Cattle husbandry practices management adopted by dairy farmers in Eastern semi-arid region of Algeria: A study of Setif Area

Milk occupies a prominent place in the food ration of the Algerian population (Mouhous et al., 2012). The “milk and dairy” group ranks second among imported food products in Algeria (Makhlouf et al., 2015). Algeria is the first consumer of milk in the Maghreb, that is to say nearly 140 l / inhabitant of which 80 liters are derived from the importation (Benidir et al., 2014). Consumption has increased by 81% since 2000 (ITELV, 2012).
 
The semi-arid zone of Setif has been characterized by pastoral breeding and cultivation of cereals for centuries. However, under the combined effect of climate change and the policies implemented by the government since independence, the cereal-ovine system has changed its face and taken the mixed crops-livestock form. Farms have evolved towards the introduction of cash crops and the replacement of sheep by dairy cattle that have migrated from the wetland to the high semi-arid cereal plains. Currently, cattle farming are strongly established in this region, whose cattle number has increased from 95138 head in 2000 to 128574 head in 2012.
 
Since then, the wilaya of Setif has been designated as a dairy cluster in Algeria with an estimated cattle population of 128574, of which 72966 dairy cows, and a milk production close to 250 million liters per year (DSA, 2012), but the productivity of livestock remains low.
 
Given 80% of cattle population is composed by exotic/crossed breeds (Holstein and Montbéliard) with high genetic potential which express higher variations between climatic zones. Characterizing the husbandry practices adopted by dairy farmers is a key element to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the rearing systems and to propose suitable intervention policies. Among the various factors that influence the production of the dairy herd, there is feeding, given its place in total farm costs.
 
In this context, the aim of this work is to characterize the structure and husbandry practices followed by dairy cattle farmers in a semi-arid region characterized by low fodder potential, to analyze the practices of farmers in the management of dairy herds.

Location of the study area
 
The wilaya of Sétif is located in the high cereal plains of North-Eastern part of Algeria between 36° 11' 29 N of latitude and 5° 24' 34 E of longitude. Its total area is 6504 km² or 0.27% of the national territory. Its altitude varies between 900 and 2000 m. There is one perennial river (Oued Boussellem) and ground water table is very deep. The average rainfall is about 400 mm but with very high year to year variations. The climate of the region is semi-arid; it is subdivided into three climate zones according to the aridity gradient: northern semi-arid zone (NSZ), central semi-arid zone (CSZ), southern semi-arid zone (SSZ). The mean summer and winter temperatures are 40ºC and 4ºC, respectively.
 
Sampling
 
The present study was conducted in eastern semi-arid region of Algeria. Livestock and cereal crops are the main source of livelihood in the region. Three districts belonging to the northern semi-arid zone (NSZ) (Ain Roua, Bougaa, Ain Abessa), three districts to central semi-arid zone (CSZ) (Ain Arnet, Eleulma, Bazar Sakhra) and three districts to southern semi-arid zone (Ain azel, Ain oulmene, and Guellel) were selected for the present study. Thus, total 9 districts were selected. A list of farmers who were practicing dairy cattle farming was prepared from previous surveys. To ensure that the selected respondents truly represented cattle husbandry practices prevailing in the study area, farmers were grouped as follows: i) those who were having up to 5 head, ii) 5–10 head and iii) more than 10 head.
 
From each group, farmers were selected proportionately, however, a total of 7 dairy farmers were selected from each district representing each category of farmers. Thus, total 63 dairy farmers were selected to conduct this study.
 
The data were collected by personal interview techniques through using a well-structured interview schedule.
 
Information collected concern feeding and breeding management practices adopted by dairy cattle farmers, feeding system and method, available feed and fodder, concentrate, salt lick are included in interview with respondents.
 
Breeding practices regarding methods and symptoms of heat detection, age at which heifers were allowed for service, age at first calving, method of breeding, adoption of pregnancy diagnosis, duration of next breeding, calving interval, etc.
 
Data analysis
 
The collected data were subjected to basic statistical analysis using SPSS software (version 19) to draw meaningful conclusions from the study.

Description of dairy farmers surveyed
 
The results of the survey revealed that the majority of farmers (68.85%) rely on family labor, 31.15 per cent use wage labor. This has a direct impact on the management of the holding from which the livestock farming management (Chia et al., 2006, Dufumier 2006). The boss (head of the family) relies on the family members to carry out the different tasks of livestock farming. The wage labor is usually seasonal.
 
Concerning seniority in the livestock farming activity, 65 per cent of the farmers have been practicing this activity for more than 11 years. There are also five new farmers that have been rearing cattle for less than one year.
 
As for the age group, operators aged between 21 and 35 represent the highest proportion (74.6%) and 21.1 per cent of the population aged between 36 and 50 years. On the other hand, chiefs over the age of 51 represent only 4.3 per cent.
 
For the level of education, of the 63 farmers surveyed, 30.2 per cent of the farmers have a secondary education level and 25.4 per cent middle school against 19 per cent primary and 15.9 per cent of illiterate, whereas the university level is 9.5 per cent with higher education. This implies that cattle’s rearing is practiced by all categories of livestock keepers irrespective of their level of education.
 
While the farmers’ distribution of livestock training shows that the majority of farmers with no training are around 73 per cent of the breeders compared to 20 per cent who have undergone skilled training, 4.8 per cent are technicians and only 2.2 per cent are of engineers (Table 1).
 

