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How many families does Bóthar support per year?
The number has been growing every year, but it is expected to be upwards of 2,300 this year.
School fees vary from country to country, and thankfully more administrations are introducing subsidised primary school education in our project countries. However it is not the fees that are the primary obstacle for families who wish to educate their children, it is the loss of income suffered when a child stops working to go to school.
When you introduce a farm animal into that equation the benefits are multiple.
Firstly you have the introduction of a dependable daily supply of nourishment in the form of produce (milk, eggs, cheese, honey or meat) from a dairy or other farm animal. Parents can feed their children, instantly improving their diet with a regular supply of calcium, protein, vitamins or iron.
Secondly; Along with a supply for home consumption there is often a small remainder of produce which can be sold at market to earn an income. Once the family starts to breed their animals and to build up a small herd, that daily income from sale of produce dramatically increases.
Thirdly; This source of income allows families to clothe their children and pay for medical treatments. They are able to improve their living conditions with many families purchasing the materials with which to make bricks, and moving out of grass roofed round huts into their own 'permanent' structure.
The vast majority of the parents we work with dream of being able to educate their children so that they might have the opportunities that they, their parents, never had. And with the living gift of an animal from Bóthar thousands of families are able to realise that dream.
How big has the 'snowball effect' been so far?
To date 15,000 families have benefited from gifts of animals descended from original Bóthar animals. This figure is rising all the time.
Example:
There is a Women's dairy group in Uganda where 65 families in the group had been given 65 dairy cows in 1998, and using the pass-on system where the 1st female calf from each cow is given to another family in the group who have completed the training, today there are 260 families in that group benefiting from Bóthar.
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Irish Dairy Heifers
What is a heifer?
A heifer is a female Bóvine that has not calved. Heifers are usually less than two years old.
Where do the Bóthar heifers come from?
Many are donated free by Irish farmers. Some community groups either buy or are given calves by farmers who are then paid by the group to rear them until ready to travel. Others are purchased by individuals, and so on.
What is the sponsorship money needed for?
The €1800 to sponsor a heifer is an average figure that is made up costs associated with rearing as well as transportation of the animal and training of the receiving family.
How old are the heifers when they are sent abroad?
Generally the animals are two years of age at the time of travelling.
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What breeds are sent and why?
Bóthar heifers are Holstein Friesians as they thrive in the countries to which they are sent and also because they have a high milk yield.
Are they always in-calf?
All heifers are inseminated prior to departure and are normally between two and seven months pregnant at shipment date.
How long will a dairy cow live?
This varies, depending on the care they receive. In Ireland cows are not kept beyond 10 years, but in project countries because of the extra care they are given they often live several years longer than that.
How many calves will she produce at one time?
Generally just one. Twins are rare and triplets even rarer. In the case of a cow producing a male and female twin, the genes of the male become dominant and the female calf is always infertile. This is known as a freemartin.
How often will she calve?
Beginning at two years it is possible for her to calve each year of her life.
How are the heifers put in calf, in subsequent years, in receiving countries?
In Ireland and receiving countries the preferred option is AI (Artificial Insemination) straws, which are of Irish origin and of high quality.
Does the African climate affect the cows adversely?
The climate in the receiving countries in Africa is temperate and comfortable for the animals.
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Where do they live?
Recipient families in Africa must first build a zero-grazing unit as part of their preparation for the animal. A zero-grazing unit is a housing facility constructed of locally available material. It is divided into four sections: one each for sleeping, feeding and milking, and one for the calf. It leads out onto an enclosed exercise area. Cattle are not allowed to wander freely for several reasons. If they come into contact with local cows they will pick up disease-carrying ticks. Also it is important to maximise the benefit of smallholdings. In Ireland it is reckoned that more than 50% of grass is destroyed by cows walking or lying on it. This could not be afforded in East Africa . In other countries often there will be existing housing accommodation for the animals, but it must meet a certain standard in order to be acceptable.
What are they fed?
In Africa cows are fed several species of grass, including elephant grass, a tough fast-growing native species that can grow up to two metres high; also alfalfa (or lucerne) and dismodia, which are not grasses but legumes, important as nitrogen fixers. In European and Middle Eastern countries alfalfa is the most popular choice. This fodder is cut and chopped several times a day by the family and brought to the animal for feeding.
