Assessment of Sheep Husbandry and Fattening System in Daramillo Woreda Gamo Gofa Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

The study was conducted in Daramallo Woreda with the objective of assessing sheep husbandry and fattening system in small holders. To select the data two stage sampling was used. Firstly two kebele were selected purposively from each agro ecologic zone based on the proportion of kebele found in each agro ecology. Secondly from each selected kebeles 20HHs were selected randomly based on fattening practices making total sample size of 120 respondents. To collect data both primary and secondary data was used. To collect primary data, semi structured questionnaire was used during interviewing of respondents while secondary data was collected from written documents. The survey result revealed that about 65% of respondents are illiterate while the rest received different level education that is from primary to diploma.  The most dominant (66%) type sheep fattening system practiced in the study are is extensive while about 34% practice semi intensive fattening system. The available and use feed resources for both extensive and semi intensive system is natural pasture (grazing land), road side, crop residues while the semi intensive system level of  feeding  local brewery by products, grain, sweet potato, sweet potato vines and boiled coffee leaves locally called Haytetuke as supplementary feeding is higher than extensive. Moreover current finding showed that about 25.3% respondents of practicing extensive  fattening system has faced problem of diseases and parasites as the main cause of mortality of their flocks while that of semi intensive fattener did not faced any problem of diseases and parasites. Optimum utilization of seasonal available feeds through preservation, strategic supplementation with low cost alternatives feed like development of improved forage is vital to balance seasonal feed supply and animal requirements. The veterinary service needs to provide strategic disease and parasite control and treatment measures in order to reduce mortality of flock for extensive fattener.

Keywords: Fattening, Husbandry, Householder Daramall