Farm Tools: Herding stick
<b>Herding stick essential for security</b><br>A herding stick (enkoni) is one tool that is often taken for granted, yet without it a herdsman is defenceless against wild animals and people who are after his animals.
By christopher bendana
Herding stick essential for security
A herding stick (enkoni) is one tool that is often taken for granted, yet without it a herdsman is defenceless against wild animals and people who are after his animals.
There have been stories of herdsmen armed with just a herding stick, confronting and, in some cases, even killing a lion or some other fierce animal that was trying to snatch his animals.
Richard Agaba, a cattle keeper in Ruhaama, Ntungamo district, has used enkoni for much of his life. He always carries one out of habit, even when herding cattle. “It is also for my personal defence from bad people and wild animals,†he explains.
To make a good herding stick, you need to uproot the whole plant. With the help of a sharp panga, remove the roots and shape the tap root into a club. You then need to place the stick over the fire to kill any bug that might be hiding inside it.
You then allow it to dry slowly in the sun. What you get in the end is a strong herding stick that will protect you and your animals.
The herding stick can also be used to clear footpaths as the herdsman moves around the grazing ground. It can also be used to clear bushes or remove thorns from a spot that a herdsman wants to use as a resting place.
Herding stick essential for security
A herding stick (enkoni) is one tool that is often taken for granted, yet without it a herdsman is defenceless against wild animals and people who are after his animals.
There have been stories of herdsmen armed with just a herding stick, confronting and, in some cases, even killing a lion or some other fierce animal that was trying to snatch his animals.
Richard Agaba, a cattle keeper in Ruhaama, Ntungamo district, has used enkoni for much of his life. He always carries one out of habit, even when herding cattle. “It is also for my personal defence from bad people and wild animals,†he explains.
To make a good herding stick, you need to uproot the whole plant. With the help of a sharp panga, remove the roots and shape the tap root into a club. You then need to place the stick over the fire to kill any bug that might be hiding inside it.
You then allow it to dry slowly in the sun. What you get in the end is a strong herding stick that will protect you and your animals.
The herding stick can also be used to clear footpaths as the herdsman moves around the grazing ground. It can also be used to clear bushes or remove thorns from a spot that a herdsman wants to use as a resting place.