How much milk will they produce?
Because of their quality, Bóthar cows will routinely produce 15-20 litres of milk a day, as opposed to one litre or less with local breeds. This is normally the highest daily production over a 300-day lactation period. A cow that is a "20 litre cow" might give 15 litres daily after calving. This will rise to 20 litres after about one month. It will hold that level for about five months and then start to decrease, possibly to about 10 litres eventually. The percentage of milk in each of the two daily milkings varies, depending on the time lapse between each milking.
What are the benefits for the family of having a Bóthar cow?
Milk is nature's most complete food and it transforms the diet and health of the family. If you consider how much milk your family uses each day you will see that the amount produced by an Irish cow is greatly in excess of the needs of even a large family. The surplus may readily be sold, so giving extra income which allows the family to buy food and clothing, to improve their housing and, perhaps most importantly, to pay for their children's education. In many developing countries there is no such thing as free education and many families cannot afford even the modest fees to send a child to primary school. Even if they have some income it is usually the boys who are educated, leaving the girls to do domestic chores at home, so the cycle of poverty and ignorance is perpetuated. Receiving a Bóthar animal can empower such families over the course of time and help to break this cycle for them and their children.
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What is the composition of milk?
Fresh milk provides a better balance of nutrients than possibly any other single food, even though it is mostly water. Composition varies depending on breed, feeding, etc., but an average sample would contain the following:
Water (87.51%), Fat (3.8%), Lactose (4.7%), Vitamins and Minerals (0.76%), three proteins - Casein (2.63%), Albumen (0.3%) and Globulin (0.1%) and lastly Non-protein Nitrogen (0.2%).
Are there any other benefits from the cow?
The manure from the cow may be used to produce biogas to power both a gas cooker and domestic light. It is fed into a special unit called a biomass converter, of which there are several types. The manure is then left to decompose and will produce significant amounts of methane as biogas, which is piped into the house.
In African countries most project families would have no electricity for light, cooking or heat; huge environmental damage is caused by the chopping down of trees for firewood or charcoal to provide fuel for cooking. This is known as deforestation. The land, which was formerly shaded by trees, becomes dried out and burned by the sun, resulting in desertification. The exposed soil is either blown away in huge dust clouds in the dry season or washed away by the torrential rains of the two wet seasons each year. As the trees near the family home are felled, the women often have to walk for miles each day to collect firewood, carrying it back on their heads in the heat of the sun.
By giving families the possibility of biogas this process of degrading the land is arrested and life made a little easier. Manure, which is removed from the digester, may then be spread on crop fields or vegetable patches as fertiliser, and is said moreover to assimilate faster into the soil if the gas has been removed first. The other benefits deriving from the cow are the small spin-off enterprises such as the manufacture of butter or cheese, which some co-operative groups are beginning to undertake.
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Are the cows killed for meat?
The cow is much more valuable to the family when alive. At the end of her life, as in Ireland , she may have to be sold for her meat and hide, but very few project families would kill their own cattle as they regard them as family members.
What is the gestation period of a cow?
On average the gestation period of a cow is 283 days, or around nine months.
What is the cycle of reproduction?
Once a cow gives birth she will give milk for around 300 days. After about three months of this period she will be inseminated again while in heat. She comes into heat every 21 days and this lasts for just one day. The milking continues but towards the end of this period the flow of milk slows down naturally and the cow must be "dried off". This is done by first milking three times in two days, then once a day, then once in two days and so on until the flow stops. The drying-off process takes around two weeks to complete. Ideally the cow remains dry for about 65 days before calving, although the figure may vary for many reasons. The calf is born head and feet first and the cow begins to lactate (give milk) again.
The first milk the calf drinks from the mother after calving is called colostrum or beestings, which is dark in colour and differs from normal milk in composition. It is vital that the calf receives colostrum within a few hours of being born, as it contains important antibodies which protect the calf against disease. The cow's milk returns to normal within three or four days.
What are the major diseases affecting cattle?
These are generally divided into those caused by bacteria and viruses. Bacterial infections include mastitis and brucellosis, while viral ones include foot and mouth and viral pneumonia. External parasites such as ringworms and ticks usually feed on the animal's skin or hair, while internal ones live inside it. Signs of a healthy cow include a moist nose, bright eyes, a good appetite and an alert and lively posture.
