Productivity of White Fulani cattle on the Jos Plateau, Nigeria. III. Disease and management factors.

The importance of disease and management factors in relation to the productivity of traditionally managed White Fulani cattle herds on the Jos plateau is described. Disease per se was not considered to be a major factor limiting productivity with the reduction in importance of the major epizootic diseases of rinderpest and contagious bovine pleuropneumonia. Diseases which were considered of some importance were streptothricosis and liver fluke in adult cattle and coccidiosis and possibly parasitic gastro-enteritis in younger animals. One of the management factors limiting productivity was the keeping of older castrates mostly in the Fulani-owned herds. The most important management practice affecting the productivity of the herds was the provision of dry season supplementation. Only one herd received substantial amounts and its productivity was much greater than that of the other study herds.