"The productive ability of the animal is primarily influenced by its genetic makeup or overall by its breed type."

The different breeds differ in their abilities to adapt to the environment, feed conversion, and disease resistance, amongst others. In addition, personal preferences and management abilities also influence the breed of choice.

According to Ngaruka, genetic-environmental interaction is the primary driver of performance.

For example, different sheep breeds, such as the Damara and the Dorper, carry different genetic attributes related to adaptability or weight gain that can be used as measures of performance given the production objectives and the environment.

The environmental factor:

The production environment has a significant influence on the animal’s performance, Ngaruka says.

"This is primarily attributed to the climatic conditions, such as temperature and rainfall, the landscape or topographic features, such as mountains and plains; and lastly, the availability or quality of the resources, such as forage and water."

The animal’s performance and survival are dependent on its ability to withstand or adapt to changes in environmental conditions.

However, he says that animals that are native to the environment perform well compared to non-native animals.

"Moreover, adaptability is on both spatial and temporal scales."

As a result of genetic-environmental interaction, an animal may adjust to or adapt to a new environment when exposed to it over time due to its genetics being influenced to express adaptive traits.

It is also common that the productive potential of non-native animals is compromised, or, in extreme cases, they succumb to harsh environmental conditions.

The management factor:

A livestock management plan should be based on production objectives and set targets. Thus, to achieve them, specific activities are expected to be performed.

The management regime should aim to harmonise the interaction of the animal’s genetics with its environment to ensure that the production objectives and targets are achieved.

Ngaruka says that this includes practices such as health maintenance, feed and water provision, and general animal welfare to ensure that the animal performs optimally.

Farming objectives are also influenced by the market, which leads to the introduction of animal breeds that would meet specific market demands, which in turn exerts pressure on the animal and the environment.

For example, the demand for heavier slaughter or carcass weights will demand animal breeds with such characteristics (large-framed breeds), which in turn will demand heavy feeding to maintain their production potential.

"On that, the environment or the grazing area is put under pressure to sustain heavy breeds as compared to lighter breeds, such as Limousine versus Nguni cattle."