Assessment of Farmers’ Perception on Performance of Different Disseminated Breeding Ram and Their Cross to Damot Sore and Merab Badewacho Worda, southern Ethiopia.

Abstract

Near to 99.99 percent of sheep breeds in southern region is in the traditional way, in which indigenous breeds and types predominate. Indigenous sheep genetic improvement via 50% Dorper crossed ram introduction and community based sheep breed improvement, are found mostly under taken by southern agricultural research centre.50% Dorper crossed ram, Bonga and doygena ram were widely distributed to different agroecology of the region. The objective of this paper is to assess the productive performance of introduced ram based farmer perceptions and to analyze performance of the introduced breeding ram in Damot sore and Merab Badewacho worda southern Ethiopia. Community based improved Doygena ram were preferred for their ability to produce multiple birth, for its attractive coat color, its resistance to health problem in Damot sore while in Merab Badewacho the breed perform less significant.  Bonga ram and its f1 appreciated for fast growth and good adaptability in Merab Badewacho whereas in Damot Sore it could not perform at it is expected. Comparative performances based on farmer view show that Dorper cross were preferred for its docile behavior in Damot sore Worda. Farmer in Damot Sore Worda appreciated the doygena ram for its sexual performance/libido. Most of the respondents reported Dorper and its cross is not easily marketable. It is suggested that in Damot Sore worda more opportunity were existed to introduce improved Doygena ,Bonga  and Dorper ram while in Merab Badewacho efforts should be directed to  develop local sheep selection or introduced Bonga ram to smallholder farmer.

Keywords: breeding sheep, farmer perception, Damot Sore, Merab Badewacho.