Potential use of mobile phones in improving animal health service delivery in underserved rural areas: experience from Kilosa and Gairo districts in Tanzania.

Background: Sub-optimal performance of the animal health delivery system in rural areas is common in developing countries including Tanzania. However, penetration of mobile phones and availability of good road network and public transport systems offer opportunities for improving the access of rural communities to diagnostic and advisory services from facilities and expertise located in urban areas. A questionnaire survey on possession and use of mobile phones by pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in Kilosa and Gairo districts was carried out between November and December 2015.

A study on reproductive performance and related factors of zebu cows in pastoral herds in a semi-arid area of Tanzania.

A prospective longitudinal study was carried out from September 2001 to June 2004 in three adjacent villages in a semi-arid area of Tanzania. The objectives of this study were to measure the intervals between calving and either resumption of cyclical activity or confirmation of pregnancy, to estimate calving intervals, and to investigate the effect of factors assumed to be related to postpartum reproductive performance. A total of 275 lactation periods from 177 Tanzanian Shorthorn Zebu cows managed in a traditional pastoral system in 46 households were initially included.

The effects of buck teasing on synchronization of estrus in goats after intravulvo-submucosal administration of cloprostenol.

A study was conducted on 35 East African shorthorned female goats to determine if a combination of buck teasing and low doses of a prostaglandin (PGF(2) alpha) analogue, cloprostenol, given intravulvo-submucosally (i.v.s.

Effects of intravulvo-submucosal cloprostenol injections on hormonal profiles and fertility in subestrous cattle.

Eighty-two subestrous cattle were treated with different doses of cloprostenol through intramuscular (i.m.) and intravulvo-submucosal (i.

Effects of cobalt deficiency on the ovarian function in the East African short-horned goat.

24 normocyclic East African short-horned goats were made vitamin B12-deficient through feeding cobalt-deficient Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) hay. The deficiency was confirmed by controls of the blood level, by the occurrence of anaemia, by increased cortisol levels, and by hypertrophy of the fasciculata and reticulata zones in the adrenal cortex. The oestrogen level increased initially, and then decreased markedly from the 3rd cycle on, and reached levels below those of the control.