4.3 Results
4.3.4 Feed calendar development
During the group discussion, farmers participated in feed calendar development.
Preferences of farmers for different forages in the Bugesera district were differentiated according to season. In the wet season Napier grass, native grass (road side grasses), sweet potato vines, Tripsacum spp. and bean peelings were the feed resources mostly used, while in the dry season banana stems, Napier, leaves of cabbage and branches of trees like Ficus spp. and Albizia amygdalina were used (Table 4.4). Other forage types such as Setaria spp. and Mucuna pruriens var. Utilis were only used by large-scale dairy farmers because of their higher requirements in agronomic management and their seeds were not available to smallholder farmers.
The crop residues, which were used to feed animals in the area, their availability and quantity, depended on harvest period and the climatic conditions during the cropping season. Maize stover and bean peelings were examples of crop residues that were available from December to January and in June. In the Bugesera district, there were two cropping seasons per year. Quantity of crop residues was related to rainfall quantity and distribution in the previous wet months (September, October and November). The percentage of feed supplies in the Bugesera district show that during the rainy season a wide range of forage options is available, with emphasis on Napier grass, sweet potato vines and road side grasses. However, in the dry season feed resources became scarce sometimes leading to death of cattle. Forage options used by farmers in the Bugesera district (Table 4.5) indicate that in the wet season, all farmers used Napier grass and roadside grass whereas the use of these is reduced up to seventy percent and sixty percent respectively during the dry season. Albizia amygdalina and banana stems are not available during the rainy season but become important (eighty percent of use) during the dry season. Farmers lack the knowledge on how to store forage in the form of silage or hay. However, in addition to the above major forage options, many other feed resources options were used in the Bugesera district (Table 4.5).
Table 4. 4 Seasonal feed calendar in the Bugesera district
Forage resources feed
availability
Season Month A B C D E F G H I J K L M
Dry Jan 5 1 2 1 1 x
Dry Feb 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 x
Wet Mar 5 3 1 1 xxx
Wet Apr 6 3 1 xxx
Wet May 6 2 1 1 xxx
Dry June 5 1 1 1 1 1 x
Dry July 2 2 1 1 1 3 x
Dry Aug 1 2 1 1 1 1 3 x
Dry Sept 1 1 2 1 1 1 3 x
Wet Oct 5 2 1 1 1 xxx
Wet Nov 6 2 1 1 xxx
Wet Dec 6 2 1 1 xxx
Legends:
A = Napier grass; B = sweet potato vines; C = Road side grasses; D= Setaria spp.; E= Tripsacum spp.; F= Ficus spp.; G= Albizia amygdalina; H=Maize stover; I=Bean peelings; J= Cabbage leaves; K= Sweet potatoes; L= Mucuna pruriens; M=Banana stems
Numbers 1 to 10 in rows refer to the relative contribution of forage resource to the animal diet.
xxx= means feed resources are available and fed ad libitum; x= means feed resources are limited.
Table 4. 5 Matrix scoring of feed availability by farmers in the Bugesera district
The feed calendar development also showed the use of a wide range of feedstuffs in the Nyamagabe district (Table 4.6) due to lower availability of feed. Twenty-one forage options were identified compared to thirteen in Bugesera. Contrary to Bugesera, in the Nyamagabe district Commelina benghalensis was the feed resource available throughout the year, indicating the scarcity of grasses for ruminants in the area. Napier grass, maize stover, Panicum spp., Albizia amygdalina and sweet potato were the other main feed resources used by farmers in combination with crop by-products. In addition, because of steep slopes in the area many trees and shrubs were planted on contour bunds of terraces to reduce the speed of water runoff and to protect soil from erosion. These trees also contributed to the diet of the animals especially ruminants.
Feeding system Wet season (%) Dry season (%)
Napier grass 100 70
Sweet potato vines 85 40
Native grass 100 60
Setaria 35 5
Tripsacum 30 10
Ficus spp. 5 45
Albizia amygdalina 0 35
Maize stover 35 0
Bean peelings 70 0
Leaves of cabbage 5 5
Sweet potatoes 20 15
Mucuna pruriens cv. Utilis 15 15
Banana stems 0 80
The seasonal utilisation of the wide range of forage species in the Nyamagabe district (Table 4.7) indicated that in contrast to Bugesera, there was no particular forage option, which was used by all farmers. During the wet season Napier grass, Tripsacum, Panicum, cooked banana peelings, roadside grasses (native grass), banana stems, Ficus spp., Albizia amygdalina, Calliandra spp. and Commelina benghalensis was each utilised at 50% by farmers. Among these, some were used in the dry season at the same rate as in the wet season (e.g. cooked banana peelings, Calliandra calothyrsus, Commelina benghalensis, banana stems and Ficus spp.) whereas bean peelings were mostly used in the dry season.
Table 4. 6 Seasonal feed calendar in the Nyamagabe district
Legends:
A = Napier grass; B = Tripsacum spp.; C = Panicum spp.; D= Cooked banana peelings; E= Rice bran; F= Rice straw; G= Maize stover; H= Sweet potato vines;
I= Mucuna pruriens; J= Road side grasses; K= Banana stems; L= Ficus spp.; M= Albizia amygdalina; N= Commelina benghalensis; O= Suckers of sorghum;
P= Bean peelings; Q= Leucaena spp.; R= Calliandra spp.; S= Banana peelings; T= Sorghum beer residues; U= Banana beer residues
Numbers 1 to 10 in rows refer to the relative contribution of forage resource to the animal diet. xxx= means feed resources are available and fed ad libitum;
x= means feed resources are limited.
Forage resources feed
availability
Season Month A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U
Dry Jan 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 x
Dry Feb 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 x
Wet Mar 4 1 2 1 1 1 xxx
Wet Apr 4 1 2 1 1 1 xxx
Wet May 3 1 2 1 2 1 xxx
Dry June 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 x
Dry July 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 x
Dry Aug 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 x
Wet Sept 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 x
Wet Oct 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 xxx
Wet Nov 3 1 2 1 1 1 1 xxx
Wet Dec 3 1 2 1 1 1 1 xxx
Table 4. 7 Typical matrix scoring of feed sources by farmer in the Nyamagabe district
In contrast to Bugesera, in the low soil fertility environment of Nyamagabe a wider range of forage was used in the wet season while crop residues and some fodder trees were used throughout the year.
Feeding system Wet season (%) Dry season (%)
Napier grass 50 25
Tripsacum 50 0
Panicum 50 15
Cooked banana peelings 50 50
Rice bran 15 15
Rice straw 15 15
Maize stover 15 25
Sweet potato vines 20 35
Mucuna pruriens 10 0
Native grass 50 0
Banana stems 50 50
Ficus spp. 50 50
Albizia amygdalina 50 45
Commelina benghalensis 50 50
Suckers of sorghum 0 25
Bean peelings 0 50
Leucaena spp. 35 35
Calliandra spp. 50 50
Banana peelings 25 25
Sorghum beer residues 20 20
Banana beer residues 15 15
4.4 Discussion