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ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND SMALL-SCALE LIVESTOCK PROJECTS By: "Linda Jacobs, Tsaile, Arizona" Original Document About the Author Please Help Rate This Article 5 = Extremely Useful 4 = Very Useful 3 = Somewhat Useful 2 = Okay but not enough 1 = Not At All Useful Rated 3.7 by 11 responses.

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Table Of Contents Preface Chapter I - A Development Philosophy A DIFFERENT APPROACH WHAT IS A SMALL-SCALE LIVESTOCK PROJECT? ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND LIVESTOCK PROJECTS Chapter II - IMPORTANCE OF ECOLOGY IN LIVESTOCK-PROJECT PLANNING ECOLOGY DEFINED Ecosystems Ecological Balance The Web of Life BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY CARRYING CAPACITY COMPETITION AMONG ANIMALS FOOD QUANTITY AND QUALITY VALUE OF ANIMALS IN A FARMING SYSTEM MANAGEMENT BY ISOLATION FROM THE ENVIRONMENT THE ENVIRONMENT AND LOCAL CULTURE TRENDS IN LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT Chapter III - BEGINNING THE PLANNING PROCESS THE FIRST STEP ... INFORMATION GATHERING COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION ENVIRONMENTAL AND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Environmental Guidelines Community Guidelines PLANNING QUESTIONS Chapter IV - LIVESTOCK CHARACTERISTICS: BACKGROUND FOR PLANNING APPROPRIATE LIVESTOCK FOR FARMING SYSTEMS Large Animals Versus Small Animals Browsers and Grazers SOME COMMON LIVESTOCK AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS Cattle Water Buffalo Horses, Mules, and Donkeys Sheep Goats Camels, Alpacas, and Llamas Pigs Poultry Rabbits and Guinea Pigs CHOOSING LIVESTOCK THAT FIT THE ENVIRONMENT INTRODUCTION OF NEW BREEDS OR SPECIES PLANNING QUESTIONS Chapter V - THE SOIL AND NUTRIENT CYCLES THE CARBON CYCLE THE WATER CYCLE THE NITROGEN CYCLE SOIL STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION ANIMAL FEED REQUIREMENTS FEED MANAGEMENT KINDS OF FEED AND FORAGE FEED CONTAMINATION PASTURE AND RANGE MANAGEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINES PLANNING QUESTIONS Chapter VI - MANAGEMENT OF WASTES AND NUTRIENTS COMPOSITION OF MANURE BEDDING RECYCLING NUTRIENTS MANURE AS A POLLUTANT MANURE STORAGE COMPOSTING MANURE MIXED IN WATER BIOGAS DIGESTERS PLANNING QUESTIONS Chapter VII - HEALTH AND HUSBANDRY CAUSES OF DISEASE DISEASE RESISTANCE METHODS OF CONTROL Quarantine and Sanitation Vaccination Medication Environmental Modification THE BREEDING PROGRAM Fertility Breeding Season Selection of Stock ANIMAL CARE AND LOCAL CULTURES PLANNING QUESTIONS Chapter VIII - AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER LEVELS OF INTEGRATION WILD ANIMALS IN THE FARMING SYSTEM AGROFORESTRY AQUACULTURE GUIDELINES FOR INTEGRATION PLANNING QUESTIONS Chapter IX - MAKING THE PLAN WORK IDENTIFICATION OF PROJECT OBJECTIVES DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVE DESIGNS IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECT Training Programs Funding MONITORING THE PROJECT PROJECT EVALUATION FINAL CONSIDERATIONS APPENDICES A. ECOLOGICAL MINI-GUIDELINES FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS B. SERVICES AVAILABLE FROM HEIFER PROJECT INTERNATIONAL AND WINROCK INTERNATIONAL C. BIBLIOGRAPHY D. ADDRESSES FOR REFERENCES ABOUT CODEL Coordination in Development (CODEL) is a private, not-for-profit consortium of 43 development agencies working in developing countries. CODEL funds community development activities that are locally initiated and ecumenically implemented. These activities include agriculture, water, forestry health, appropriate technology, and training projects. The Environment and Development Program of CODEL serves the private and voluntary development community by providing workshops, information, and materials designed to document the urgency, feasibility, and potential of an approach to small-scale development that stresses the interdependence of human and natural resources. This manual is one of several materials developed under the Program to assist development workers in taking the physical environment into account during project planning, implementation, and evaluation. For more information, contact CODEL Environment and Development Program at 475 Riverside Drive, Room 1842, New York, New York 10115 USA. ABOUT VITA Volunteers in Technical Assistance (VITA) is a private non-profit international development organization. It makes available to individuals and groups in developing countries a variety of information and technical resources aimed at fostering self-sufficiency: needs assessment and program development support; by-mail and on-site consulting services; information systems training; and management of field projects. VITA promotes the use of appropriate small-scale technologies, especially in the area of renewable energy. VITA's extensive documentation center and worldwide roster of volunteer technical experts enable it to respond to thousands of technical inquiries each year. It also publishes a quarterly newsletter and a variety of technical manuals and bulletins. For more information, contact VITA at 1600 Wilson Blvd., Suite 500, Arlington, Virginia 22209 USA. ABOUT WINROCK INTERNATIONAL Winrock International Institute for Agricultural Development is a private, nonprofit institution founded to help alleviate