On farm evaluation of the growth and economic benefit of afar breed rams supplemented with different protein sources: The case of Raya-Alamata District

Abstract

On-farm trial was conducted at Raya-Alamata District, Southern Zone of Tigray region, Northern Ethiopia. From the district three representative peasant associations namely Gerjelle, Limate and Harlle was selected based on sheep population and Ziziphus tree availability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth performance and economic benefit of Afar breed rams supplemented with different protein sources. Nine farmers were selected per each peasant association. Each farmer had assigned three growing yearly aged Afar breed rams with initial average body weight of 19.33±1.33 kg. The treatments include feeding with traditional practice/free-grazing (T1), T1+ 277.5 gDM/day/head urea treated teff straw supplementation (T2), T1+283.8 gDM/day/head air dried Ziziphus foliages supplementation (T3) and T1 + 250 g DM/day/head) concentrate mix of wheat bran and noug cake supplementation (T4). There was statistically significant difference (P<0.05) in daily live weight gain among the control and supplemented groups, except urea treated straw supplemented group. Rams in the control group and urea treated teff straw had showed 67.60 and 71.87 g of daily body weight gain per head, while the air dried Ziziphus leaf and concentrate mix supplemented group had gained 90.47 and 98.70 g/day/head, respectively. Moreover, the concentrate mix supplemented group (T4) had a higher net benefit of Ethiopian Birr 22.93/head over control group and higher profit margin of Birr 0.5/head, followed by the Ziziphus leaf supplemented group (T3) which had a net benefit of Birr 19.85/head and profit margin of Birr 0.4/head over the control group. Assume one US$ is equals to 20 Ethiopian Birr. The results of this study suggested that supplementation of sheep with 283.8 gDM of dried Ziziphus leaf or 250 g DM concentrate mixture is potentially more profitable to the small scale farmers’ sheep fattening practice than the other level of supplements. Key words: Body weight, concentrate mix, profitability, Ziziphus leaf, free grazing, urea treated teff straw.