Abstract
Background: Unlike the large potential of small ruminants in the country their productivity is low. There are various factors that contribute for low productivity. The objectives of this study were to assess sheep and goat production systems, and to identify challenges and opportunities for small ruminant production. Methodology: The study was conducted in Birkot, Guna Gado and Degehabur Districts of Degehabur Zone of Somali Regional State, Ethiopia. Results are based on survey of 120 sample households (40 household from each district) selected by using purposive sampling and rapid appraisal of major sheep and goat production. Result: Sheep and goats are primarily kept to generate income (53.3%) and milk production (24.3%) and majorities (96.6%) of goat owners extensively milk their flock for household’s consumption. From the interviewed Households, 42.2%, 20%, 11.1%, 8.9%, and 4.4% of them utilize communal grazing, private grazing, roadside grazing, indigenous browser and riverside grazing are the major feed source for sheep and goat, respectively. Flock water are largely comes from ponds water (33.3%), harvested water (28.9%) and deep well (17.8%). The main lambing and kidding periods occurred in the main feed availability season. Deaths of small ruminants were reported by households over the last 12 months. The average mortality rate of suckling age groups for male lamb 1.9 ± 0.31, female lamb 2.02 ± 0.34 and male kids 1.36 ± 0.27, female kids 1.93 ± 0.29 for sheep and goat, respectively at household levels. The major constraints for small ruminant production system were: diseases and parasites (31.1%), drought (31.1%), feed and grazing land shortage (11.1%), water shortage (11.1%), and marketing problems (2.2%). Conclusion: Interventions covering flock health, identification of alternative feed resources and strategic feeding management, water development, improve marketing efficiency, and production technologies/inputs could help farmers to build their flock and improve productivity.
Highlights
Ethiopia has one of the largest livestock population in Africa with the estimated domestic animal number of 52.13 million cattle, 24.2 million sheep, 22.6 million goat, 2.5 million camels, 44.89 million poultry, 1.96 million horses, 0.37 million mules and 6.4 million donkeys [1,2]
From the interviewed Households, 42.2%, 20%, 11.1%, 8.9%, and 4.4% of them utilize communal grazing, private grazing, roadside grazing, indigenous browser and riverside grazing are the major feed source for sheep and goat, respectively
Based on the information gained, 3 districts were selected based on the dominancy of sheep and goat production
Summary
Ethiopia has one of the largest livestock population in Africa with the estimated domestic animal number of 52.13 million cattle, 24.2 million sheep, 22.6 million goat, 2.5 million camels, 44.89 million poultry, 1.96 million horses, 0.37 million mules and 6.4 million donkeys [1,2]. Despite the large livestock population with high potential for meat and milk production, a number of factors hindered the development of livestock sector in Ethiopia. These include poor genetic potential of the indigenous animals, inadequate veterinary services, shortage of animal feeds as well as the absence of good management [4]. In pastoral and agro-pastoral areas like Degehabur zone, sheep and goats are important components of the farming system, which benefit small holder farmers in generating cash income as well as milk. Despite their potential in the area, productivity of sheep and goat remained quite low. The objectives of this study were to assess sheep and goat production systems, and to identify challenges and opportunities for small ruminant production
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