 
The study revealed that dairy farming is the most dominant in 78 per cent of the farmers surveyed, whereas the mixed type (milk-meat) is practiced by 22 per cent of the farmers.
 
Of the breeders surveyed, 8 per cent reared other animal species such as sheep and goat. While only, 2 breeders who practice poultry farming.
 
Feeding management practices
 
Among the various factors that influence the production of the dairy herd, if is feeding, given its place in total farm costs.Feeding management plays a very significant role in exploiting the real potential of dairy animals (Sinha et al., 2009).
 
The results related to the feeding management practices are reported in the Table 2 and Fig 1.
 

 

 
The results revealed that free stall housing is the mode most practiced by the majority of farmers surveyed (59.01%) versus 40.99 per cent are practicing the stanchion stable system. The farmers of the CSZ and NSZ, particularly those living in the borders of the Boussellem valley, an area favorable to milk production, are allowed for grazing on own grassland throughout the year.
 
Twenty farmers have natural grasslands (31.74%). While 22.22 per cent of the farmers leave part of their Useable Agricultural Area (UAA) in fallow for feeding their livestock. While Molefi et al., (2017) reported that 100 per cent of farmers freely grazed their beef cattle on the mountainside and over 93.5 per cent of farmers used veld as a source of feed in communal areas of Mpumalanga Province of South Africa.
 
This finding was observed by Abbas and Abdelguerfi (2005) who reported that fallow is highly integrated in the livestock feeding system, which indicate the low level of integration of fodder crops in the semi-arid region.
 
 
30.16 per cent of farmers fed their animals oats; a species well controlled by the breeders of the region, green barley (17.46%), Sorghum (20.63%) and lucerne by only 20 farmers. The reconversion of cereal plots into grazing during the dry years; particularly in the southern semi-arid zone is a common practice where farmers had not irrigation facilities. These Findings agree with those of Benniou and Aubry (2009).
 
The study also indicated that during the winter period, all farmers fed theirs animals straw from October to February. On the other hand, in summer, herds are grazing cereal stubbles.
 
The majority of respondents (90.16%) fed readymade concentrate mixture to their animals followed by mixture of home prepared (9.84%). Concentrate mixture was offered to the cows twice in a day (in the morning and in the evening). In addition, it was observed that the totality of farmers fed concentrates during milking.
 
The concentrate is fed throughout the year with variations according to the season and the physiological stage of the animal. The present finding was in agreement with Madani et al., (2004). This practice showed the awareness of farmers about the nutritional requirements of pregnant and lactating cows.
 
Farmers were feeding concentrate to their animals on the basis of their milk production. The majority of farmers (84.62%) fed 2–7 kg concentrate to the lactating cow/ day while the rest of farmers fed 10-12 kg of concentrate (15.38%). This finding indicate that the farmers are unaware on the consequences of the high level of concentrate in the diet such as the digestive and metabolic diseases hence the diminution of the milk production.
 
93.44 per cent of farmers followed to feed cow milk for young calves and 6.56 per cent fed them with artificial milk.
 
42.62 per cent of respondents regularly offered salt lick to their milch cows to stimulate their appetite. But Rathore et al., (2010) and Sabapara et al., (2010) reported that in India, farmers supplemented in cattle feeding common salt not lick salt. 91.50 per cent of farmers provided water to their animals ad lib. This finding is in conformity with Khadda et al., (2017) for the semi-arid region of India.
 
Breeding management practices
 
The study revealed that the cattle farmers did not make a judicious use of the heat detection. But they are satisfied only with the observation of behavioral signs of estrus. Among the behavioral signs of estrus, all farmers believed on mucus discharge and mounting as the symptoms of heat. The majority of farmers (82.54%) said that they observed their heifers in heat at 16 months of age followed by 14 months (14.28) and 18 months by only 2 farmers.
 

 
60 per cent of farmers breed their heifers according to their live weight but 40 per cent breed them according to their age. Artificial insemination is used by 19.67 per cent of farmers surveyed; the majority uses the natural service for breeding their animals. The low level of the use of artificial insemination is due to the absence of Skilled AI workers. It should also be noted that the majority of farmers are reluctant of the AI for religious reasons. Pregnancy diagnosis is followed by all surveyed farmers but it was done by a qualified veterinarian. The majority of farmers breed their heifers at 20 months of age (93.6%) and the age at first calving is about 29 months in 93 per cent and about 36 months for the rest of farmers, the average age at first service conception is 20 months for 93 per cent followed by 17 months and 22 months for 3.5 per cent and 3.5 per cent of farmers respectively. Calving interval was 12 months for all farmers surveyed. This finding was lower than those observed by Kouache-Adjlane et al., (2016) for the eastern region of Algeria and Bouamara et al., (2016) and Ghozlane et al., (2003) for the central region of Algeria.
 
The majority of cattle farmers (96.82%) are calf producers-fatteners. The fattened calves and culled cows are main categories of cattle made in market for slaughtering. This is an additional source of income because of the free market price of meat. On the other hand, heifers are meant for the replacement of the herd to become future dairy cows.

The study showed that the majority of dairy farmers in the study area are small holders.
 
Our results revealed that the majority of farmers were found to be unaware about the scientific practices management of cattle especially feeding green fodder to milch cows.