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What about foot and mouth?
At the time of writing Ireland has been permitted to begin sending heifers abroad once again, following the foot and mouth emergency. This serious disease caused all Bóthar operations involving heifers and goats to cease for many months, leaving families that had completed their training course waiting for long periods in the hope of receiving their promised animal. Thanks to the vigilance of the public and the co-operation of farmers we hope that this episode is now behind us.
Where are the Bóthar heifers kept before travelling?
On a given date there is a special "open day" at a farm near the village of Boher , Co. Limerick, to which all of the donated heifers are transported by farmers from around Ireland in preparation for their journey to their new homes. This is a major logistical exercise but the goodwill and hard work of many volunteers ensures that it passes off smoothly. The animals are checked by Department of Agriculture vets, and a certificate of fitness to travel is issued.
How are the heifers transported?
All the animals are transported by air, as this is the quickest, cheapest and least stressful method. Usually 70 heifers travel together as a group. The interior of a large cargo plane is specially adapted, having purpose-built pens and absorbent flooring installed. The cattle are comfortable during their journey are not in any way perturbed by the flight. On arrival, they are again checked by the local veterinary staff. Following this they are fed and watered and have a rest, and the next day they are distributed to their new families who have been eagerly awaiting their arrival.
Does it cause difficulty if one family gets a heifer and another does not?
There are trained and experienced personnel involved in Bóthar projects who, in consultation with local church and community groups, select the most needy families.
What preparations do the families make?
In addition to undergoing a training course in the correct care of the animal, the principal task undertaken by the receiving family in an African situation is the construction of the zero-grazing unit. This must be completed prior to any hand-over. The family also plants an area of fodder.
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What about environmental conservation?
In many areas of Africa , the land has been seriously depleted by erosion of the topsoil due to deforestation and desertification. In the rainy season there is nothing to anchor the soil and deep gullies are carved out by heavy rain.
Part of the process of land improvement is the construction of retaining banks in order to contain the run-off of this rainwater and halt the erosion. This is called terracing or contouring.
These improvements are an incentive to neighbouring families to maintain their own land and property by taking some of the above measures in the hope of receiving pass-on calves or a heifer of their own.
In an eastern European context the family must also be trained and must ensure that there is adequate housing for the animal, in addition to a good supply of fodder. Many families in Kosovo would have had livestock before the war and would already be familiar with animal husbandry methods.
What about male calves?
Bull calves that are born are valued for breeding and are often sold by the families to other farmers. Sometimes these Irish bull calves are cross-bred with the local species. The first offspring of this cross, known as an F1, has hybrid vigour, which makes it a far more productive animal than the native cow. A cross-bred cow will produce approximately seven litres of milk per day. A second cross, F2, will be an improvement again, and so on. The fourth cross, F4, is considered a pure-bred.
Will the animals be safe from war?
They are safest in the hands of one-animal farmers. Bóthar only sends animals to peaceful areas in countries that have settled administrations. In both Kosovo and Albania there are now several project areas. Many Albanian families took in Kosovar refugee families during the war despite being in poor circumstances themselves already.
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What about the heifer's name?
If you are sponsoring a heifer you may choose her name.
Irish Dairy Goats
How much milk does a dairy goat yield?
An Irish pure-bred Saanen goat will give about four litres of milk each day. That's over 20 of the bottles the school milk comes in! Can you work out how many litres this would be in a year and how much it would cost here?
What about offspring?
Saanens will kid each year, and will often produce twins. The receiving family agrees to donate the first-born female kid to another needy family; they may keep any offspring thereafter. In their turn the second family will do the same for a third family and so on.
Your "living gift" of a single goat will therefore go on increasing and multiplying for the rest of your lifetime and beyond!
Are the goats happy in their new countries?
The goats all receive the best of care in their new homes. In Africa they find the climate very comfortable. As the temperature there is similar to a warm Irish summer all the year round they do not find it too hot. They are also well fed and well looked after because their new family regards them as being worth their weight in gold.
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Why don't the African people breed their own goats?
Out of 450 million goats in the world, over 350 million are in developing countries, but many of these are of poor quality and do not give anything like the amount of milk produced by an Irish goat. Some of the male goats born from Irish parents are mated with the native stock and the resulting offspring are better than if produced by two indigenous animals. Best of all, though, is to have kids that have both male and female parents of high quality stock.
