Comparison of nutritional status of domestic and nomadic goats in the suburbs of Djibouti City

Abstract

The survey was conducted to compare the nutritional status of goats owned by nomads in Djibouti with that of goats owned by settled farmers, and to gain insights into the nutritional supply of natural forage plants in Djibouti. The survey was conducted on dairy farmers in Ambuli, near the capital, and nomads grazing around Ali-Sabieh in the second city. Dairy farmers own 2-3 ha of pasture and use shallow wells and 1000 L water storage tanks as water sources. Nomads moving distance is 10 km². In this survey, the survey items for goats were age, body length, chest circumference, body height, body weight, blood glucose level, and blood β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) level. According to the results of this survey, the goats raised by nomads had a small body size and low weight for their age. However, the ratio of waist circumference to body weight was high, and it was inferred that the lumen was well developed for the physique. In addition, there was not much difference in blood glucose levels between nomadic and dairy farm animals, and it was presumed that the developing status of nomadic goats was poor. Furthermore, the BHBA levels of nomadic goats were high, suggesting that the organic acid produced in the lumen efficiently supplied energy. These results indicated that the goats bred by nomads were smaller but their nutritional status was not poorer than that of goats bred by dairy farmers.