Abstract
This study was conducted in Shabelle zone of Somali Regional State to assess management practices and production constraints of indigenous Somali Cattle. A total of 200 household heads were selected from four cattle potential districts; Dhanan, Ber’ano, Godey & Adadle. The relevant information was collected through semi-structured questionnaire, focus group discussion, key informants interview, and personal observations. Majority of the respondents were illiterate. The average cattle holding size was 8.97 heads/household and cattle were mainly kept for milk production. The major feed resources in the study area were natural pasture and crop residue, and communal grazing was the most important feeding system in the area. Feed shortage was a problem hindering cattle production in the study area during dry season mainly January up to March. Animals traveled long distances to watering points (>5 km) during dry season, while in wet season, animals were watered in nearby water sources. Cattle housing was open kraal fenced with the thorned plenty acacia trees and calves were housed separately from other cattle. Breeding in the study area was uncontrolled and was bred with their own or neighbors’ bull. Age at first mating, age at first calving and calving interval were 3.25 years, 4.05 years and 16.56 months, respectively. The daily milk yield and lactation length were 2.22 liters and 8.07 months, respectively. The production and reproduction performance of Somali cattle was relatively higher than other local breeds in the country mainly in terms of milk yield and fertility potential under the existing environmental conditions. The major constraints of cattle production were feed shortage, disease, water scarcity, lack of veterinary services, marketing problem and predator. Among those constraints, inadequate supply of quality feed, diseases and water shortage were the main reasons for low productivity of cattle and are the major factors limiting productivity. Therefore, to sustain the production system in the study areas, it is recommended to improve the current condition of communal rangelands through management of degraded areas by awareness creation on the value of these common resources and development of rules and regulation to sustain the existing resource and implement over the utilization of communal/pastoral rangeland management systems to reduce constraints such as shortage of feed, drought and grazing land deterioration which perpetuated through time due to land-use changes and seasonal fluctuation).
Highlights
This study was conducted in Shabelle zone of Somali Regional State to assess management practices and production constraints of indigenous Somali Cattle
Animals traveled long distances to watering points (>5 km) during dry season, while in wet season, animals were watered in nearby water sources
In Ethiopia, livestock is an integral part of agriculture and the contribution of live animals and their products to the agricultural economy accounts for 47% [1]
Summary
In Ethiopia, livestock is an integral part of agriculture and the contribution of live animals and their products to the agricultural economy accounts for 47% [1]. It is estimated that 97.76 percent of the total cattle in the country are local breeds and the remaining are hybrid and exotic breeds that accounted for 1.91 percent and 0.32 percent, respectively [2]. Livestock productivity in Ethiopia is said to be poor due to a number of reasons among which, the low genetic capacity of the indigenous cattle for milk and meat production is a major one [4]. In Ethiopia, the poor genetic potential for productive traits, substandard feeding, poor health care and management practices, are the main contributors to low productivity [5]. Productive and reproductive traits are crucial factors determining the profitability of cattle production [6]
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