Does the family know how to care for their goat properly?
Before receiving the animal the family will have successfully completed a course which will train them on every aspect of caring properly for the animal. Great care is taken in this matter and, as you can imagine, all of the family from the youngest to the eldest are anxious that no harm should come to their precious goat. In addition there is a veterinary scheme so that if professional help is needed it is available.
Where are the goats kept before travelling?
One place that has become very important to Bóthar is the beautiful 200-acre farm of Stephen and June Powell near Birr, Co. Offaly. Here the newly-weaned goats are reared on a voluntary basis and with much care by Stephen and June until they are old enough to make the journey abroad.
How are the animals transported?
All the goats are transported by air as this is the quickest, cheapest and least stressful method. Usually a group of 200 travel together. They are taken from the Co. Offaly farm by road to the airport, usually either Shannon or Gatwick. The goats are transported either in specially designed crates, each holding 25 goats, or in pens which are installed in the aircraft itself. The animals are comfortable during their journey and do not mind the flight at all; in fact many of them sleep for the twelve-hour trip! On arrival they are fed and have a rest overnight, and the following day they are distributed to their new families who have been awaiting their arrival.
What is the goat's housing like?
In African countries the goat lives beside the dwelling house in a comfortable structure built of wattles, with a grass roof and a raised slatted wooden floor inside a shaded compound. This is called a "zero-grazing unit". Twice each day she is taken out for milking and a short walk.
In other countries often there will be existing housing accommodation for the animals, but it must meet a certain standard in order to be acceptable.
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How is the goat fed?
In Africa she is fed using what is known as the zero-grazing system. The family grows about one acre of special lush grass called elephant grass which is very successful in Africa . A couple of times a day some of this grass is cut and chopped for feeding to the goat in her compound. She is not allowed to roam freely in the elephant grass as she would cause too much damage and also might be prone to local diseases, but the family gives her plenty of exercise. Any manure produced by the goat is used to fertilise the ground.
In European and Middle Eastern countries alfalfa is the most popular choice. This fodder is cut and chopped several times a day by the family and brought to the animal for feeding.
Does it cause difficulty if one family gets a goat and another does not?
There are trained and experienced personnel involved in Bóthar projects who, in consultation with local church and community groups, select the most needy families. Usually a group of neighbouring families will each be given a goat. In order to foster the native sense of community spirit the families are encouraged to work together and share their resources for the good of all. This close-knit group structure enables them to support and learn from each other. We call this group of families a "Meitheal".
What is the mortality rate?
If the goat is in good health and is well cared for it can live for up to 14 years.
What about the goat's name?
If you are sponsoring a goat you may choose her name. Sometimes Bóthar will put together several small surplus donations to sponsor a goat, and she is then named "Upendo" which is the Swahili word for Love.
How old must the female be before she can have kids?
She must be one year old. Healthy females will have around six pregnancies in all, with twin kids in some and an average male to female ratio of 50:50.
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What is the gestation period?
The gestation period of a goat is about five months.
What is the lifespan of a goat?
Saanens can live for between six and eight years.
What about male goats?
Some Irish pucks are also sent abroad. These are valuable for breeding. One puck is usually kept in a central village and the females are brought from the surrounding area to be served. In this way the purity of the breed is preserved.
Where do Bóthar goats come from and how certain can we be of their quality?
Many are donated by goat farms in Ireland which already have more than enough for their milk and cheese production. These are always of excellent quality. Some goats are donated by other individuals and of these only the highest quality animals are selected to go abroad.
What breeds are the Irish goats?
Most are Saanens; there are some Toggenburgs and Alpines. These three are originally Swiss breeds. There are also some Anglo-Nubians, an African breed, which are in demand in Africa to cross with Saanens. The first generation of such a cross has a "hybrid vigour" that leads to bigger, stronger animals and increased milk yield.
What other work is done by Bóthar?
For full details of the other animal projects Bóthar is involved with select Rabbits, Bees, Chickens, Pigs, Goats, Yaks or Cows. Bóthar also helps existing projects by supplying vehicles, AI straws and other veterinary supplies, office technology and computers and by providing manuals translated into local languages. In recent times the experience of Bóthar has been sought by groups, notably in Australia , South Africa and France wishing to set up similar organisations.
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