Cargando…

Indiscriminate slaughter of pregnant goats for meat in Enugu, Nigeria: Causes, prevalence, implications and ways-out

BACKGROUND: The indiscriminate slaughter of pregnant goats (SPGs) undermines meat production and food security especially in developing countries. It also connotes animal cruelty, depletion of goat population and may enhance the spread of zoonotic pathogens inhabiting the female reproductive tract d...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Ugwu, Patience C., Njoga, Emmanuel O., Njoga, Ugochinyere J., Aronu, Chinwe J., Atadiose, Everest O., Okoli, Chinwe E., Onwumere-Idolor, Onyinye S., Ajibo, Festus E., Azor, Nichodemus N., Bernard, Sunday N., Ozioko, Ikenna E., Eze, Ikechukwu S., Abonyi, Festus O.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Public Library of Science 2023
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9844864/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36649264
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280524
_version_ 1784870751811141632
author Ugwu, Patience C.
Njoga, Emmanuel O.
Njoga, Ugochinyere J.
Aronu, Chinwe J.
Atadiose, Everest O.
Okoli, Chinwe E.
Onwumere-Idolor, Onyinye S.
Ajibo, Festus E.
Azor, Nichodemus N.
Bernard, Sunday N.
Ozioko, Ikenna E.
Eze, Ikechukwu S.
Abonyi, Festus O.
author_facet Ugwu, Patience C.
Njoga, Emmanuel O.
Njoga, Ugochinyere J.
Aronu, Chinwe J.
Atadiose, Everest O.
Okoli, Chinwe E.
Onwumere-Idolor, Onyinye S.
Ajibo, Festus E.
Azor, Nichodemus N.
Bernard, Sunday N.
Ozioko, Ikenna E.
Eze, Ikechukwu S.
Abonyi, Festus O.
author_sort Ugwu, Patience C.
collection PubMed
description BACKGROUND: The indiscriminate slaughter of pregnant goats (SPGs) undermines meat production and food security especially in developing countries. It also connotes animal cruelty, depletion of goat population and may enhance the spread of zoonotic pathogens inhabiting the female reproductive tract during carcass processing. Consequently, this study determined the causes and prevalence of slaughtering pregnant goats for meat in Enugu, Nigeria. The study also estimated the economic losses associated with SPGs, discussed the negative public health consequences and suggested the ways-out. METHODS: Structured, validated and pilot-tested questionnaire was used to ascertain the reasons for SPGs for meat among 78 willing and randomly selected respondents. The questionnaire survey was conducted in the form of interview. Pregnancy statuses of the goats slaughtered were ascertained by visual inspection and palpation of the eviscerated and longitudinally incised uteri and the horns for macroscopic evidence of pregnancy. Ages of the dams were estimated by dentition method. Estimation of the gestational age was performed by crown-rump length method. The study lasted for six months, comprised of three months (December to March) during the dry/hot season and another three months (May to August) during the wet/rainy season. Economic loss estimation was based on the current monetary values of a matured (30 kilogram) goat and one kilogram of chevon in Enugu, Nigeria; which was determined through market survey. Pearson’s Chi-square test was used to determine whether there were significant (P<0.05) statistical associations between SPGs and age and season. RESULTS: Major reasons adduced for SPGs were: economic hardship (41%), ignorance of the goat’s pregnancy status (21%), increased demand for chevon (13%) and feed scarcity during drought (11%). Of the 1,658 does examined during the six months study, 589 (35.5%) were pregnant. The majority (876/1658, 52.8%) of the female goats slaughtered were in their active reproductive age of ≤ 4 years, while 782 (47.2%) were aged > 4 years. Similarly, majority (1007/1658, 60.7%) of the does/nannies were slaughtered during the dry/hot season. A total of 907 foetuses at first (n = 332, 36.6%), second (n = 486, 53.6%) and third (n = 89, 9.8%) trimesters of gestation were recovered from the 589 PGs. Singleton, twin and triplet pregnancies were observed in 312 (53%), 236 (40%) and 41 (7%) PGs, respectively. About ₦34.44 million ($83,390) would have been earned if the foetuses were born alive and raised to maturity. Additionally, 19,136 kg of chevon, valued at ₦47,841, 000 ($115,838), which would have accrued from the wasted foetuses was also lost. CONCLUSION: Considering the economic, zoonotic and livestock production implications of this work, frantic efforts to reduce SPGs in Enugu, Nigeria is imperative. This could be achieved through advocacy, goat farmers’ enlightenment, ante-mortem pregnancy diagnosis, provision of subsidized feed materials during the dry season and strict enforcement of the Nigerian Meat Edict law, which proscribes unapproved slaughter of gravid animals. These measures may improve food safety and security, improve goat reproduction and production, reduce protein malnutrition, limit dissemination of zoonotic pathogens during carcass processing and hence protect public health in Nigeria.
