Sustainable Livestock Farming – SS3 Livestock Farming Lesson Note (First Term)

Sustainable livestock farming is the raising of animals in a way that can last, without damaging the soil, polluting water or using up natural resources.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. explain what sustainable livestock farming means;
2. state the main rules of organic livestock farming and give reasons for going organic;
3. describe three ways of managing animal waste sustainably;
4. explain how an integrated crop and livestock system works;
5. compare conventional farming with sustainable farming.

What is sustainable livestock farming?

Sustainable livestock farming means keeping animals in a way that meets today’s needs without spoiling the land for future farmers.

• Sustainability: doing something in a way that can continue for a very long time.
• Working with nature: the farmer copies natural processes, such as returning dung to the soil.
• Protecting resources: soil, water, grass and trees are used carefully so they are not finished.
• Future benefit: children and grandchildren will still have fertile land to farm for many years.

What are the main practices of sustainable livestock farming?

• Organic farming: raising animals without artificial chemicals.
• Waste recycling: using dung and droppings as manure, biogas or feed.
• Integrated farming: keeping crops and livestock together on the same land.
• Rotational grazing: moving animals from one paddock to another so grass can grow back.
• Correct stocking rate: keeping only as many animals as the land can feed, to prevent overgrazing.
• Use of crop residues: feeding animals maize husks, bean straw and similar farm leftovers.

What is organic livestock farming?

Organic livestock farming is the raising of animals in a natural way, without artificial chemicals.

What are the main rules of organic farming?

• No synthetic chemicals: no artificial fertilisers on the grass the animals eat, and no chemical growth hormones to make animals grow unnaturally fast.
• Natural health: animals do not get antibiotics every day “just in case”. The farmer keeps animals healthy and clean so they rarely fall sick.
• Natural living: animals must be able to behave naturally. Free-range chickens, for example, walk outside and scratch the soil instead of being locked in tiny cages.
• Organic feed: the grain or grass the animals eat must also be grown without chemicals.

Why go organic?

1. Healthier food: many people believe organic meat and eggs taste better and are healthier.
2. Better prices: organic products often sell for more money in the market.
3. Soil health: the soil stays rich and full of life.
4. Cleaner environment: fewer chemicals reach streams and rivers.

How can animal waste be managed sustainably?

Sustainable waste management is the treatment of animal waste as a useful resource instead of rubbish.

Why must animal waste be managed?

• Bad smell: heaps of dung and urine smell badly.
• Flies: piled waste attracts flies that spread disease.
• Water pollution: rain can wash waste into rivers and spoil drinking water.

What are the ways of managing animal waste?

There are three common ways: manure, biogas and waste-to-feed.

Manure as fertiliser

• Meaning: dung is sometimes called “Brown Gold” because it feeds the soil.
• Method: the farmer collects the dung, lets it rot (compost) and spreads it on the fields.
• Benefit: nutrients return to the soil naturally and the farmer buys less chemical fertiliser.

Biogas production

Biogas is a fuel gas, mainly methane, produced when animal waste rots in a sealed tank.

1. Dung is mixed with water and put into a sealed tank called a digester.
2. Bacteria break down the waste without air.
3. Methane gas is produced and collected.
4. The gas is piped to a kitchen for cooking, or used to generate electricity.
5. The wet waste left in the tank can be used as manure.

• Benefit: the farmer saves money on charcoal, firewood and kerosene.

Waste-to-feed

• Meaning: waste from one animal helps to feed another.
• Example: poultry droppings can be used to rear maggots (fly larvae), which are fed to fish and poultry.
• Benefit: feed costs fall and less waste is left behind.

What is an integrated farming system?

An integrated farming system is the keeping of crops and livestock together on the same land so that each helps the other.

• Crops: provide food for the animals, such as maize husks or bean straw.
• Animals: provide manure to fertilise the crops.
• Closed loop: nothing is wasted because the output of one part is the input of the other.
• Benefit: the farmer spends less on feed and fertiliser.

How does sustainable farming compare with conventional farming?

• Conventional farming: farming that depends on bought chemicals, drugs and feed to get high output.
• Sustainable farming: farming that reuses farm resources and protects the soil and water.

What practical tips can a student farmer follow?

• Start small: a small backyard poultry unit is sustainable if the droppings go to a vegetable garden.
• Keep it clean: good waste management starts with daily cleaning of pens.
• Observe nature: notice which local plants your animals like to eat, and ask a veterinary officer which are safe.

Evaluation

1. What does sustainability mean in livestock farming?
2. State the four main rules of organic livestock farming.
3. Describe three ways of turning animal waste into a useful resource.
4. How do crops and animals support each other in an integrated farming system?
5. Give two differences between conventional farming and sustainable farming.

Assignment

List three ways a farmer can reduce smell and flies on a pig farm by managing waste, and explain how each one works.