Assessment of Sheep and Goat Foreign Bodies in Rumen and Reticulum in the Jigjiga Municipal Abattiar

<p>The study was conducted from November 2014 to April 2015 at Jigjiga Municipal Abattoir, Somale Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia. The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of rumen and reticulum foreign bodies, identifying types of foreign bodies and associated risk factors for the occurrences of foreign bodies in sheep and goats in the area. A total of 384 sheep and goats were selected using systematic random sampling method and 118 of them (30.73%) were found positive for foreign bodies in their rumen and/or reticulum. From each 192 sheep and goats examined, 34.4% (66) and 27% (52) were positive for various types of foreign bodies, respectively. There was no statistically significant (p>0.05) difference between the two species for the occurrence of rumen and reticulum foreign bodies. Prevalence of foreign body recorded in thin, medium and good sheep and goats was 40%, 35.9% and 28.52%, respectively. However, variation in the prevalence of foreign bodies among the body condition groups was significantly different (p0.05). From 118 animals positive for foreign bodies, rumen showed higher occurrence (78%) than reticulum (20.34%). The study showed high prevalence of foreign bodies in sheep and goats. Strict legislations regarding the proper disposal of wastes from households and factories should be applied to reduce pollution of the environment.</p&gt