human hunger and poverty through agricultural development. In partnership with private voluntary organizations, governments, aid agencies, agricultural research centers, and others, Winrock assists people and nations to increase food production and income opportunities. The institute provides both short- and long-term technical assistance to improve farmers, productivity and to strengthen the research and extension systems that support agriculture. Winrock emphasizes human resource development by supporting developing country students in degree training; sponsoring training programs for farmers and people who work with farmers; and producing training and informational materials. Winrock works in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the United States. For more information, contact Winrock International at Route 3, Morrilton, AR 72110 USA. ABOUT HEIFER PROJECT INTERNATIONAL Heifer Project International is a nonprofit organization founded in 1944 and is supported by donations of individuals, churches, and grants from corporations and governments. HPI has provided assistance to people in more than 100 countries. The purpose of Heifer Project International is to assist small farmers to achieve a better living through more efficient use of human and natural resources. The method is to introduce good quality livestock and to demonstrate and teach proper management. HPI provides funding, livestock, and materials for livestock development projects. It also provides technical expertise and training, publishes a newsletter on appropriate practical livestock technology and distributes practical educational materials. HPI assistance is provided without regard to race, creed, or political origin, and in a manner which requires the recipient to share the increase usual]y by passing on the first female offspring to other families. Projects are designed so as to be self-supporting and perpetuating. To accomplish this, plans and agreements are made with indigenous organizations. GUIDELINES FOR PLANNING SERIES Environmentally Sound Small-Scale Agricultural Projects, 1979 (Also in Spanish and French) Environmentally Sound Small-Scale Water Projects, 1981 (Also in Spanish) Environmentally Sound Small-Scale Forestry Projects, 1983 (Translations in Spanish and French in process) Environmentally Sound Small-Scale Energy Projects, 1985 (English only) Order from: VITA Publication Services 1600 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 500 Arlington, Virginia 22209 USA PREFACE This manual is the fifth volume in the Guidelines for Planning series. The series was developed in response to needs of private development agency field and counterpart staff for simplified technical information in order to plan environmentally sound small-scale projects in Third World countries. Titles of the other volumes in the series are listed on the opposite page. The preparation of this volume has been a collaborative effort of Coordination in Development, Inc. (CODEL), Heifer Project International (HPI), and Winrock International Institute for Agricultural Development. An Advisory Committee composed of representatives of the three agencies guided the preparation of the manual. These include Andres Martinez, Winrock International; the Rev. John Ostdiek, CODEL; Armin Schmidt, Heifer Project International; in addition to the three coordinators listed at the end of this preface. Initial research was carried out and a basic draft prepared by Dr. Richard Rice, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Arizona and Dr. Milo Cox, School of Renewable Natural Resources, University of Arizona. The coordinators are grateful to Drs. Rice and Cox for their contribution to the final product. The text was further developed and extensively revised by Linda Jacobs. Linda Jacobs, the author of this volume, has prepared the illustrations for four of the five volumes in the Guidelines for Planninq series. Ms. Jacobs holds a degree in Biology from Cornell University and served with the Peace Corps in Colombia. For the last eight years she has been living and working with Native Americans in Arizona. She has brought to the project a special interest in, and small-farm experience with livestock. In addition, Ms. Jacobs made good use of her writing and illustrating skills. She is presently teaching at the Navajo Community College, Tsaile, Arizona. Following the procedure used for the previous volumes, a lengthy review process has involved a number of technical resource persons and potential users in the field. The following have reviewed the manual in addition to the Advisory Committee: Charles D. Bonham, Colorado State University Milo Cox, University of Arizona John Dieterly, Heifer Project International Peter F. Ffolliott, University of Arizona Peter J. Grill, Mennonite Central Committee I.F. Harder, Heifer Project International Sister Sharee Hurtgen, St. Jude Hospital, St. Lucia Robert K. Pelant, Heifer Project International Roald Peterson, UN/FAO (retired) James O'Rourke, Utah State University Richard W. Rice, University of Arizona Sister Mary Ann Smith, CODEL Ron Tempest, Germantown Academy Gregg Wiitala, Technoserve, Inc., Kenya Gerald G. Williams, Heifer Project International These reviewers offered extensive, substantive, and constructive suggestions for improving the review draft. The suggestions were a significant