format Online
Article
Text
id pubmed-9844864
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2023
publisher Public Library of Science
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-98448642023-01-18 Indiscriminate slaughter of pregnant goats for meat in Enugu, Nigeria: Causes, prevalence, implications and ways-out Ugwu, Patience C. Njoga, Emmanuel O. Njoga, Ugochinyere J. Aronu, Chinwe J. Atadiose, Everest O. Okoli, Chinwe E. Onwumere-Idolor, Onyinye S. Ajibo, Festus E. Azor, Nichodemus N. Bernard, Sunday N. Ozioko, Ikenna E. Eze, Ikechukwu S. Abonyi, Festus O. PLoS One Research Article BACKGROUND: The indiscriminate slaughter of pregnant goats (SPGs) undermines meat production and food security especially in developing countries. It also connotes animal cruelty, depletion of goat population and may enhance the spread of zoonotic pathogens inhabiting the female reproductive tract during carcass processing. Consequently, this study determined the causes and prevalence of slaughtering pregnant goats for meat in Enugu, Nigeria. The study also estimated the economic losses associated with SPGs, discussed the negative public health consequences and suggested the ways-out. METHODS: Structured, validated and pilot-tested questionnaire was used to ascertain the reasons for SPGs for meat among 78 willing and randomly selected respondents. The questionnaire survey was conducted in the form of interview. Pregnancy statuses of the goats slaughtered were ascertained by visual inspection and palpation of the eviscerated and longitudinally incised uteri and the horns for macroscopic evidence of pregnancy. Ages of the dams were estimated by dentition method. Estimation of the gestational age was performed by crown-rump length method. The study lasted for six months, comprised of three months (December to March) during the dry/hot season and another three months (May to August) during the wet/rainy season. Economic loss estimation was based on the current monetary values of a matured (30 kilogram) goat and one kilogram of chevon in Enugu, Nigeria; which was determined through market survey. Pearson’s Chi-square test was used to determine whether there were significant (P<0.05) statistical associations between SPGs and age and season. RESULTS: Major reasons adduced for SPGs were: economic hardship (41%), ignorance of the goat’s pregnancy status (21%), increased demand for chevon (13%) and feed scarcity during drought (11%). Of the 1,658 does examined during the six months study, 589 (35.5%) were pregnant. The majority (876/1658, 52.8%) of the female goats slaughtered were in their active reproductive age of ≤ 4 years, while 782 (47.2%) were aged > 4 years. Similarly, majority (1007/1658, 60.7%) of the does/nannies were slaughtered during the dry/hot season. A total of 907 foetuses at first (n = 332, 36.6%), second (n = 486, 53.6%) and third (n = 89, 9.8%) trimesters of gestation were recovered from the 589 PGs. Singleton, twin and triplet pregnancies were observed in 312 (53%), 236 (40%) and 41 (7%) PGs, respectively. About ₦34.44 million ($83,390) would have been earned if the foetuses were born alive and raised to maturity. Additionally, 19,136 kg of chevon, valued at ₦47,841, 000 ($115,838), which would have accrued from the wasted foetuses was also lost. CONCLUSION: Considering the economic, zoonotic and livestock production implications of this work, frantic efforts to reduce SPGs in Enugu, Nigeria is imperative. This could be achieved through advocacy, goat farmers’ enlightenment, ante-mortem pregnancy diagnosis, provision of subsidized feed materials during the dry season and strict enforcement of the Nigerian Meat Edict law, which proscribes unapproved slaughter of gravid animals. These measures may improve food safety and security, improve goat reproduction and production, reduce protein malnutrition, limit dissemination of zoonotic pathogens during carcass processing and hence protect public health in Nigeria. Public Library of Science 2023-01-17 /pmc/articles/PMC9844864/ /pubmed/36649264 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280524 Text en © 2023 Ugwu et al https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
spellingShingle Research Article
Ugwu, Patience C.
