The current review was initiated to encourage the government of Ethiopia, stakeholders, and policymakers about the substantial effects of handling, slaughtering process, and transportation on welfare and meat quality of farm animals of animals. In Ethiopia, until this review was made, there is no comprehensive legislation, rules, or regulations articulated for farm animals' welfare during rearing, transport, and slaughter. Hence, the welfare of animals was not taken into consideration and often constrained by high levels of poverty, cultural perceptions and beliefs, lack of training and knowledge of animal handling, inadequate transport, and slaughter facilities. The most common farm animal transport system was on the foot from a rural area to a nearby market and then by vehicle to the urban area. During transport, farm animals were exposed to several potential stressors like trip distance, design of vehicle, animal standing orientation, loading and unloading facilities, and temperature fluctuations that affect the welfare, quality, and shelf life of meat and meat products. Aversive ways of handling farm animals, including improper use of sticks, pushing, pulling, and beating them on their head and body frequently by handlers and slaughtering them without stunning, were common practices. This aversive way of handling also causes carcass damage such as bruising, hemorrhages, skin blemishes, blood splash, and broken bones. Therefore, from this review, it has been recommended that, in order to improve animal welfare and thereby meat quality that has been affected by improper handling, transport, and slaughter, the government of Ethiopia is strongly encouraged to endorse inclusive animal welfare jurisdictive acts that would protect animal sentience, define animal welfare in line with OIE standards, and prohibit animal brutality. Creating awareness for stakeholders, particularly for handlers about behavioral principles, proper handling of farm animals, basic concept and role of good animal welfare, and its significant impact on the quality of meat is also imperative.
A cross sectional study was conducted to assess dairy production system and to identify its common constraints in Abay Choman and Jimma Ganati Districts of Horro Guduru Wollega zone. Multistage sampling technique was used to determine sample size and Districts, peasant associations, villages and dairy owners were sampled sequentially. 63.13% of the respondents had formal education; out of which 40.22% attended only elementary education, 8.94% attended high School, 7.26% diploma graduate and 6.70% were degree graduates. The means ± SD of cattle holding was 8.04 ± 6.72 out of which averagely 3 animals were cows. Of the total of 546 dairy cows, only 9 (1.65%) and 5 (0.92%) were Holstein and Jersey cross bred cows. Housing system of the study area was mainly traditional and unimproved where 91.62% of housing of which 77.09% were not shaded. Only 2.22% were housed in concrete floor housing with shade. The average age at first calving for Horro zebu cattle was 3.61±0.59 years where it was shorter for crossbred a endogenous breed was 1.98 year and the average daily milk yield was found 1.1 litre/cow/day. Dairy product in the area was mainly used for home consumption where 131(73.18%) respondent dairy cattle owners use the dai the dairy owners sell dairy product to local consumer and 11(6.15%) and 1(0.56%) respondents sell their dairy product to Hotel and local consumer and only to Hotels, respectively. Based on result, provision of extension se distribution cross breed bulls and continuous training were recommended
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