Animal Production

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Browsing Animal Production by Subject "Agro-ecology"

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    Characterization of Husbandry Practices, Adoption and Impact of Village Poultry Technology Packages In the Central Oromia Region, Ethiopia
    (Addis Ababauniversity, 2015-12) Tekletsadik, Ermias; Tamir, Berhan (Professor)
    This study was conducted in three selected agro-ecologies to characterize the husbandry practices, adoption and impact of village poultry technology packages in the central Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Using multi-stage random sampling method, 180 technology participants were selected. Structured questionnaire, field observations and focus group discussions were employed to collect quantitative and qualitative information. Chemical composition of feed samples was analyzed using proximate analysis. Descriptive statistics was used to evaluate the husbandry practices of the technology. Binary logistic regression was employed to assess the determinant factors of technology adoption. Ranked variables were analyzed using NPAR1WAY Wilcoxon procedures. Logit model propensity score matching procedures was used to assess the impact of the technology. Scavenging chicken production system with some feed supplement was dominantly practiced by technology participants. Overall about 44.6%, 38.7% and 16.7% local, exotic and crossbred chicken breeds were kept in the production systems, respectively. A mean of 17.8(2.50), 13.4(2.17) and 11.2(1.25) chicken were owned per household in the highland, mid-altitude and lowland agro-ecologies, respectively. Most of the respondents (65.6%) practiced crossbreeding of these 59.4% conducted uncontrolled breeding. The supplement feeds had very good CP and ME contents but home mixed ration I had lower CP content. About ½ of the respondents constructed separate chicken house. However, during housing, 68.3% didn’t consider the space requirements of the chicken. Newcastle disease was the major challenging and killing disease in the study areas. Respondents received a mean of 4.7(0.80) pullets with cockerel and 10.1(1.25) pullets for the technology but their demands were xx 64.0(6.11) and 97.9(16.27) pullets with cockerels and only pullets, respectively. Technology inputs dissemination was not well organized. Improved chicken breed adoption was better as compared to other technology elements. Respondents residing in the mid-altitude agro-ecology were better adopters of improved chicken feeds and feeding, housing, healthcare and water provision. Bovan Brown chicken breed adoption was higher (26.1%) than other chicken breeds. The adoption of pullets with cockerels technology form was higher (22.2%) than the rest forms. The overall adoption status of the technology was 39.4%. The adoption level of the technology was categorized as low level. The overall technology adoption was significantly influenced by extension (P<0.001), healthcare (P<0.05) and training (P<0.001) services. The distance of veterinary clinics, unavailability of appropriate chicken feeding and watering equipment were the major limitations that negatively influenced the technology adoption. More of the covariates included in the model less likely influenced the probability of adoption. Adopters significantly (P<0.001) benefited from the technology by 68.5% and could produce 101 more eggs/layer/year, consumed 18 more eggs/household/year and got 168.65 Birr more income/layer/year as compared to non-adopters. In conclusion, to improve the husbandry practices of the technology package, more focus should be given to mothers. To improve the adoption status of the technology, technology inputs distribution should be well organized and more efforts are needed from concerned organizations, professionals and farmers. To increase the farmers’ decision of technology adoption, more attention should be given to inputs supply, extension, healthcare and training services. Moreover, technical, financial, managerial and market supports are majorly needed. Keywords: Adoption; Agro-ecology; Determinants of adoption; Husbandry practices; Impact of the technology; Village poultry package
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    Contribution of Smallholder Livestock Production to Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Arsi zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia
    (Addis Abeba University, 2024) Birhanu Mamo; Dr Ashenafi Mengistu; Dr Belete Shenkute
