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Effect of Extension Training on Farmers’ Adoption of Sheep Lamb Management Practices

Abstract

Sheep lamb management involves the care and management practices provided to lambs from birth through the early stages of growth to promote healthy development, survival, and productive performance. Appropriate lamb management practices are important for reducing mortality, improving growth, supporting healthy development, and enhancing the productivity and profitability of sheep farming. Extension training can provide farmers with relevant knowledge and practical skills needed to adopt recommended lamb management practices. This study will examine the effect of extension training on farmers’ adoption of sheep lamb management practices. The study will assess farmers’ exposure to extension training on lamb management and determine how such training influences their adoption of recommended practices. It will also examine the extent to which farmers apply knowledge acquired through extension training in the care and management of lambs. The study will focus on extension training, farmers’ knowledge of lamb management, lamb feeding, colostrum provision, housing, hygiene, identification, vaccination, disease prevention, parasite control, growth monitoring, weaning, and general care of young sheep. It will also consider farmers’ participation in practical demonstrations and advisory activities designed to improve their skills in managing lambs during the early stages of development. A quantitative research approach will be adopted for the study. Data will be collected from selected sheep farmers using structured questionnaires designed to obtain information on their exposure to extension training and adoption of sheep lamb management practices. The data will be analysed using descriptive statistics, frequency distributions, percentages, mean scores, correlation analysis, and regression analysis to determine the relationship between extension training and farmers’ adoption of recommended lamb management practices. The study is expected to reveal that extension training may have a positive effect on farmers’ adoption of sheep lamb management practices. Farmers who receive regular and practical training may demonstrate greater adoption of appropriate feeding, housing, hygiene, disease prevention, vaccination, parasite control, and growth monitoring practices. The study may also reveal that inadequate training opportunities, limited access to extension agents, insufficient veterinary support, and resource constraints can limit farmers’ adoption of recommended lamb management practices. The study will be useful to sheep farmers, agricultural extension agents, livestock development agencies, veterinary personnel, agricultural development organizations, policymakers, and researchers. It may provide useful information on the contribution of extension training to improved management of young sheep. The findings may also assist relevant agencies in developing practical livestock extension programmes that strengthen farmers’ knowledge and skills for improving lamb survival, growth, and overall sheep production. The study concludes that extension training is an important component of promoting farmers’ adoption of sheep lamb management practices because practical education can improve farmers’ knowledge and ability to apply appropriate management techniques. It is therefore recommended that agricultural extension agencies strengthen regular training, demonstrations, and advisory services on lamb feeding, housing, hygiene, disease prevention, vaccination, parasite control, and growth monitoring to improve lamb survival and support sustainable sheep production.

Keywords: Extension training, sheep farmers, lamb management, lambs, livestock extension, lamb feeding, colostrum, lamb housing, animal hygiene, disease prevention, vaccination, parasite control, lamb growth, livestock production, sheep farming.