AN ASSESSMENT OF THE INTEGRATION OF MUTURU CATTLE (Bos brachyceros) INTO THE FARMING SYSTEM OF SOUTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA OF BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

A study was conducted to assess the integration of traditionally village-managed Muturu cattle into the farming system of the Southern Guinea Savanna of Benue State, Nigeria. The study covered a total of 394 herds involving 2336 head of Muturu cattle made up of 49.% cows, 22.6 '10 bulls, 26.1% calves and 1.3% castrates. An overwhelming majority of Muturu owners (90.9%) kept other livestock such as goats, pigs, sheep and poultry. Majority of Muturu owners (80.2%) reported problems of crop damage by free- roaming cattle during the dry season. The Muturu did not seem to have much utility value as 74Aoh o£ the farmers did not apply cattle manure on crog farms while an overwhelming majority of the farmers (87.6%) did not use
Muturu cattle for traction. All Muturu owners cultivated crops which was, a,n)ore important enterprise to them than keeping Muturu cattle or other livestock. &lalority (66.l0/0) fed tuber and cereal crop residues to their cattle that depended mainly on grazing natural pasture all
year-round. Chemical analysis revealed that the native grasses (Arzdropogerz spp, Hypnwlrenia spy., Pnrzicutn spy. and Perrrrisetrinz pedicellaturiz were Iziglzly fibrous, low in crude protein (CP) and deficient in phosphorus (P) and magnesium (Mg) during the wet and dry sehson crop residues (yam peels, cassava peels, sorghum stover, maize stover, rice straw, soyabean haulms and groundnut haulms) were also found to be deficient nutritively when they occurred in the dry season. Similarly, blood samples collected from a total of 253 Muturu cattle showed that
the serum Total Protein (TP) levels in these animals were low throughout the year. It was concluded that Muturu cattle were not completely integrated in the mixed farming system in Benue State and that protein, phosphorus and magnesium were limiting in the diets of these traditionally managed cattle.