Abstract
Study was carried out in Adaa and Adama zuria districts of Oromia Regional State with objective of assessing the existing dairy feeding practices, major dairy feeds and mineral resource at farm level. A cross-sectional study design was employed to assess dairy cattle feed and mineral resources. Then multistage sampling method was employed to select the study sample units, which had expected to be representative of the whole population, found in the study area. The districts were selected purposively, based on the number of dairy farm concentration. The result showed that the primary constraints for dairy owners were shortage of land (17.3, 14.6%); followed by feed shortage (13.4, 11.4%) in Ada’a and Adama Zuria districts, respectively. In the current study, 67.7% of respondents from Ada’a and, 89.4% from Adama zuria district did not grow any improved forages due to different cases. The survey indicated that 48.8% of dairy farmers from Ada’a and 43.9% from Adama zuria district did not supplement dairy animals with minerals due to lack of awareness and mineral availability. The results showed that feed type difference and feeding practice variability based on feed availability and season of the study area. Therefore, Alternative feed production awareness and skills such as development of improved forages, proficient feed application technologies and natural pastureland improvement measures should be taken. The contribution of improved forage in dairy feed was very low due to lack of awareness and shortage of improved forage seeds and land in the area. To alleviate this problem, awareness creation and model nursery sites should be established for demonstration in potential districts so that dissemination and utilization of these feeds are very important. Due to unaffordable costs of commercial dairy feeds including concentrate feeds and, minerals, provision of common salt and locally available natural soil/bole as mineral source should be encouraged.
Highlights
Livestock feed resources are classified as natural pasture, crop residue, improved pasture and forage, agro industrial by products, other by-products like food and vegetable refusal, of which the first two contribute the largest feed type [1]
The current study indicated that 59.1% of respondents from Ada’a and 44.7% from Adama zuria districts have knowledge about mineral deficiency diseases with their respective symptoms whereas, (40.9%, 55.3%) haven’t idea about deficiency diseases in Adaa and Adama zuria, respectively (Table 7)
K=knowledge,figuresin parenthesis are percentages for a given category. In both districts male respondents mainly involved in dairy cattle production activities than female and this result was in agreements with the [9,10] in different parts of Ethiopia
Summary
Livestock feed resources are classified as natural pasture, crop residue, improved pasture and forage, agro industrial by products, other by-products like food and vegetable refusal, of which the first two contribute the largest feed type [1]. Understanding type of feed resources and its nutritional quality are important for improving production and productivity for enhancing food security. Dairy productivity is the function of nutrition, health status and genetic potential of the animal. Among these factors, nutrition plays the most important role as it represents the major cost dairy production. Seasonal inadequacy of the quantity and quality of available feeds are the major problems facing dairy cattle production [2]. Dietary nutrition plays a substantial role in any dairy development and the best appearance of genetic potential for milk production depends on Received date: December 24, 2018; Accepted date: January 24, 2019; Published date: January 31, 2019
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