Massey Documents by Type
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/294
Browse
4 results
Search Results
Item Assessing Extensive Semi-Arid Rangeland Beef Cow-Calf Welfare in Namibia: Part 1: Comparison Between Farm Production System's Effect on the Welfare of Beef Cows(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2021-01-12) Kaurivi YB; Laven R; Parkinson T; Hickson R; Stafford KA proposed animal welfare assessment protocol for semi-arid rangeland-based cow-calf systems in Namibia combined 40 measures from a protocol developed for beef cattle in New Zealand with additional Namibia-specific measures. Preliminary validation of the protocol had been undertaken with five herds in one semi-commercial village. The aim of the current study was to apply this protocol and compare animal welfare across three cow-calf production systems in Namibia. A total of 2529 beef cows were evaluated during pregnancy testing in the yards of 17 commercial, 20 semi-commercial, and 18 communal (total: 55) herds followed by an assessment of farm resources and a questionnaire-guided interview. Non-parametric tests were used to evaluate the difference in the welfare scores between the production systems. The results indicated a discrepancy of animal welfare between the three farm types, with a marked separation of commercial farms from semi-commercial, and communal village farms in the least. The differences in these production systems were mainly driven by economic gains through access to better beef export market for commercial farms and semi-commercial villages, as well as by the differences in the available grazing land, facility designs/quality, and traditional customs in the village systems. The results indicate an advantage of commercialization over communalization.Item Assessing Extensive Semi-Arid Rangeland Beef Cow-Calf Welfare in Namibia. Part 2: Categorisation and Scoring of Welfare Assessment Measures(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2021-01-20) Kaurivi YB; Laven R; Hickson R; Parkinson T; Stafford KThis paper aims to develop standards for a welfare assessment protocol by validating potential categorisation thresholds for assessing beef farms in various beef cow-calf production systems in Namibia. Forty measures, combined from a New Zealand-based protocol plus Namibia-specific measures, are applied to 55 beef farms (17 commercial farms, 20 semi-commercial and 18 communal village farms) during pregnancy testing, and a questionnaire guided interview. The categorised measures on a 3-point welfare score (0: good, 1: marginal, and 2: poor/unacceptable welfare) are subsequently compared with the derivation of thresholds based upon the poorest 15% and best 50% of herds for each measure. The overall combined thresholds of continuous measures across the three farm types show 10/22 measures that posed welfare compromise across Namibia, whereas commercial farms have 4/22 measures, and semi-commercial and communal village farms have 12/22 and 11/22, respectively, with high thresholds. Most measures-imposed thresholds are retained because of significant importance to the welfare of animals and preventiveness of the traits, while leniency was given to adjust good feeding and mortality measures to signify periods of drought. Handling measures (fearful, falling/lying) and abrasions thresholds are adjusted to reflect the temporary stress caused by infrequent cattle handling, and faulty yard designs/design and possible cattle breed influence on handling. Hence, Namibia needs prioritised investigation of underlying contributing factors and remediation to reduce the high thresholds.Item Assessing animal welfare of extensively reared beef cows in New Zealand and Namibia : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Veterinary Science at Massey University Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, University of New Zealand, School of Veterinary Science, Manawatu, New Zealand(Massey University, 2021) Kaurivi, Yolande BabyThere is currently no standardised validated animal welfare assessment protocol for beef cattle production systems in New Zealand or Namibia. In both countries beef cattle are reared extensively, and beef is exported to high-value markets. These markets require high production and welfare standards. The aims of the research described in this thesis were to: 1) develop a feasible, effective protocol for assessment of welfare in extensive pasture-based beef cattle in New Zealand, and modify it to be suitable for use on semi-arid rangeland farms in Namibia; 2) use that protocol to assess welfare on beef farms in New Zealand and Namibia. A protocol based on the Welfare Quality and the University of California (UC) Davis Cow-Calf protocols, with some additional indicators specific to New Zealand was trialled on one farm and 50 measures were identified as potential welfare indicators on beef farms. The protocol was then tested on 25 farms (3366 cows) in the Waikato district and a 32-measure protocol was created which was suitable for assessing animal welfare. For each measure, categorical thresholds were created for acceptable and unacceptable welfare, to provide guidance for when intervention was needed at the individual measure level rather than create an aggregated ‘score’ for each farm. These imposed thresholds were compared to thresholds derived from farm data. After this comparison, most of the imposed thresholds were retained. This excluded thresholds for dirtiness and faecal staining (as they were thought to have limited welfare implications for pasture-based cattle) and fearful/agitated and running behaviours, which were thought to be higher than expected because of the unfamiliarity of stock with yarding. The New Zealand protocol was tested in one semi-commercial Namibian village farm composed of 5 separate herds. This test excluded one non-relevant measure (tail fecoliths) and identified nine additional measures (40 measures in total). The protocol was tested on 55 beef farms in three different production systems (17 commercial farms, 20 semi-commercial and 18 communal village farms), and found to be both feasible and applicable. Assessment of the data from this test found better welfare standards on commercial farms than village farms. Commercial farms in Namibia were generally able to meet the thresholds identified in the New Zealand part of the study but many semi-commercial and communal herds were not. This was thought to be due, at least in part to the severe drought occurring in Namibia at the time of the study. It was thus suggested that for measures related to good feeding and mortality thresholds should be changed to reflect drought conditions with the original New Zealand-created thresholds retained under “normal conditions”. Further work validating this protocol with more assessors on more farms across Namibia is needed, but this protocol can form the basis for beef cow welfare assessment to demonstrate and support good welfare standards across the beef production chain in Namibia.Item An integrated national strategy for resource and environmental management in post-apartheid Namibia : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University(Massey University, 1995) Sikabongo, Frederick MupotiThis thesis presents a structure for integrated strategic planning across levels of government in Namibia. The study advocates necessary preconditions for the preparation of An Integrated National Strategy for Resource and Environmental Management in Post-Apartheid Namibia. Because the diagnostic nature of an integrated national strategy requires a condensed assessment of the state of the economy, people, institutions and natural resources, this study commences with a critical examination of the impact of German genocide and South African apartheid policies on the people, and natural and physical resources of Namibia, and illustrates how Namibia has begun to develop out the problems associated with colonial influence. Current underdevelopment and poverty in Namibia is mainly due to unsustainable extraction of resources which has generally benefited South Africa and its provincial satellites. In order to understand Namibia's economic situation, its profile is analysed in comparative study with other SADC member states. Namibia needs to encourage sustained economic growth in order to achieve human development objectives. It is especially important to integrate environmental management at all levels of government to achieve unity of the people and sustainable exploitation of natural and physical resources. Namibia's current state of natural and physical resources is analysed by taking into consideration the immediate actions of the current Government which succeeded colonial oppression. Adverse effects of past exploitation are compiled, and recommendations of various theorists are offered as supportive evidence of the requirements for an integrated national strategy for resource management. The absence of planning at the local level of government is the major cause of inconsistency in both policy-making and plan preparation, and is also identified as major threat to the achievement of sustainable economic development in Namibia. Changes regarding the strengthening of institutional capabilities, application of economic instruments in management of natural resources, methods of plan preparation, strategic policies, including integrated monitoring procedures are proposed. Suggestions are made about means by which these recommendations could be implemented to achieve sustainable development of natural and physical resources in Namibia. The conclusion of this study suggests also that development planning of natural and physical resources need to be nationally diversified by devolving planning authority to sub-national and sub-regional levels of government. The idea is to relieve Namibia's National Planning Commission from the burden of planning at the local level of government and to efficiently spread administrative responsibility across a multinuclear umbrella of private and public sectors involved in strategic planning.