    The study was conducted in the mixed crop-livestock production system of the Arsi zone to investigate major feed resources, feed intake, and digestibility, estimate enteric methane emission, and predict methane and nitrous oxide emissions from livestock manure. Using multistage purposive sampling, 150 households of the three agroecological areas (lowland, midland, and highland) of the Arsi zone were sampled for one year 2021. Data were collected through discussions with key informants and groups, formal surveys, observations, laboratory analysis, and secondary data and analyzed using SPSS and SAS software. The experimental design of the feeding trail was a crossover design with three treatments and three periods. Descriptive statistics, and chisquare, one-way, and two-way ANOVA tests were used to analyze the data. The mean land allocated for cultivation was 82.08%, 88.447%, and 80.97% for lowland, midland, and highland agro-ecologies respectively, while the remaining proportion of lands was uncultivated and used for grazing. The mean total cattle (7.48±0.2) and equine (1.52±0.1) in TLU showed a significant (P<0.001) different between the highland and other agro-ecologies. The mean total goats (0.9±0.1) in TLU was a significant (P<0.01) different between the lowland and other agro-ecologies. The communal grazing land stover crop DM yield was significant (P<0.001) different between the lowland and other agro-ecologies. The fallow land DM yield was significant (P<0.01) different between midland and other agro- ecologies. The Cereal straw DM yield was significant (P<0.01) different between the highland and other agro-ecologies. Cooperatively, straw (cereals and oil), haulms (pulse), stovers (maize and sorghum), and natural pasture DM yields contributed 96.67 % to the total HH annual feed supply. Total dry matter intake (DMI) was higher (P<0.001) for sheep fed in T2 (706.9 g/day) compared to the rest of the treatments, because the presence of s.sesban leaves and NSC increase the intake. The effects of S. sesban leaves decreased the total DMI. The digestibility of DM, OM and CP were significantly (P<0.01) different between T1 and T2, NDF and ADF were significantly (P<0.05) different between T1 and the rest of treatments. The enteric methane emissions factor (4.73kg CH4 head-1 yeay -1 ) and daily methane production (12.69g CH4 head-1 day-1 ) were significant (P<0.01) different between treatments. The enteric methane emissions factor (5.5kg CH4 head-1 yeay -1 and daily methane production (14.6g CH4 head-1 day-1 ) were significant (P<0.01) different between T3 and the rest of treatments. The estimated enteric methane EF (5.2-61.1kg CH4 head-1 yeay -1 ) of different age groups of cattle were significantly (P<0.01) different between cattle subcategories. The estimated enteric CH4 EF (41.7-40.9kg CH4 head-1 year -1 ) of cattle were significant (P<0.001) different between the lowland agro-ecology and other agro-ecologies. The estimated enteric CH4 EFs (3-6.7kg CH4 head-1 yeay -1 ) of different age groups of sheep were significant (P<0.001) different between the sheep categories. The enteric EF (5.3- 5.1kg CH4 head-1 yeay -1 ) of sheep were significantly (P<0.001) different between the lowland agro-ecology and other agro-ecologies. The estimated enteric CH4 FE (2.6- 6.9kg CH4 head-1 yeay -1 ) of different age groups of goats were significant (P<0.001) different between the goats' subcategories. The enteric CH4 EF (5.7-5.5kg CH4 head-1 yeay -1 ) of goats was significantly P<0.001) different between the three agro-ecologies. Cattle contribute 45.76 % followed by horses (20.01 %), donkeys or mules (11.12 %), goats (6.22%), and sheep (5.78%). From the total population in the study area, cattle share (83.88%) the largest EF CH4 followed by donkeys (4.31%), goats (4.19%), sheep (4.11%), and horses (3.23%). From the agro-ecologies point of view per head of animal, the lowland area took the highest share (33.61%), followed by midland (33.23 %) and highland (33.16 %). The shares of agro-ecologies per total population highland area (43.54 %) share the largest emissions, followed by midland (35.23%) and lowland (21.23%). The estimated CH4 (0.74-4.5kg CH4 head-1 yeay -1 ) emissions from manure handling practices in the study area of different age groups of cattle were significant (P<0.001) different between the cattle subcategories. The estimated CH4 (3.17-3.06kg CH4 head-1 yeay -1 ) emissions from the manure of cattle were significant (P<0.001) different between the lowland agro-ecology and other agro-ecologies. The estimated methane emission factors(0.128-0.141kg CH4 head-1 yeay -1 ) from the manure handling practices of different age groups of sheep were significantly (P<0.001) different between the sheep subcategories. The estimated CH4 emission factors (0.137- 0.129kg CH4 head-1 yeay -1 ) from the manure of different categories of sheep were significant (P<0.001) different between the lowland agro-ecology and the other agroecologies. The estimated methane emission factors (0.09-0.177kg CH4 head-1 yeay -1 ) of different age groups of goats were