Indigenous livestock breeds are well adapted to tropical and harsh environments, but usually rather unproductive. Therefore, crossbreeding with exotic breeds has been practiced, and often found to be successful in the first generation, but with disastrous results later on. Therefore, there is a great need for developing breeding strategies for specific populations of indigenous livestock, both in order to conserve genes necessary for survival under harsh environments, and for genetic improvement of productivity. The objective of this project is to explore the opportunities for genetic improvement of primarily two livestock populations considered of specific importance for food security in Eastern Africa, due to their resilience as regards adverse climatic stress or ability to withstand specific disease challenges in the tropics. In the first case, focus will be on the Red Maasai sheep and its crosses in Kenya and Tanzania. This breed has shown a high degree of resistance to gastrointestinal parasites and ability to withstand drought. However, there is no breeding strategy in place and this project will adopt a value chain approach with the farmers and retailers to establish appropriate breeding objectives and selection practices. We will furthermore study production systems, animal usage, survival, production, et cetera, using various interview methods and also further develop an already created production recording system. In the second study we have focused on comparing four Ethiopian cattle breeds with respect to trypanotolerance and productivity and found that one breed, the Sheko, is clearly superior. We will carry out a workshop with researchers, extension officers and farmers on how to amplify the genes for trypanotolerance into the cattle populations kept in tsetse infested areas.

1. Animal Genetic Resources
for improved productivity under
harsh environmental conditions
- a UD40 supported project in Eastern Africa
J. Philipsson, E. Zonabend, J. Stein, T. Mirkena, B. Malmfors,
A. Näsholm and E. Strandberg
Dept. of Animal Breeding and Genetics, SLU
J. Ojango, W. Ayalew, W. Mulato, J. Audho, T. Dessie, E. Rege, O. Mwai
International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Kenya/Ethiopia

2. Animal Genetic Resources
for sustainable use in developing countries
 70% of livestock breeds found in developing countries
- indigenous breeds in SSA often adapted to harsh conditions
 Huge ruminant populations but many animals unproductive
 Lack of long term breeding strategies and neglect of the
genetic potential of some indigenous breeds
 Market forces introduced exotic breeds for short term gains
- Indiscriminate ”upgrading” of indigenous breeds
 Many valuable indigenous breeds become endangered

3. The Challenge in use of Animal Genetic
Resources in Developing Countries
Must utilize the potential of
the AnGR and increase the
productivity per animal!
Develop relevant Animal
Breeding Programs
Organization
Human
Resources
Genetics
Production
system
Feeds and
veterinary
services
Meet increasing demands for
food of animal origin on an
increasingly competitive market
 without environmental
degradation of land and water
 considering the needs
for future genetic diversity
T
The present study involves two
endangered indigenous breeds
with specifically valuable attributes

4. Institutional framework Kenya Tanzania Uganda
Livestock breeding
policy
Draft available
Draft in
progress
Available
Livestock recording
and genetic
evaluation
Recording and
genetic
evaluation of
some dairy and
beef breeds
Limited
recording at
research
farms
Limited
recording at
research farms
Study of Infrastructure to support the
use of AnGR in Eastern Africa
Shortage of human capacity trained in animal breeding
in all countries
Lack of integration of livestock development activities and of
farmers involvement in livestock recording in all countries
Very few breeding programs in place in SSA

5. Trypanosomosis (sleeping sickness)
– one of the most disastrous animal diseases in the
tropics with the tsetse fly as vector
Sub-Saharan Africa
 60 million heads of cattle
exposed to risk
 3 million heads lost annually
Ethiopia
 Trypanosomosis covers 15 % of all arable
land and hinders human inhabitation
 10 - 14 million heads of cattle exposed to risk
Trypanotolerance of indigenous cattle
breeds in tsetse infested areas of Ethiopia

6. Some breeds show “trypanotolerance”
Capacity of an animal to control the development of the
parasites and to limit their pathological effects
HorroAbigar ShekoGurage
Four indigenous breeds in SW Ethiopia investigated
PhD project in collaboration between EIAR, ILRI and SLU
 Farmer interviews – perceptions about diseases
 Field investigations by blood analyses for PCV
and parasitaemia in the habitat of each breed
 On station comparison of breeds for production,
diseases and survival with the same tsetse challenge

