The study was conducted in Erob district eastern Tigray, Ethiopia to phenotypic characterize Maefur goat based on physical body feature and linear body measurements. Six hundred (297 male and 303 female) goats were randomly selected and grouped into four age groups of 0, 1, 2 and ≥3 PPI. General Linear Model (GLM) procedure of SPSS version 16.0 and descriptive statistical analysis were were used to summarize the collected data. Short ear size (12.3 cm for male and 11.8 cm for female), long and thick horn, medium body size (42.8 kg for male and 32.7 kg for female), and large heart girth (82.1 cm for male and 73.4 cm for female) are the major body characteristics of Maefur goat breed. There was a significant (P< 0.05) effect of sex and age on live body weight and linear measurements. Mean± SE of live body weight, heart girth, body length and height at wither in male were 34.7±0.57 kg, 75.3±0.53 cm, 64.3±0.61 cm and 64.7±0.46 cm, respectively while in female 28.9±0.35 kg, 70.0±0.33 cm, 60.0±0.40 cm, and 59.3±0.31 cm, respectively. For heart girth in these age groups were 61.1±0.53, 69.4±0.33, 70.6±0.4 and 77.7±0.39 cm, respectively while body length were 50.3±0.43, 56.8±0.42, 59.3±0.58 and 68.2±0.42 cm, respectively. For height at wither in these age groups were 54.0±0.45, 59.1±0.35, 58.4±0.32 and 66.5±0.40 cm, respectively. Heart girth and height at wither were significantly (P<0.05) different among the age groups except between 13-18 and 19-24 months. The study revealed that large heart girth is a unique characteristic of the Maefur indigenous goat. The study concluded that Maefur goat breed is identified as one of the potential goat breed in Tigray, Ethiopia.

A cross sectional survey was conducted to characterize production system and to identify breeding objectives of Maefur goat population in the eastern zone of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. A pre-tested questionnaire was used for the personal interview with purposively selected 150 households. The data collected through personal household interview were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Indices were used to provide the ranking. The mean (±SD) family size of the household was 8.5±2.1. The average (±SD) livestock holdings of the sampled household for goat, chicken, sheep, bee colony, and cattle were 31.0±11.1, 12.2±4.2, 6.8±4.5, 3.7±3.7, and 3.0±1.5, respectively. Does are mainly reared for milk, breeding, meat and for manure production with an index value of 0.25, 0.24, 0.17 and 0.14, respectively. Average composition of goat flock was 50, 22, 15, 10, and 3% for does, gimmers, bucks and wethers, respectively with an average ration of intact male to female goat was 6.3:1. Male and female goat reached for sexual maturity at the average (±SD) age of 11.1± 1.5 and 12.7±2.1 months, respectively with an average (±SD) age of 21.1±2.0 months at first kidding of the female goat. The average (±SD) kidding interval was 7.1±0.6 months.

The study was conducted in Hawzen and Hintalowagerat districts of Tigray region Northern Ethiopia with the objective of enhancing meat production performance of the local sheep through cross breeding with high yielding exotic Dorper sheep under smallholder farmers. Pure male Dorper mated with local sheep produced first and second generation with 50 and 25% blood level of Dorper, respectively. Farmer's research groups were established in both locations. The average live body weight of the 50% crossbred male and female sheep was 45 and 38 kg, respectively at adult age. The average live body weight of the adult male and female local sheep (highland) was 25 and 20 kg, respectively. On farm crossbreeding of Dorper (male) sheep with local sheep (female) improved body weight by 55% (male) and 53% (female) at yearly age. Smallholder farmers perceived that Dorper crossbred sheep are appropriate for meat production improvement. It is concluded that regardless of the black body color and the appearance short thin tail of the crossbred, Doper sheep breed is the appropriate technology for enhancing meat production performance of the local sheep.

On station, farm studies were conducted in the eastern zone of Tigray to improve feed resource through integrating forage and cereal crops, to identify suitable and compatible lablab accessions for maize lablab intercropping under smallholder farmers, to demonstrate maize/lablab intercropping on farm, and to see farmer's perception towards this technology. In the first study, eight lablab accessions were screened as monocrops adaptively, biomass and seed production. 1034, 912 and Dolichos lablab accessions were selected. Mean biomass production was estimated as 5.91, 7.12 and 8.31 DM (t/h) for 1034, 912 and Dolichos lablab accessions, respectively. These promising lablab accessions have wide adaptability and best compatible for intercropping. As follow up, 1034 and 912 lablab accessions were in farm trial, selected for intercropping with maize under irrigated lands to evaluate their contribution biomass production and adoptability. The selected legumes were row intercropped into maize and the average fresh biomass yield of maize was 18 kg under irrigated lands. The total average fresh biomass harvested from a single 10 X 10 m plot size was 18, 32 and 33 kg, for T 1, T 2 and T 3, respectively. The mean change in total fresh biomass yield for lablab accession 912 and 1034 was 19.75 and 15.75 kg, respectively. Based on the field observation lablab accession #912 has performed best during the trial period. Hence, the total fresh biomass harvested from intercropped lablab accessions has increased up to 49% and higher in total fresh biomass harvested in sole maize plots. In general, the tendency for adoption of the forage legumes was higher as compared to other forage species.