assistance in preparing the final manuscript. The coordinators greatly appreciate the contributions of these reviewers and the other members of the Advisory Committee. We welcome comments from readers of the book. A questionnaire is inserted for your convenience. Please share your reactions with us. James DeVries, Heifer Project International Will R. Getz, Winrock International Helen L. Vukasin, CODEL Chapter I - A DEVELOPMENT PHILOSOPHY This manual is designed for development assistance workers and others who are planning or managing small-scale livestock projects. Although aimed specifically at those working in less-developed areas of the tropics and subtropics, these environmental guidelines apply to almost any region of the world. They stress: ecological principles that relate to livestock production the role of livestock in the farming system and local environment environmental factors that affect the success of a livestock project environmentally sound livestock management practices A DIFFERENT APPROACH Most animal science manuals have focused on the care and management of common breeds of domestic animals to achieve greater production. This manual emphasizes the environmental factors that affect livestock and livestock interactions. Standard livestock texts should be consulted for detailed management practices. The bibliography lists some of the more comprehensive of these, especially those that are most appropriate for tropical latitudes. Traditional livestock texts cover the common domesticated animals, such as the cow, sheep, goat, and chicken. This manual also deals with animals that are unique to certain areas. The intent here is to stimulate thinking about possible options and to stress the uniqueness of local environments in tropical areas. In other words, there may be a local but relatively unknown or overlooked animal that has great potential for development as a livestock project. Many references are made to the goal of developing a farming system that is compatible with the environment. Just as a tree or wild animal is part of a forest, a livestock project is a part of a farming system. A farming system is an organizational structure that interlinks the various activities of farmers and the distribution of resources. Farming systems may be based on one major activity (for example, the growing of coffee for export), but also may include other activities that do not conflict with respect to labor requirements, use of land area, or use of other resources. An integrated farming system is characterized by strong interconnections among various farming activities that serve to conserve resources and labor and to reduce the need for imported feeds and fertilizers. One goal of livestock management is to increase production per animal, which at the same time increases total production on a given area of land. Although this may be the goal of a project, a broader view places livestock production in juxtaposition with local environments, local agricultural systems, and community traditions. Thus this manual emphasizes the following key concepts: maintenance of environmental balance through recycling, regeneration and knowledge of interactions in natural systems active involvement of local people in planning, decision-making, and management preference for traditional agricultural techniques that have a sound ecological basis integration of livestock, cropping, and other land-use systems WHAT IS A SMALL-SCALE LIVESTOCK PROJECT? Small-scale livestock projects are developed at the local level and are designed primarily for the benefit of local people. Such projects may involve a few small farmers or herders, or an entire rural community working in a cooperative effort. A good small-scale livestock project: involves local people in planning, decision-making, and management respects the organization of the community encourages regular communication among participants addresses common problems and needs uses technology appropriate to the region includes practical and relevant training for participants enhances personal and community self-reliance takes advantage of local production and consumption patterns contributes to overall community well-being ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND LIVESTOCK PROJECTS An environmentally sound livestock project works with natural cycles and against environmental degradation. Because all parts of the environment are interrelated, such a project avoids the introduction of substances with unknown properties that might contaminate the soil and water or harm plants and animals. An environmentally sound project uses local resources wisely, works with livestock that are appropriate to the environment, and recycles nutrients back to the soil. Such a project actually may enhance the environment by encouraging beneficial changes that contribute to environmental health. The overall goal is to contribute to a sustainable agricultural system.

About the author: Published By: VOLUNTEERS IN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 1600 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 710, Arlington, Virginia 22209 USA Telephone: (703) 276-1800 Fax: (703) 243-1865 E-Mail: vita@vita.org Understanding Dairy Goat Production ISBN: 0-86619-318-9 [C]1990, Volunteers in Technical Assistance

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