The lower level of exposure to nematode infections in group UM was reflected in significantly better weight gains and carcass weight, although the effect on performance was severely limited by the poor feed availability in the clean paddock (D) for reasons summarized above.
Since it measures the vegetation health, it may be related with the quality and quantity of feed availability for the animals or with high tick abundance and incidence of tick-borne diseases.
The impact on soil invertebrates of changes in the physical environment and feed availability in intensive pastoral systems is difficult to predict given the number of interacting factors.
With the incentive of increased feed availability from fodder trees and shrubs, the landless herders will be more likely to temporarily restrict part of their herd (especially goats) from the hillside to allow establishment of the forest cover.
The kidding period at the beginning of winter is associated with low temperatures and low feed availability in the rangelands of Baft area.
Fodder production has been regarded as one of the suitable strategies for increasing feed availability for enhanced livestock production among pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in the drylands of Kenya.
A possible explanation could be that higher precipitation facilitates feed availability during the dry season, which subsequently minimizes mortality and increases births, leading to increased goat populations (Mapiye et al. [2009]).
High NDVI values may be suggestive of good feed availability to the dam and consequently to a suckling calf, and which would relate to the observed protective effect against calf ID-mortality.
According to the key informants, grazing land preference was dependent upon feed availability and accessibility in the study areas.
In general, crop cultivation plays an integral part in the improvement of the Borana agro-pastoralists' livelihoods, including increased feed availability for their livestock production and productivity.
