Animal Production

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End date: 2019Subject: search.filters.subject.production system

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    ASSESSMENT OF PRODUCTION AND MARKETING SYSTEMS, AND ON-FARM EVALUATION OF THE EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTING THE LEAVES OF Balanites aegyptiaca AND MAIZE GRAIN ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND ECONOMIC RETURN OF INDIGENOUS GOATS IN GAMOGOFA ZONE
    (Hawassa University College of Agriculture, 2017) NIGATU DEJENE DENEKE
    The study was conducted in Arbaminch Zuria and Mirab Abaya districts of Gamogofa Zone of SNNPRS of Ethiopia. The objectives of the study were to assess goat production and marketing system, identify and prioritize goat production and marketing constraints and opportunities, and evaluate the effect of supplementing with the leaves of Balanites aegyptiaca and maize grain on growth performance & economic return of indigenous goats in the study area. The study involved 2 parts. The survey part of the study assessed goat production and marketing system using cross sectional survey, focus group discussion and key informants interview. A total of 120 representative households (2 districts x 2 Agro ecology x 2 PA x 15 households) were selected for the study following multi-stage stratified sampling, the action research part evaluated growth performance and economic return of indigenous bucks supplemented with maize grain and leaves of Balanites aegyptiaca . Thus, 20 intact 8-10 month age indigenous bucks with an average initial body weight of 16.13±0.3kg (Mean± SE) were drawn from volunteer goat producers. The bucks were blocked into five blocks/farmers of four bucks based on initial BW and randomly assigned to one of the four treatment feeds within a block/farmer allowing five bucks per treatment feeds. Dietary treatments consisted of feeding natural grass hay ad libitum supplemented with 50g wheat bran (T1); feeding natural grass hay ad libitum supplemented with mixtures of 50g wheat bran and 200g cracked maize grain (T2); feeding natural grass hay ad libitum supplemented with mixtures of 50g wheat bran and 200g dried leaves of Balanites aegyptiaca (T3), and feeding natural grass hay ad libitum supplemented with 50g wheat bran, and mixture of 200g of dried leaves of Balanites aegyptiaca and cracked maize grain at 1:1 ratio (T4).The experiment was laid down using randomized complete block design. According to the respondents, income generation was the primary reason for keeping goats with the highest index values of 0.277 followed by saving, use of manure, as social capital and meat consumption with an index values of 0.269, 0.177, 0.163 and 0.114, respectively. Road side browsing ranked as the first source of feed for goats according to the average rank results from interviewed households with the highest index value of 0.246 and followed by Communal and private browsing lands with an index values of 0.229 and 0.227, respectively. Among the available water sources, rivers contribute the highest 40% of the water required for goats. Disease and parasites were the major constrains for the sector and caused higher 13.2%, 13.6%, 14.7% and 13.3% death of unweaned male kids, unweaned female kids, weaned male kids and weaned female kids, respectively in Arbaminch Zuria district from the studied areas 12 months before the start of this study. Male and female goats achieve AFS at 9.4 and 7.9 months and also fertile at ages below 54.6 and 95.5 months respectively. AFK, KI, LS, weaning age of kids and lifetime kid productions were 13.9, 7.8, 1.24, 4.1 months and 14.5 respectively. Brokers are the major marketing constraint and about 95% and 31.7% of the midland and lowland respondents, respectively reported that they sales their goats by eye ball price estimation. The action research showed that supplementing goats with maize grain and Balanites aegyptiaca (T2-T4) improved ADG (48.7, 48.9 and 66.8g/day for T2, T3 and T4, respectively) compared to the control (33.2g/day). However, among the supplemented groups, bucks fed on T4 gained superior ADG than bucks fed on T2 and T3 diets. Moreover, partial budget analysis confirmed that T4 was more profitable compared to other supplementary treatments. Therefore, it is concluded that supplementing growing bucks with T4 could be recommended for smallholder goat fatteners.
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    ASSESSMENT OF PRODUCTION SYSTEM, EGG QUALITY AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF VILLAGE CHICKEN IN BENCH MAJI ZONE, SOUTH WESTERN ETHIOPIA
    (Hawassa University College of Agriculture, 2016) WELELAW EDMEW WORKU
    The study was conducted in three districts of Bench Maji Zone in Southern Ethiopia with the objective of assessing the production system, egg quality traits and carcass characteristics of indigenous chicken. A total of 270 households were selected by multi-stage purposive random sampling technique and interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. A total of 450 eggs and 45 adult male chickens were also purchased to evaluate the egg quality traits and carcass characteristics, respectively. The results revealed that the flock size per household was 10.4 with cock to hen ratio of 1:2.9. Scavenging with occasional supplementation was the major feeding system (80.7%). Maize (91.1%), sorghum, Taro and Kocho were the types of supplementary feeds used in their order of importance. Seasonal disease outbreak and predation were the most challenges of village chicken productivity. The average age of cockerel at first mating and pullet at first egg laying was 5.9 and 6.4 months, respectively. The average number of eggs per clutch and the annual egg number of local chicken in the study area were 14.8 and 54.6, respectively. The mean number of eggs incubated by local hen was 11.8 with 82.2% hatchability and 48.8% survivability of hatched chicks. The purpose of rearing chicken and the egg produced was primarily for selling as a source of cash income followed by hatching and home consumption. The average egg weight and shape index of local chickens was 43.9 g and 72.7%, respectively. The average shell thickness of local chickens was about 0.33 mm. The respective average albumen height and the HU score was 3.4 mm and 61.2. The average yolk height and yolk color were 14 mm and 10.9, respectively. The average slaughter weight of local male chicken was about 1449 g. The edible carcass yield was 966 with 66.7% dressing. The proportions of breast meat, thigh, drumstick and wing were 25.4%, 19.5%, 15.4% and 10.2%, respectively. The study revealed variations in different production traits which might be due to management difference and genetic dissimilarities of local chicken ecotypes in the studied districts. Further research is recommended to evaluate their performance potentials under improved feeding and management systems