Conservation of indigenous livestock
Practical Action
Sheep
The red Maasai and the Somali Sheep (otherwise called fat tailed black head) are the main
sheep breeds.
Chicken
Chickens are the most varied of all among local livestock. They are kept mostly for dual
purpose. Of interest are the featherless – necked chicken found among the Luhyas of Western
Kenya.
Camels
Turkana, Somali, Rendille and Samburu communities keep camels in Kenya. Camel breeds in
Kenya are therefore classified according to these communities. The Somali community
however, recognizes three different types of camels namely; Horr, Sifdarh and Gelab. These
different types of camels have different characteristics and are used for different purposes.
Breeding practices by local communities in Kenya
a) Natural selection
Pastoralists usually operate under comparatively harsh environmental conditions, which are
beyond their managerial control. Hence their livestock population depends on the process of
natural selection to a larger extent than is the case for other animal production systems in
more favourable environments. Natural selection means that those animals unable to cope
with environmental conditions (stress, disease challenge, drought etc) will contract disease or
die and hence not produce. If the process of natural selection leaves more animals behind
than are necessary to satisfy the household’s need, pastoralists can start applying their own –
artificial – selection in order to actively influence the occurrence or frequency of certain
desired animal features or traits in their herds.
b) Artificial Selection criteria
The criteria for artificial selection i.e. breeding-stock selection includes:
1. Body Configuration. Some cattle owners select cattle based on the type and shape of
their horns and their conformation.
2. Goat Colour- The Somali prefer bright colour animals because they are prestigious,
easy to market and are beautiful. The Maasai prefer spotted animals for dowry and a
uniformly coloured animal for sacrifices. Among the Borana and Somali Communities,
a brown coloured head in a Galla goat is thought to indicate good milking
characteristics. This has become evident after years of breeding.
3. Production – animals which produce milk for a longer period even during drought
conditions, have fast growth rate, optimum size, and a high fecundity (especially
twinning rate in goats) are preferred.
4. Adaptability – The nomadic lifestyles indicate that animals have to be very adaptable
to their environments. The water intake should be fairly low to allow survival during
drought conditions. The animal should not be overweight because of long walking
distances. Nutritional adaptation is also a prerequisite for survival because of the type
of forage available. Animals that put on weight fast after drought and do not lose
weight quickly during drought are selected for breeding. A bull that moves ahead of
the rest of the herd during long treks for pastures is usually preferred as a breeding
bull. Among the Somalis, the bull that moves fastest when the herd is approaching the
water point is usually deselected because this indicates that the bull has a high water
requirement or is less resistant to drought situations. Animals that are vulnerable to
diseases such as TB are not used for breeding.
5. Demeanour –The aggressiveness or docility of the animal is a very important criterion
depending on the situation. Where there is a need to train animals especially for draft
power and to ensure proper mothering abilities, docility is selected for. On the other
hand, the Luhyas community of western Kenya who use livestock in annual sports
events, select bulls for their aggressiveness against each other.
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