In Nyanza, produce about 80 % of land preparation is done using ox drawn ploughs 10-15 % is done using tractors and 5-10 % is done by hand REASONS 1. Make work easier and efficient 2. Utilization of resources to enhance productivity 3. Cheap and easy to use 4. Flexible and available 5. Needs low technological knowhow ELEMENTS OF DROUGHT POWER HARNESSING 1. Animal power source 2. Mechanics 1. ANIMAL POWER SOURCE -This should be considered first before looking into the mechanics since it is a great determinant factor in determining time over which land is prepared and quantity of land prepared -A poorly selected and maintained animal power source will do little and poor work for a long period of time hence not addressing food adequacy -Animals are under harsh management hence cannot deliver. This include poor treatment and feeding -Therefore there is need to 1. Select good healthy and energetic animals 2. Train the oxen team 3. Feed well and treat 4. Carryout routine practices 5. Exposure to harsh management Animals: Donkeys, cattle, buffaloes, camels and elephants CHOOSING WORK ANIMALS 1. Consider heavy birth weight about 20-25 kg 2. Physically fit and blameless animals 3. Entire males preferably bulls 4. Younger strong animals of between 1.6 years to 2.5 years 5. Active and agile animals 6. Not castrated animals 7. Healthy animals TRAINING OF DRAUGHT ANIMALS 1. Pairing-Put a light yoke on young male calves and feed together for 2-3 hours everyday or leave whole day 2. Smaller weights-Once they bond i.e. 2-3 Months start giving small weights by harnessing the pair to light weights or pair in the middle of experienced team 3. Pulling-Use the side rope by pulling for compound animals 4. Grooming-This refers to shaping of work animals or turning of work animals. Pour water on the animals that have worked and brush them and this is away of grooming. This helps the muscles to relax and give good sensation. It also promotes closeness between animals and operators especially after work 5. Health-Consider having a good feeding regime and adequate water and minerals to improve on animal health 6. Work Timeframe-Work should be done in the morning very early for a maximum of 4 hours for mature animals and 2 hours young animals about 0.5 m/sec in light soils and about 0.2-0.4 m/sec in heavy soils. Adequate work is acceptable but excess leads to loss of weight and development of diseases. Stress is balanced well by good diet and adequate water -For young animals 2 hours and for older mature animals 4 hours. -Remember the bull animals have no sweat glands 7. Harnessing-1st harness then to lighter weights. In experienced animals should be tied with experienced animals. -Start with easy commands and move to hard commands and let your commands be clear .Disjointed ploughing. -If done for 2-3 Months, they will be well trained -Then take and tie between the experienced team for them to gain more experience -Harness their power using lighter work (weights) -Trained oxen should be tied back. -The operator should be friendly to the animals by naming, frequent handling of the animals, proper care and rewarding by giving salt DROUGHT ANIMAL INJURIES (i) Callous tissue-brought by pressure (ii) Muscular pains-Especially when trained animals hit tree roots/stumps. Also can be done to strains/tear on the front limbs or rib muscles and diaghram (iii) Leg/feet injuries-from sharp objects. Solution is to locate and treat fractures is not very common except in donkeys (iv) Whip lashes injuries-Most common injuries inflicated by operators. It is superficial but sometimes causes complete destruction of the skin (v) Tissue infections-Underlying tissues are sometimes affected especially where sticks are used FEED CONSERVATION (a) Silage preparation (b) Hay 2. MECHANICS Draft power mechanics comprises of the following key areas 1. the ox-plough 2. The yoke 3. The chain 4. Alignments of animals General improvements in the use of ox plough can turn the economy positively since it is a machinery at the dispersal of majority of the population and terrain of land also favor its use. PARTS OF AN OX-PLOUGH 1 2 11 8 3 4 6 5 9 10 7 1. Handle-Handling 2. Trusses/trafts-Attaches one handle to another 3. Beam-Adds weight to the plough 4. Hake/vertical adjustment-Sets the ploughing depth 5. Mould-board 6. Landslide-Counter forces the furrow slices 7. Shear-Penetrates the soil 8. Frog-Attaches other parts to the beam 9. Furrow-wheel-Maintains the ploughing depth and controls the furrow width 10. Chain-Attaches the plough to the yoke 11. Horizontal adjustment-Used to adjust the space between the animals and the plough OXPLOUGH CONTROLS/ADJUSTMENT Control of width and depth-Use:- 1. Chain by lengthening or shortening 2. Hake (horizontal size or slice size) left or right by extending width of cut and vice versa. i.e. increasing slice size 3. Farrow wheel/raising or lowering for controlling depth of ploughing 4. Pressure on plough handle USES OF PLOUGHS (a) Land preparation or ploughing (b) Trench making (c) Weeding (d) Planting PLOUGH PROBLEMS 1. Worn out share (plough parts) 2. The frog as concerning its size. Standard frog size is 8 inches 3. Poorly adjusted neck or furrow wheel 4. Short chain 5. Rusting of the plough, bolts and nuts 6. Adjusting the hake 7. Cleanliness of the plough 8. Sharpening of the plough MAINTENANCE OF THE PLOUGH (a) Plough carefully (b) Use appropriate spanners for tightening and loosening (c) Apply oil, grease and lubricant when necessary (d) Store the plough in a cool dry place to avoid rusting (e) Replace worn out parts regularly and in time (f) Sharpen the plough well (g) Wash the plough after use to avoid early worn out and transporting striga weed seeds to other farms CHAIN AND YOKE SIZES Chain size=8 ft to 10 ft (back) 8 ft (front) between yokes and 9ft-10 ft rear length depending on size of animals used. Rear 8ft-front 8-9ft YOKES Donkey ox collar harnesses are used for donkeys There are three types of yokes for oxen. Namely:- (a) Ploughing yokes (b) Planting/weeding yokes (c) Transporting yokes (a) DESIGN OF A PLOUGHING YOKE 2 X frog size=Distance from the yoke centre to the neck centre Neck size=8 inches Skay=2 inches Overlap left=4 inches Total length of yoke=52 inches ploughing yoke 16 inches 4 inches 2 inches 8 inches DISADVANTAGES OF A SHORTER YOKE The plow will repeat where it has already passed through and effort is wasted trying to bring the plow out (b) PLANTING AND WEEDING YOKE During design 24 inches should be used instead of 16 inches used for ploughing yoke. It is generally designed basing on spacing of the crop (c) TRANSPORT YOKE This is made according to traffic rules normally 6 inches but not longer than the size of the cart. Other things remain constant
Posted on: Fri, 04 Oct 2013 18:48:11 +0000
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