Livestock Research for Rural Development 19 (1) 2007
Study on management practices and work-associated health problems of draught oxen around Debreberhan, Central Ethiopia B Urga and T Abayneh* Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 34, Debre-zeit, Ethiopia *current address: Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Olav M. Troviks Vei 46, H0102, 0864, Oslo, Norway
[email protected]
Abstract A study was carried out in Werana and Basso districts of North Shewa zone around Debereberhan town, Central Ethiopia to assess the management practices and work-associated health problems of draught oxen through a questionnaire survey and clinical examination of oxen coming to Debereberhan veterinary clinic. The survey indicated uneven oxen distribution among households with the average being 1.35 oxen per household, which is quite lower than a pair normally required for tillage work. Owing to the shortage of oxen, about 23% of the farmers were engaged in different forms of draught oxen sharing arrangements. The average training age and service life of oxen were found to be 2.8 and 13.8 years, respectively. Average daily work duration and area ploughed were 7.6 hours and 0.38 hectares per a pair of oxen, respectively with a peak work duration of 3.75 months per year indicating seasonal pattern of oxen utilization. On average, a household possesses 2.3 hectares of land of which only 17% was left for pasture, the majority of the remaining land being used for crop production. Of a total of 402 households surveyed, 79 (19.7%) of them responded that their oxen were suffering from one or more of health problems associated with work. Of a total of 543 draught oxen included in this study (both in survey and clinical examination), 84 (15.5%) were found to be suffering from work-associated health problems with major problems observed in their order of importance being injuries of the hump, hoof, leg and whip lashes. Significant difference (X2= 16.16, P6-8 10 12 No 38 196 126 11 371 Yes 3 10 13 5 31 Total 41 206 139 16 402 (X2=15.42; DF=3; p
