Demonstration of Koekoek breed was conducted at Raya-Azebo and Enda-Mehoni Woredas with 10 poor households with the objective of increasing the productivity of poultry thereby improving livelihood of the resource poor farmers in Ethiopia. Koekoek breed had significantly (P<0.05) superior on number of eggs laid per clutch (26 egg/clutch) as compared to local breed (15 egg/clutch). Beside this, the Koekoek breed is also superior in both sexes (male 2.6 kg and female 1.9 kg) on yearly body weights as compared to local breed. Koekoeks breed had significant (P<0.05) mean scored of 6 over local breed on production and reproduction performance. The farmers perceived that Koekoek breed had superior traits on body weight, number of eggs laid per month, egg size, vent size and marketability weight of egg. However, local breed was as superior as Koekoek breed on tail height, body color, leg length and color. The breed is now playing a great role as source of cash income to the beneficiary households and covers various expenses such as educational expense, saving, routine daily life expense, house equipments, electronic device sheep and feeds. Also, the breed is being disseminated to large number of farmers through the farmer to farmer dissemination approach. Beneficiary farmers are selling eggs to their neighbors and the male Koekoeks are playing roles as community based breed improvement. Hence, efforts should be made by the extension and other actors to further scale out the breeds.
Ethiopia has endowed sheep breed with poor productivity in terms of meat yield. Therefore demonstration of Dorper breed sheep was conducted at Enda-Mekoni Woreda with the objective of improving production and productivity of local sheep. Two pure male Dorper sheep were introduced to Enda-Mehoni Woreda for community based breeding strategies. Data such as live Body weight and farmer perception were collected. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Ranking methods. At the beginning, community had negative perception and not willing to cross their sheep with Dorper sheep. However, Farmers were given higher scored (49) to pure Dorper sheep on selection criteria for, male breeding stock. As a result, it's off spring (50% local and Dorper) was scored higher (97) on productivity and reproductive performance. In the present study, body weight of male crossed sheep was recorded 40 kg which is 18.7 kg higher body weight gaining as compared to local sheep with similar age. Moreover, crossed ewe had 8.5 kg superior on body weight gain compared to similar age of local sheep. Farmers notified that, pure Dorper and its crossed sheep had superior traits on loin, sternum, shoulder, body conformation, puberty age and marketable weight. The popularized Dorper sheep and its crossed had increased body weight growth as well as reproductive performance while crossed with local sheep. Therefore, it can be conclude that Droper sheep is adaptable to highland Tigray region as well as preferable to upgrade local sheep productivity.
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