Tropicultura (Jan 2005)
Dry Season Effect on Live Weight and some Body Dimensions of Working Donkeys in the Sudano-sahel Region of Cameroon
Abstract
Live weight (LW), heart girth (HG), trunk length (TL), body length (BL) and height-at-withers (HW) of 135 working donkeys, aged between two and 15 years, were monitored during the dry season of 1996 and 1997. This was to determine period(s) of the dry season when feed supplementation and/or health care should be reinforced in preparation of high work demands during the rainy season. Variations in LW, HG, TL, BL, HW, HG:HW and TL:HW from start of the dry season to the start of the rainy season were highly significant (P< 0.001). Correlations between live weight and the other measures were positive and highly significant (P< 0.0001). Males showed weight gains between start of the cold-dry-season (CDS) and start of the hot-dryseason (HDS). Weight gains in castrates were between start of the CDS and end of the HDS (April). Female donkeys maintained weight gains through out the dry season. Consequently, supplementation of castrates and males at the beginning (January) and end (April) of the HDS as to reinforce and maintain significant weight gains for maximize draught energy potential for rainy season work demands, is necessary. Where the female donkey express weight gain but poor bodied there will be need for supplementation in order to booster and enhance endurance. Also, estimates of HG, TL, BL, HW, HG:HW and TL:HW may be useful indicators for the selection of working donkeys as to optimize draft capacity and endurance for rainy season work demands.