significant (P<0.001) different between the goats' subcategories. The CH4 emission factors (0.154-0.145kg CH4 head-1 yeay -1 ) from the manure handling practices of goats were significantly (P<0.001) different between the three agro-ecologies. The estimated nitrous oxide (1-10.2g CH4 head-1 yeay -1 ) of different age groups of cattle was significantly (P<0.001) different between the cattle subcategories. The estimated nitrous oxide (7.85-7.7g CH4 head-1 yeay -1 ) of dual-purpose cattle was significantly (P<0.001) different between the lowland agro-ecology and other agro-ecologies. The estimated nitrous oxide (1.14-1.32g CH4 head-1 yeay -1 ) of different age groups of sheep were significant (P<0.001) different between the sheep subcategories. The estimated nitrous oxide (1.23-1.19g CH4 head-1 yeay -1 ) was significant (P<0.001) different between the lowland agro-ecology and other agro-ecologies. The estimated nitrous oxide (1.-1.6g CH4 head-1 yeay -1 ) of different age groups of goats were significant (P<0.001) different between goat subcategories. The estimated nitrous oxide(1.4-1.35g CH4 head-1 yeay -1 ) was significant (P<0.001) different between the lowland agro-ecology and other agro-ecologies. Therefore, produce quality feed supply and proper handling husbandry, improved manure management system and promotion of farm level livestock technologies should be exercised astutely to increase productivity and reduce the GHG emission of the livestock sector.
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    Evaluation of Productive and Reproductive Performances of Different Strains of Chickens under Varied Management Systems in Western Ethiopia
    (2020-06) Demissu, Hundie; Dr. Gebeyehu Goshu, Prof. Berhan Tamir; Dr. Gemeda Duguma
    A cross sectional survey, follow-up and evaluation, and on-farm and on-station performance evaluation were employed to study the productive and reproductive performances of three improved and one unimproved chicken strains. Improved Horro chicken, a synthetic Debre-zeyit (DZ) White-feathered and the exotic Potchefstroom Koekoek chickens were used for the on-station and on-farm evaluation study where as an assessment on poultry production system of unimproved Horro chickens was undertaken on-farm. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Statistical Analysis system (SAS) were used for statistical analysis based on the appropriatness of statistical softwares. The mean age at first egg of hens at the highland, mid-altitude and lowland were 28.44±0.43, 25.49±0.52 and 23.63±0.46 weeks, respectively that the variation was significant (P<0.05) among the agro-ecologies. The difference among egg per clutch and length of days in lay per clutch were also significant (P<0.05) where as variation in clutch per year was highly significant (P<0.001) among the three agro-ecologies. Concerning the mean chicks’ age at weaning and male chicken at marketing, the overall mean age at weaning was (9.72±0.21) (in weeks) where as the mean age at marketing for male chicken (7.72±0.23) (in months). The on-station study revealed that breed of chicken, age in weeks and interaction of chicken breed with age in weeks had significant effect (P <0.001) on growth performances of chicks before their eight weeks age. The highest overall mean daily feed consumption (53.89±14.37) was recorded for the Potchefstroom Koekoek chicken breed and the lowest for DZ White-feathered chickens (50.28±10.50) though the variation among the chicken breeds was statistically non significant (P > 0.05). The mean feed conversion efficiency (17.47±2.79) of DZ White-feathered chickens was higher than the feed conversion efficiency (13.56±2.74) reported for Improved indigenous Horro chickens, though the difference was statistically non significant. In all the three breeds of chickens, males grew significantly (P < 0.001) faster than females. Significant effects of agro-ecology on the performance of chicken breeds also showed the presence of genetic-environment interactions among the three ecologic locations of the study areas. The internal and external egg quality characteristics of unimproved Horro chickens’ egg collected from the three agro-ecologies was determined and the mean internal egg quality traits (albumen weight, yolk weight, yolk-albumen ratio and yolk diameter) was significantly (P<0.001) affected by agro-ecology. The external egg quality traits were also significantly (P<0.001) affected by agro-ecologic variation where the lowland chickens’ egg scored higher value in egg quality. The low performance of Improved Horro chickens both in weight gain at their starter and growing phase and low younger (growing) age survival rate leads to a recommendation that these birds in addition to their productive performance need to be selected for their better adaptability.