Evaluation of animal welfare and productive performance of oxen used for draught power in Nagongera town council and Nagongera sub county, Tororo district.

Abstract

Draught animal power technology, also known as animal traction, is the use of domesticated animals, primarily horses, donkeys, and oxen, to provide power for various agricultural and transportation tasks. This study was purposed to identify the main welfare issues by assessing the animal welfare and productive performance of the draught power animals. Nagongera Town Council and Sub-county are among the lower local governments within Tororo district found in the Eastern region of the country. They lie along the Tororo – Busolwe highway which goes through to Butaleja district. A cross sectional study was conducted in October 2023 on randomly selected respondents (animals’ owners) from Nagongera town council and Nagongera sub county to evaluate technology, productivity and welfare issues associated with draught animal power use in Nagongera Town Council and Nagongera Sub County, Tororo District. The farmers are not aware of existence of hunger and thirst for their animals as evidenced by existence of mild supplementary feeds. In general, there is mild exertion of pain, injury and diseases to the animals, and the farmers did not provide a comfortable environment to their animals. The study reveals the practices that violate animal welfare as; limited water points for animals, limited feeding points, no provision of supplementary feeds, not providing good palatable pastures, no ready access to fresh water, and kneeling at feeding points as evidence to overcrowding of animals. The average acreage of fallow land opened by each of the farmers was only 0.46 acres per animal per season. The average number of hours worked by each animal in each session is three hours. Farmers do not earn any extra income from their animals providing other services such as water fetching, carrying of heavy loads etc. to the community around.