Dairy herd health and welfare management training report: Bahir Dar Zuria District, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Bahir Dar Zuria District in the Amhara Region has emerged as a potential milkshed with flourishing market-oriented dairy farms. However, there are several herd health and animal welfare issues affecting milk production and productivity in the district. To address these challenges, a community-based participatory dairy herd health and welfare management training was conducted by ILRI, SAPLING herd health, and HEARD project from 25 July 2023 to 02 Aug 2023 in Bahir Dar Zuria District.

The main objective of the training was to enhance milk production and productivity by equipping female and male dairy farmers with knowledge and skills in improved dairy herd health and welfare management practices. A total of 30 dairy producer farmers from three dairy clusters, consisting of six administrative kebeles, participated in the training. The training was conducted over six days, with two days dedicated to each cluster, on a sequential half-day basis.

To ensure convenience and a conducive learning environment, the training sessions were held at the community centers/FTCs. An experiential and collaborative learning approach was adopted to identify gaps in farmers' knowledge and attitudes and introduce new knowledge and improved practices to address these gaps. The training covered seven topics related to herd health and welfare management, including infectious and non-infectious diseases, parasitic diseases, calf mortality, reproductive disorders, hoof disorders, and dairy cattle welfare management.

Various training tools such as checklists, flipcharts, and group discussions were used to facilitate information flow and progressive learning. Visual aids such as pictures, storytelling, and discussion questions were employed to encourage participation and interaction among the participants.

During the training, several major diseases affecting dairy cattle production were identified, including foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), lumpy skin disease (LSD), mastitis, bloating, calf mortality, fasciolosis, schistosomiasis, ticks, and lice. Additionally, limited access to quality animal health services, land shortage for dairy production, and inhumane handling during herding, transportation, and slaughtering were recognized as significant animal welfare problems in the district.

To mitigate the identified herd health and welfare problems, the implementation of prioritized intervention packages is crucial. The successful execution of these interventions can significantly improve the herd health and productivity of dairy farms in Bahir Dar Zuria District.