Pastoralists stocking goats, sheep to mitigate climate change

Kajiado and Narok counties suffered greatly in the last three years when they lost a lot of livestock to drought, which depleted water and pasture, and decimated pastoralists herds.

However, with many parts of the country now experiencing heavy rains, the Maasai pastoralists in the two counties are now busy stocking up on animals.

To limit more losses, Paul Naigisiei and his brother Daniel Metito, from Sultan Hamud in the Kajiado East constituency, have opted to increase their sheep and goats.

The two say goats and sheep can better withstand erratic weather.

Naigisiei said goats and sheep can multiply faster than their traditional cows.

“With 100 goats, they can double the number in 12 months. They do not need a lot of water and grass. This applies to Dorpers, which also eat little grass and provide more meat,” Naigisiei said.

He argues that during drought season, the goats and sheep can feed families through their meat and the money they can fetch from butchers across the country.

“Once the cows are hit by drought, they lose weight immediately. You cannot sell them because no butcher will buy lean animals,” he said. 

Naigisiei and Metito believe they can make more money from selling goats and sheep during the festive seasons in December and the new year.

Both brothers have more than 7,000 Ethiopian goats and about 3,000 Dorper sheep for meat on their ranch in Sultan Hamud.

Well-bred ewe Dorper sheep can weigh up to 140kg. These are normally not slaughtered.

Benjamin Sein of Arroi Dorperstuds and Brahman Cows, is an importer of Dorper sheep from South Africa in Cape Town for meat and breeding purposes.

“The cost of a slaughtered goat and sheep is Sh550 per kilogramme on a wholesale price. If you have a grown male Dorper, which sometimes weighs up to 80kgs, that is a Sh44,000,” he said.

Sein said he also breeds Boer goats and Brahman bulls for meat on his commercial farm in Arroi, in Kajiado.

He told the Star that a male Boer goat in highly selected populations weighs 69-130kg and females of the same type weigh 51-80kg with a respective average growth rate of 250 and 186 grammes respectively per day.

Sein recently introduced the Boer goats and the Brahman bulls for commercial meat production and says the business is thriving.

The Brahman breed (also known as Brahma) originated from Bos indicus cattle from India, the "sacred cattle of India". 

Through centuries of exposure to inadequate food supplies, insect pests, parasites, diseases and the weather extremes of tropical India, the native cattle developed some remarkable adaptations for survival which cattle producers in the USA found advantageous.

It is said that during the period from 1910 to 1920, many cattle in the southwestern part of Texas and the coastal country along the Gulf of Mexico, showed considerable evidence of Bos indicus breeding.

Naturally, many of the bulls that were used were the result of crosses with other breeds. Some breeders attempted to keep the stock pure, but they were in the minority.

Today, its use in crossbreeding has become a great tool for the production of steers for various purposes. Its meat is highly appreciated in the five continents.

The Brahman has become so essential in the tropics that many British and continental breeds have been "adapted" to such zones by incorporating a relevant percentage of Brahman blood. Synthetic breeds have resulted from such crossings: Brangus - Braford - SimBrah - ChaBray - BeefMaster. 

These are just a few examples of Brahman's popularity.

The farmer said Kenyans' appetite for meat is rising each day, and this calls for change in the breeding industry.

“We need to keep the markets for meat vibrant. We need to produce the best and juicy meat so that the consumers can get value for their money,” Sein said.  

Unlike the traditional cows, goats and sheep can multiply fast and do not demand a lot of caring like cows.

“Some of my friends who had many goats during the last drought made a lot of money. Some of them have now stocked their herds,” said another farmer from Isinya, Benjamin Tippatet.

According to livestock experts, cattle populations in semi-arid parts of Kenya have decreased by 26 per cent in the past 40 years.

The number of sheep and goats increased by 76 per cent during the same period, according to Jackline Koin, a climate resilience expert.

Koin, a former Kajiado County agriculture minister, said cows are heavier feeders than goats and sheep, adding that the latter two have better prices.

“Our pastoralists currently do not have milk for household use because most lactating cows died during the drought,” Koin said.

She said cows do not mate during drought, and therefore, there are few farmers with lactating cows.

“This has impacted negatively on household nutrition and most pastoralists are milking sheep and goats,” she said.

Koin, who is also a farmer in Kajiado, says climate change brings hotter summers, and cattle are becoming less well-suited to arid regions of the country.

In contrast, smaller animals such as goats are better able to tolerate high temperatures and so are an attractive alternative for pastoralists.

The Maasai for many years have long considered pastoralism a precious asset, the climate change has also affected their way of living.

Koin says the pastoralists are now investing in animals that can cope with tough conditions.

In Kajiado and Narok counties, prolonged drought has increased competition over resources such as land and water and in the process sparked off conflicts between humans and wildlife.

In other areas of the country, a shortage of resources has led to gun fights between the communities.

Several counties in arid lands are also establishing fodder banks to help fatten the most impacted animals during drought periods.

"Climate change does not recognise boundaries," Koin added.

Koin says she has been urging Kajiado farmers to move from traditional livestock keeping to Dorper sheep and high-breed goats such as the Boer breed.

“The good thing about the goats is that when the grass is depleted, they will feed on tree leaves,” said the former county minister.