A cross-sectional study on animal nutrition and management evaluation of selected small ruminant enterprises in Sakarya and Balıkesir.

This study was conducted to determine the deficiencies or improvable aspects in this area in order to carry out sustainable and more efficient small ruminant farming in Balıkesir and Sakarya provinces, to reveal the demographic and structural status of small ruminant farming, animal health conditions, production techniques applied by enterprises with existing opportunities, biosecurity, health-protection, care-feeding and other elements. For this purpose, the results obtained from a face-to-face survey conducted on a total of 200 enterprises, 150 in Balıkesir and 50 in Sakarya, were evaluated. It has been observed that while most small ruminant enterprises in Balıkesir do not have cattle, cattle farming is more prominent in Sakarya. In both provinces, a significant proportion of owners were over 46 years old, and only a small percentage were university graduates. When the enterprises in the two provinces are compared, the rates obtained regarding the types of small ruminant enterprises in Balıkesir such as fattening (84%), the dominance of extensive and semi-extensive enterprises in terms of enterprise structure (33%), the presence of poultry in the enterprise (43%), environmental spraying (45%), the use of factory feed in feeding the animals (98.7%), vitamin-mineral supplements (41.3%), the use of pasture (93.3%), the use of vetch hay (16%), the use of automatic water dispensers (15.6%), buckets (70.9%), water tanks (25.2%) in water supply to the animals, the presence of a maternity area in the enterprise (75.3%) and umbilical cord care and hygiene in neonates (67.1%) were found to be higher than the enterprises in Sakarya (p 0.05). On the other hand, the proportions obtained regarding the enterprise type of small ruminant enterprises in Sakarya being combined (meat-milk) (94%), the dominance of closed farms in terms of farm structure (94%), quarantine application for new animals entering the farm (26%), the use of barley (98%), oats (24%), alfalfa (66%), oat straw (76%), the use of licking stones (98%), the use of troughs for water supply (100%), keeping rams separate from the herd (46%), the ability of the farm owner to help during difficult births (100%) and postpartum cleaning (87%) were found to be significantly higher than the rates obtained from the farms in Balıkesir. Therefore, in order enhance the efficiency of small livestock enterprises in both provinces and to eradicate the shortcomings, negative aspects, and faults found in these businesses, educational activities and practices are required.