Research Project 2: Feeding and working strategies for draught oxen in the semi-arid zone of West Africa (1992-5)

Purpose
The objectives of this project were:

	to determine the energy expenditure of draught oxen working on sandy soils, performing common agricultural tasks, so that their energy requirements could be determined;
	to establish the relationships between work and intake and digestibility of roughages by draught oxen;
	to investigate the effect of body condition before work and live weight losses during work on work performance;
	to investigate the implications of heat stress on draught oxen in semi-arid areas.

This information will allow informed decisions to be made on the feeding and management of draught animals in semi-arid areas. 

Activities
Four experiments were conducted in Niger at the ICRISAT Sahelian Centre.  Experiment 1 investigated the energy costs of walking on soils of different consistencies and the efficiencies of doing work.  Experiments 2 and 3 were designed to establish the effect of work on intake, digestibility and rate of passage of feeds (millet stover) in the digestive tract.  Experiment 4 looked at the effect of body condition prior to work and weight losses during work on work performance.

Collaboration
The project, funded by the ODA (now DFID) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), was implemented in the ILRI Semi-arid Programme based at the ICRISAT Sahelian Centre in Niger.  Scientists from CTVM and ILRI collaborated in the project.

Outputs
As well as a book and scientific articles which reported the results, conclusions and recommendations from the work, Abdou Fall, the main investigator in the project, obtained his PhD at Edinburgh University for the work:

A. Fall, 1995, Factors affecting feed intake, energy expenditure and work output of oxen and bulls used for draught purposes in semi-arid West Africa

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