Livestock Keeping

Livestock are kept in one permanent place. Food and water are brought to the animals hence zero grazing because no grazing is involved.

Pastoralism

Pastoralism is an economic activity, which involves grazing livestock (animals) on natural pastures. The pure pastoral societies of East Africa include Maasai, Karamajong. The cultivator pastoralists (mixed farmers) include the Sukuma, Gogo and Nyamwezi.

Nomadic Pastoralism

Is practiced by wondering groups of people in remote areas especially semi –desert and desert areas. Nomads are members of a group of people who having no fixed home, move around seasonally in search of food and water. The farmers specialize in keeping animals on natural pasture land for example, Masai, Barbaigs, Kwavi, Karamajong.

Characteristics of Nomadic Pastoralism

1. Animals i.e. cattle are kept for prestige, for paying bride gift, for food and for sale.
2. The breeding process is uncontrolled
3. The herds are large in size
4. There is poor control of pests and other diseases
5. The animals are of poor quality and low value
6. It takes place where the population is scarce
7. There is no permanent settlement as farmers move constantly with animals
8. There is no crop cultivation and therefore animals are the support for family life.
9. There is poor or no use of technology.

Advantages of Nomadic Pastoralism

1. It is cheap
2. It guarantees food for the family especially when the animals are many
3. Some traditional varieties of animals are resistant to diseases and other environmental hardships

Disadvantages of Nomadic Pastoralism

1. The animals produce little milk and of low value
2. A lot of time is wasted moving from one place to another
3. This system of livestock keeping causes soil erosion and desertification
4. Many animals perish due to lack of pests control

Semi-Nomadic / Sedentary Pastoralism

This is the system of livestock keeping in which a farmer has started selling and began growing crops to supplement pastoral activities. The farmers travel from their home state with their herds to distant places grazing, in search of pasture and water especially during the dry season.

Sedentary Livestock Farming

This is a system of livestock keeping where by a farmer keeps animals while settled permanently in one place.

Factors for the Change from Nomadic Pastoralism to Sedentary Livestock Farming

1. Population increase has decreased the size of the pasture
2. Involvement of farmers in other economic activities
3. Advancement of technology
4. Government advice

Characteristics of Sedentary Livestock Farming

1. More advanced technology is used
2. The number of animals is not so high
3. The animals are kept in shades
4. There is disease control
5. It can be practiced in relatively densely populated areas e.g. town

Advantages of Sedentary Livestock Farming

1. The animals are healthy and hence have high yields
2. There is a disease control
3. The method encourages the improvement of the environment
4. Sedentary livestock keeping enables the farmer to engage themselves in other activities.

This is the practice of keeping livestock for sale. It includes Beef farming and dairy farming on ranches.

Beef farming

is keeping of animals for production of meat for sale

Dairy farming

is keeping of animals for production of milk for sale

Characteristics of Commercial Livestock Farming

1. Commercial livestock farming takes place in ranches, which occupy thousands of hectares.
2. It is characterized by the application of modern scientific and technology methods.
3. It normally involves the use of improved breeds or hybrids in order to advance high yields.
4. It is capital intensive, substantial amount of capital is required for farm machinery and fencing.
5. Large amount of animals is kept for commercial purpose (sale) rather than for subsistence purpose.
6. There is little or no migration in livestock farming. This is due to the permanent and reliable food supply
7. The animals are of high quality and value.

Advantages of Commercial Livestock Farming

1. It stimulates the development of other sectors such as industry
2. It reduces unemployment through creating employment chances
3. It generates government revenue
4. It provides food products such as meat and milk.
5. They are source foreign exchange.

Disadvantages of Commercial Livestock Farming

1. It involves ranches, which are expensive to maintain and establish.
2. It needs large areas with scarce population: it cannot take place where the population is high.
3. It may cause environmental problems such as land degradation, deforestation.
4. It influences climate changes due to deforestation in order to establish ranches.

Livestock keeping in Tanzania and Australia has some similarities and differences.

Similarities

1. Livestock keeping in both countries there are common types of livestock kept. There mainly cattle, goats, sheep and poultry.
2. Animal products ad like animals are sold in both countries, some common products meat, milk, skin, etc.
3. In both Countries are practiced at both the subsistence ad commercial levels.
4. Sedentary livestock keeping is practiced in both countries. This is done in areas that are highly populated .E.g. Chagga in Tanzania
5. Ranching in Tanzania and Australia is carried out in the sparsely populated areas. In Tanzania, It is mainly carried out areas such as Kagera, Tanga, and Morogoro which in Australia this is practiced in the areas. Referred to as outback.

Differences

1. In Australia, more scientific methods are employed in the management and running of livestock keeping compared to Tanzania. Australia they use paddocks, animal food supplements and proper animal health care.
2. Livestock keeping in Australia is more advanced than in Tanzania For example when it comes to use of machinery in activities such as milking ad sheep shearing.
3. Pastoralism and sedentary livestock keeping ad the main types of livestock keeping practiced in Tanzania while in Australia, ranching in the main type of livestock keeping.
4. In Tanzania main types of animals kept are cattle while in Australia main types of animals kept are sheep.
5. Ranching in Tanzania and Australia is carried out in the sparsely populated areas. In Tanzania, It is mainly carried out in areas such as Kagera, Tanga and Morogoro while In Australia; this is mainly practiced in the areas.