A questionnaire survey and focused group discussions were conducted to characterize sheep production systems and traditional breeding practices of Gumz sheep as an essential step for designing the Gumz sheep breed conservation and improvement programme. A total of 240 households were included in the study during the period of November 2016 to March 2016. Smallholder farmers kept sheep as a source of income, meat and wealth with an index value of 0.43, 0.19 and 0.15, respectively. Important purposes of large scale farmers for keeping sheep were source of cash income (0.57) and investment opportunity (0.22). Average sheep flock sizes were 17.25 ± 0.68 and 90.63 ± 5.38 at smallholder and large scale production systems, respectively. Smallholder sheep flocks' composition was 7.47 ± 0.28 Gumz, 3.68 ± 0.25 Rutana and 4.52 ± 0.22 Rutana-Gumz crossbred sheep. The corresponding figures for large scale farms were 21.2 ± 1.4, 30.7 ± 1.69 and 24.7 ± 1.47 sheep. The average numbers of rams in the smallholder sheep flocks were 0.31 ± 0.04 Gumz, 0.39 ± 0.04 Rutana and 0.24 ± 0.03 crossbreds, respectively. The corresponding figures for large scale farms were 3.10 ± 0.13 Rutana and 0.90 ± 0.14 crossbreds. The Gumz sheep was large in number, but farmers prefer Rutana and its crosses than Gumz in both systems. Diseases, stock theft and labour shortage were reported as the main constraints of sheep production. Although the pure Gumz breed meets the multifaceted roles of sheep for the smallholder farmers, the Gumz sheep population was declining in number in the study area due to uncontrolled breeding with Rutana and high preference of farmers for crossbreds over Gumz sheep. It is observed that there is a risk of dilution and loss of genetic diversity of the Gumz sheep. Hence, we rec

The study was carried out in Bensa district of Sidama zone, Southern Ethiopia. Agro-ecologically, the study sites were classified into highland and mid-altitude. The objective of the study was to identify sheep farming practices in relation to future production strategies in the study area. A total of 128 households from four kebeles (lower administrative structure) were selected purposively based on sheep population and production potential and accessibility. Data was collected through semi-structured questionnaire, focus group discussions, and key informants. The result showed that most of the household heads were male (92.75%) and mixed crop-livestock system was the dominant production system. Among the livestock species, sheep accounted for the largest proportion across the two agro ecologies and the average sheep flock size/household was 4.6 ± 0.33 and 22 4.3 ± 0.213 in highland and in mid-altitude, respectively. The primary reason of keeping sheep was for cash income and saving across the two agro ecologies. The major feed resources for sheep during the wet and dry seasons were natural pasture and crop residues respectively across the two agro ecologies. Feed shortages, disease, parasite prevalence, and market were the major sheep production constraints in highland while feed shortage, genotype, disease, parasite prevalence, and market in mid-altitude. It can be concluded that for enhancing future production from sheep in the area, emphasis is to be given on feed availability, disease management, breeding policy, and marketing strategies.

No abstract

Background: Genetic improvement in livestock in developing countries like Ethiopia remains challenging; selectionbased breeding schemes have the potential to provide resource-poor producers with access to improved animals that could ensure increased productivity of animals and hence contribute to reduced poverty. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare alternative breeding program designs to improve productivity of Gumz sheep for sustainable utilization and conservation of genetic resource. In this paper, two village-based and two central nucleus-based sheep breeding schemes were modeled and evaluated in terms of their biological and economic efficiencies. The schemes were scheme-1: a village-based breeding scheme with existing lambing, scheme-2: a village-based scheme with improved lambing, scheme-3: central nucleus-based scheme with 5% nucleus size and scheme-4: central nucleus-based scheme with 10% nucleus size. Results:The annual genetic gains per year in 6-month weight (kg) were differed across schemes and ranged from 0.154 to 0.171 in village-based scheme, and 0.334 to 0.336 in central-based schemes. The annual genetic gain per year in number of lambs born per ewe bred ranged from 0.0017 to 0.0036% in both village-and central nucleus-based scheme. The genetic gain in the proportion of lambs weaned per ewe was comparable across central nucleus-based scheme but little differed in village-based schemes and ranged from 0.0015 to 0.0016%. Conclusion:Central nucleus-based schemes resulted in the highest genetic gain and economic efficiencies in all breeding objectives compared to village-based schemes. However, this scheme requires establishing a very large central nucleus flocks. Village-based scheme with estrous synchronization was the best option. The expected genetic gains and profits were higher as it promotes participation of farmers and achieving concentrated lambing which in turn increase selection intensity and genetic progress. This suggested the possibility for sustainable Gumz sheep improvement and conservation through village-based schemes and estrous synchronization.

The study was undertaken in the northern periphery of the country, Tigray region, northwest Tigray zone, Tahitay Adiyabo district from February to March, 2017. For this study, four Kebeles were selected purposively based on the presence of two major community groups (Tigrayans and Kunama) and presence of camel species and other livestock species. Seventy-two (72) households per district, of which 38 households from two kebeles for Kunama community and 34 households from two kebeles for Tigrayan community groups were selected randomly. A software package of SAS (2008) was employed to generate descriptive statistics for qualitative and quantitative data. As the study revealed, three-fifth and two-fifth of the respondents in the study area were illiterate and attended primary education respectively. The two community groups were significantly (P < 0.05) different on educational status and Tigriyans respondents were more educated than the other counterpart. More than 2/3 children (7-17 years of age) of the respondents in the study area were attended school. Exceptionally, more than 75% of the children for Tigriyan community group in the district were attended school whereas 3/5 th of Kunama community children were attended school education. Average family size per household in the study area was 6.22 ± 0.45 and significant (P < 0.05) difference was observed in the two community groups which was higher in Tigriyan community (7.23). Livestock husbandry practices (breeding objectives, herding, milking and marketing) were decided entirely by husband or both and the decision by wife alone was reported to be non-existent in the study area. From all respondents of Kunama community, more than a quarter of them produce household income majorly from their How to cite this paper: Tadesse, Y. (2019) Socioeconomic Characteristics of the Community and Importance of Camel and other Livestock Species in Tahitay-Adiyabo District, Tigray Region in the Northern Peri