Abstract
The study was conducted in Gasera and Ginnir districts of Bale mid to highland areas, Oromia regional state, southeast Ethiopia; to assess livestock feed resources, to determine major feed nutritional value and their implication on animal productivity. Stratified random sampling (poor, medium and wealth) was applied to identify the sampled unit of 156 households in the selected districts. The chemical compositions of sampled feeds were determined using wet chemistry at Holeta Agricultural nutrition laboratory. Livestock production systems in the districts were extensive type. The metabolizable energy (ME) of the major available roughage feeds was 956,094.71 and 980,392.51 MJ per annum in the Gasera and Ginnir districts, respectively. Crop residues (aftermath and barley straw, wheat straw and teff straw) contributed about 80.4 and 81.73% in Gasera and Ginnir, respectively of the total annual ME supply of roughage feeds where the remaining is from natural grasses. The DCP (digestible crude protein) amount estimated in sampled feed was not statistically different in the study districts (P>0.05). Crude protein (CP) and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) were significantly higher (P < 0.05) for feed from natural grasses than crop residues and aftermath. To the contrary, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) contents were significantly higher (P < 0.05) for crop residues and aftermath. Mean crude protien content of crop residues and aftermath was less than the critical level of CP (7% DM) required for optimum function of rumen microbes, implying the need for supplementation. On the other hand, the amount of dry matter available from major sampled feed sources indicated that, it satisfied the maintenance requirement of cattle; however, the bulkiness of the feed cannot indicate the quality of the utilizable nutrients. This implies supplementation with concentrates and improved forage feeds are compulsory to overcome energy and protein deficiency in both study districts, especially during dry periods for reasonable livestock production. Key words: Livestock, feed resources, chemical composition.
Highlights
Ethiopia believed to have the largest livestock population in Africa
Agriculture is the largest economic sector in Ethiopia accounting for about 46% of the national GDP, employment of 85% of the labor force and 90% of the poor depend on the sector for their livelihood (World Bank, 2008)
To determine the potential forage biomass yield and dry matter (DM), representative samples of mixed natural grass and herbaceous vegetation were taken from protected areas in wet season based on pasture plants full growth to 50% flowering stage
Summary
Ethiopia believed to have the largest livestock population in Africa. According to the recent CSA’s (2012/13) sample survey report, Ethiopia is endowed with 53.99, 25.5, 24.06, 9.01,0.92 and 50.38 million heads of cattle, sheep, goat, equines, camels and poultry, respectively, excluding non-sedentary populations of three zones ofAfar and six zones of Somali Regions. Because of the low potential for crop production, including absence of or limited irrigation technologies in Ethiopia and most countries in COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa), livestock remains a major source of income and food for the majority of rural people in mixed and pastoral farming systems. In this respect, livestock ownership, in terms of both quantity and quality is an important asset because of its multiple social, economic and cultural uses (UNESC, 2012). World Bank (2011) reported that the livestock subsector provides 16% of the total GDP and generates 14% of the country’s foreign exchange
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