Flock Management and Health

CBRR | Biomass Surveys | Grazing Behaviour | Forage Programmes | Economic Studies | Local Knowledge | Publications

After assessing the health of local sheep and goats in 2008, the RBG decided to help local herders improve the management and health of their herds within our Community-Based Rangeland Rehabilitation (CBRR). Our goals were to:

• Improve flock productivity and health
• Improve herd quality
• Avoid losses and maximize profits from herds
• Provide herders with high-quality medication for diseased animals in a quick and low-cost way
• Increase the awareness of herders about animal health and avoid medicine misuse
• Train one young person from the local community to provide simple veterinary services for herders
• Introduce and apply simple new techniques for herd management

Parturition

We introduced the practice of isolating rams from the flock, in order to synchronize parturition and achieve a high animal pregnancy rate.

Not only did pregnancies increase considerably, but herd management became far simpler. The herders found it was easier and less costly to manage newborns all at the same time. Plus their profits increased due to more efficient marketing of lambs and milk.

Flock Health

Starting in 2009, we introduced programmes for animal vaccination, an animal pharmacy, training for a para-veterinarian selected by the herders, community training and outreach, forage disbursement, and new management techniques.

All these programmes assist the herders to raise their income by decreasing losses in their herds, increasing production, and protecting the health of animals and newborns.

Herd Vaccination

The CBRR set up a vaccination programme in cooperation with the herders, to provide animals with protection against targeted infectious diseases. 

Our management plan allows the herders to vaccinate their animals easily, together on one date and in a safe way. Using this programme eliminates any misuse and mishandling of vaccines.

Some vaccines and medicines are provided free of charge by the Ministry of Agriculture, and some are purchased by the RBG.

Animal Pharmacy

The CBRR established a veterinary pharmacy "in a bag" to supply the herders with animal medications at cost. We decided to do this to address a documented problem in obtaining high-quality, unexpired medications at affordable prices. The use and abuse of medications was one of the management issues found by our veterinarian during our initial herd assessments.

The veterinarian supervises the pharmacy and a para-veterinarian helps provide the medicine to herders. The pharmacy helped treat about 300 diseased animals in 2009.

Para-Veterinarian

After several meetings with the herding community in Tell Ar-Rumman, the herders choose someone to be their para-veterinarian. Jameel, pictured to the right, underwent training to be able to administer vaccinations, as well as recognize and treat common diseases. His work was so successful that two more local para-veterinarians have now also been trained.

Hygiene Workshop

The RBG has also held hygiene workshops in the local community, to improve family health and prevent the contraction of diseases.

We are pleased to report that local herding families who are participating in the CBRR programme are seeing healthier herds and increased profits from their herds.