Traditional sheep production systems and breeding practice in Wolayita Zone of Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

The study was conducted in Wolayita zone of Southern, Nations, Nationalities and People Regional State with the objectives to explain its production systems, breeding practice with major constraints of sheep productivity. Purposive sampling techniques were employed to select target farmers. Structured questionnaire, focused group discussions, secondary data sources and field observations were used to generate the required data. A total of 184 households were selected from four woredas (8 rural kebele) in both weyna-dega and dega agro-ecologies. The survey results revealed that the overall total family size and land holding were 6.4 and 1.1 ha, respectively and the overall mean sheep holding was 5.2 sheep per households. The purpose of keeping sheep was as source of income followed by manure and meat production. The key feed resources in both agro-ecologies were communal grazing and private pastures. Most important causes of sheep mortality in the study were disease and parasite, water and nutritional deficiency, drought and absence of animal clinic. The overall mean value of age at first lambing, lambing interval and twining rate are 13.5, 7.9 months and 1.5 lambs, respectively. The constraints that delay sheep production in the study area was feed and grazing land shortages disease, drought, labor shortage, water shortage and loss of sheep by predators with index value of 0.30, 0.24, 0.16, 0.15, 0.09 and 0.05, respectively. It was concluded that indigenous sheep had a potential for multipurpose role to generate income for smallholders. Therefore, genetic improvement program should aim at farmers need to cope with trait preference and existing traditional herding and breeding practice.

Body weight had highest correlation coefficient with heart girth around the chest under the same farmers feeding conditions for Arsi Bale sheep

“…During the dry season the predominant feed resource in the study areas is natural pasture (Table 1) which is also in close accordance with the fi ndings of [4,21] (Table 2).…”

Sheep Production Systems and Breeding Practices for Selected Zones of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

“…Background characteristics of the respondents in the study areas. The overall mean family size was 6.49 ± 2.65, which is comparable with the estimation of 6.4 persons per household reported in other area[10].Among the total household heads, 75.0% were males, which is comparable to the result reported by earlier researchers[11] [12]. Household headed by female in the present study is high, which could be attributed to the death of mainly males in the prolonged internal conflict during the Derg regime and border dispute between Eritrea and Ethiopia.The majority of the respondents (94.4%) were follower of Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, while the remaining (5.6%) were Muslims.…”

Efficiency modeling, an important factor in the development of sheep and goat production in a semiarid region / Modelagem da eficiência, fator importante para o desenvolvimento da ovinocaprinocultura, dos produtores do Semiáridoc

“…This result is similar to that observed by Lakew et al (2017) who in Ethiopia the production system and sheep management system in the study areas was characterized by mixed crop-livestock production system. Sheep play an important role in the livelihoods of people in the study area, and they have potential for greater contribution through better health management and genetic improvement.…”