Njoga, Emmanuel O.
Njoga, Ugochinyere J.
Aronu, Chinwe J.
Atadiose, Everest O.
Okoli, Chinwe E.
Onwumere-Idolor, Onyinye S.
Ajibo, Festus E.
Azor, Nichodemus N.
Bernard, Sunday N.
Ozioko, Ikenna E.
Eze, Ikechukwu S.
Abonyi, Festus O.
Indiscriminate slaughter of pregnant goats for meat in Enugu, Nigeria: Causes, prevalence, implications and ways-out
title Indiscriminate slaughter of pregnant goats for meat in Enugu, Nigeria: Causes, prevalence, implications and ways-out
title_full Indiscriminate slaughter of pregnant goats for meat in Enugu, Nigeria: Causes, prevalence, implications and ways-out
title_fullStr Indiscriminate slaughter of pregnant goats for meat in Enugu, Nigeria: Causes, prevalence, implications and ways-out
title_full_unstemmed Indiscriminate slaughter of pregnant goats for meat in Enugu, Nigeria: Causes, prevalence, implications and ways-out
title_short Indiscriminate slaughter of pregnant goats for meat in Enugu, Nigeria: Causes, prevalence, implications and ways-out
title_sort indiscriminate slaughter of pregnant goats for meat in enugu, nigeria: causes, prevalence, implications and ways-out
topic Research Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9844864/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36649264
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280524
work_keys_str_mv AT ugwupatiencec indiscriminateslaughterofpregnantgoatsformeatinenugunigeriacausesprevalenceimplicationsandwaysout
AT njogaemmanuelo indiscriminateslaughterofpregnantgoatsformeatinenugunigeriacausesprevalenceimplicationsandwaysout
AT njogaugochinyerej indiscriminateslaughterofpregnantgoatsformeatinenugunigeriacausesprevalenceimplicationsandwaysout
AT aronuchinwej indiscriminateslaughterofpregnantgoatsformeatinenugunigeriacausesprevalenceimplicationsandwaysout
AT atadioseeveresto indiscriminateslaughterofpregnantgoatsformeatinenugunigeriacausesprevalenceimplicationsandwaysout
AT okolichinwee indiscriminateslaughterofpregnantgoatsformeatinenugunigeriacausesprevalenceimplicationsandwaysout
AT onwumereidoloronyinyes indiscriminateslaughterofpregnantgoatsformeatinenugunigeriacausesprevalenceimplicationsandwaysout
AT ajibofestuse indiscriminateslaughterofpregnantgoatsformeatinenugunigeriacausesprevalenceimplicationsandwaysout
AT azornichodemusn indiscriminateslaughterofpregnantgoatsformeatinenugunigeriacausesprevalenceimplicationsandwaysout
AT bernardsundayn indiscriminateslaughterofpregnantgoatsformeatinenugunigeriacausesprevalenceimplicationsandwaysout
AT oziokoikennae indiscriminateslaughterofpregnantgoatsformeatinenugunigeriacausesprevalenceimplicationsandwaysout
AT ezeikechukwus indiscriminateslaughterofpregnantgoatsformeatinenugunigeriacausesprevalenceimplicationsandwaysout
AT abonyifestuso indiscriminateslaughterofpregnantgoatsformeatinenugunigeriacausesprevalenceimplicationsandwaysout