Improving Management as a Means for Improving Livestock Productivity and Reproductive Performances

Abstract

A study were conducted in GantaAfeshum woreda, Eastern Zone of Tigray from March 2014 to April 2015 with an aim of improving livestock productivity and reproductive performance through improving livestock management practices of the producers. To achieve this, model farmers taken from the target sites were made to take an intensive training on livestock management and the impact of the training on productive and reproductive performances of the selected cows as well as chickens of the farmer’s research groups were then followed while the farmer’s research group try to implement the training they took at house hold level. Two types of data’s (pre and post) training related to livestock productive and reproductive performance were collected during this study using Questionnaire and direct observation methods. Pre-training assessment of the reproductive and productive performance of the FRG’s dairy cow and chickens shows an average milk yield (in Litter) of 1.06+ 0.425 and 2.73+ 0.82;AFC (in year) of 3.39+0.66 and 3.12+0.46;CI (in year) of 1.79+0.5 and 1.46+0.47 and CR (in Number) of 1.93+ 0.18 and 1.98+ 0.57 for  local and cross breed dairy cows respectively and  AFL(in month) of 7.3+0.42 and 6.9+0.24, Number of eggs/hen/clutch of  11.5 +2 and 16.97+4.19 and hatchability(in %) of 59.96 +2.26 and 55.81+2.94 respectively in the local and cross breed chickens. Post training assessment of the FRG’s Dairy cows on two parameter i.e. Average milk yield and conception rate shows a significant change  in which  1.63+ 0.61 and 3.38+1.26 average mink yield and 1.58+ 0.32, 1.75+ 0.37 average conception rate (P<0.05)  were recorded for both the local and cross breed cows respectively. On the other hand, the AFL, NE/H/C as well as Hatchability percentage of the local and cross breed chickens, were found 6.1+0.38 and 5.18+0.3; 15.9+3.38 and 19.55+4.49; 76.21+0.53 and 73.7+0.57 respectively indicating the fact that it is possible to improve the productivity and reproductive performance of our indigenous livestock even with the available resources provided that ample job is done to improve the understanding of the producers.

Keywords: GantaAfeshum, Dairy Cows, Chickens, Management, Productive and Reproductive Performance