7. Trypanosomosis - Infection rate
Sheko - superior trypanotolerance in all three studies
but is an endangered breed – needs to be conserved!
0
20
40
60
80
100
Abigar Gurage Horro Sheko
Infectionrate(%)
Percieved by livestock keepers
Detected in home areas
Detected on station

8. Breeding for Trypanotolerance in Ethiopia
 Results presented in a PhD thesis
and shared at a workshop with all
Ethiopian stakeholders
 How to conserve the Sheko breed
and disseminate its genes for
trypanotolerance to the broader
livestock populations in tsetse-
infested areas of Ethiopia is
presently studied
– simulation of alternative strategies
 MoA taken results onboard for
translation of results into practice
including a proposal to IFAD for
action research

9.  Indigenous breed kept in Kenya
and neighbouring countries
 Recurrent severe droughts show
higher survival of Red Maasai
 Indiscriminately crossed with
Dorper for better meat production
Dorper not well adapted
The case of
Red Maasai sheep

10. INDISCRIMINATE CROSSBREEDING
Red Maasai x Dorper crosses

11.  Indigenous breed kept in Kenya
and neighbouring countries
 Recurrent severe droughts show
higher survival of Red Maasai
 Indiscriminately crossed with
Dorper for better meat production
Dorper not well adapted
 Red Maasai population drastically
declining – endangered breed
 AIM: How to conserve Red Maasai
sheep and increase productivity
for improved food security?
The case of
Red Maasai sheep

12. Pilot sheep recording scheme
in two Maasai village areas
 Data on live weights, fertility
and health for farmer information
and genetic analyses
- similar data from two research ranches (Kapiti and Naivasha)
 Baseline study on production system and markets as well as
social, cultural and gender aspects of sheep production
 Interviews for assessment of breeding objectives
 Design of alternative breeding strategies
 Outreach workshops for sharing results and for
capacity building
Materials and methods

13. Recording growth, health and fertility
on Red Maasai, Dorper sheep and their crosses
Linear Measurements
Weighing
Interviews
Defining ageReproductionEar tagging
Weighing

14. Farmers Middlemen
Butchers
Breeding objectives
set by interviewing farmers and middlemen and butchers
Middlemen
Butchers
Farmers

15. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Growth and Body
size
Condition Milk production Mothering ability
and
Reproduction
Drought and
Disease
resistance
Dorper
Red Maasai
Cross
What farmers like in their ewes
Relative percentage of responses

16. Red Maasai Sheep
 Constitutes the main female flock
 Purebreeding for improvement of maternal and survival traits
 Partly for controlled crossbreeding to produce slaughter lambs
Dorper Sheep
 Terminal ram breed for controlled crossbreeding
with Red Maasai to produce slaughter lambs
 Selection for growth, health and survival
Potential breeding strategy

17. Conclusions of Red Maasai project
 Hardiness of Red Maasai sheep and growth rate/body size of
Dorper sheep preferred by livestock keepers
 Milk production surprisingly important due to heavy losses of
cattle during serious droughts 2008-2009 in the region
 Great need for increased production for food security and
export of lamb carcasses
 Women greatly involved and dependent on sheep production
 Great interest among livestock keepers in organized selection
based on sheep recording

18. Outcomes and Implications
 Closer links between livestock keepers, local stakeholders,
ILRI and SLU in research for development efforts leading to:
- Increased interest for improvement of indigenous livestock genetic
resources for improved food security and a pathway out of poverty
- Change in animal selection practices within communities
- Enhanced awareness and access to market information and
alternative markets by livestock keepers
 Sharing of collective partner experiences and building on
these to ensure better joint outcomes
An example of long-standing fruitful
cooperation between SLU and ILRI
enhanced by the UD40 project
Resources of UD, Sida, EIAR, SLU, and ILRI
for conducting these studies are highly appreciated