Goat Production System and Breeding Practices in Pastoral and Mixed

Goat production system and breeding practices in pastoral and mixed crop livestock production system in south western part of Ethiopia Tegegn Fantahun* and Askale G/Michael Mizan-Tepi University, Department of Animal sciences, P.O. Box 260, Mizan-Teferi, Ethiopia *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]; Phone: +251-911573172

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to assess the goat production system, breeding practices and constraints of goat production in pastoral and mixed crop livestock production of Surma district of Bench Maji zone and Cheta district of Kaffa zone. Semi-structured questionnaires, focus group discussion and observations were used to generate data. Descriptive statistics and ranking index were used for data analysis. The average goats holding size in pastoral and mixed crop livestock production were 25.2 and 6.1, respectively. All of the respondents in pastoral (100%) and 53.7% in mixed crop livestock production systems were utilized natural uncontrolled mating. In both production systems, farmers and pastoralist had given more attention and selected breeding does than bucks. In pastoral production, disease and marketing problems while in mixed crop livestock production, feed shortage and disease were the first and second ranked constraints of goat production, correspondingly. The pastoral goat production system was characterized by having large number of goat flock size as compared with the mixed crop-livestock system in the study areas. The large goat flock size observed in pastoral production system should be used as an opportunity to carry out strong selection for genetic improvement and to diversify income of the pastoralist in the areas.

Key words: Cheta, constraints, Ethiopia, goat, production, Surma

INTRODUCTION very extensive nomadic pastoralism (Payne and Wilson, 2003). Goats are an under-used and poorly Goats are a powerful tool in assistance to alleviate understood resource as compared to cattle and poverty (Madsen et al., 2007). They provided useful sheep (Mahmoud, 2010). Despite their economic to man throughout the ages due to their productivity, importance, particularly to the most vulnerable small size, and non-competiveness with him for food groups of the community, little attention has been (Tibbo et al., 2006; Mahmoud, 2010), and continue to paid to the development of goats (FARM Africa, hold an important niche particularly in subsistence 1996; Umeta et al., 2011). agriculture in the developing countries (Solaiman, 2010). Ethiopia is believed to have the largest livestock population in Africa and the number of goats Goats are important for diversifying production, reported is estimated to be about 24.06 million (CSA, creating employment, increasing income, contributing 2013). Utilities and products of goats in Ethiopia vary to human nutrition and reducing risk during crop with the traditional farming practices (FARM Africa, failure, property security and investment (Peacock, 1996), and they make a very valuable 2005). A systematic description of the goat multidimensional contribution (Mahmoud, 2010; production system systems considered a prerequisite Umeta et al., 2011). for planning the rational use of the national goat Goats have great adaptability to varying resources (Rege et al., 1992). Furthermore, detailed environmental conditions and to different nutritional and up-to-date information on production system, regimes (Madsen et al., 2007; Mahmoud, 2010). The indigenous knowledge of managing the breed, indigenous goat breeds/types are widely distributed identification of important traits for selection with full across all agro-ecological zones in Ethiopia (FARM participation of farmers are prerequisites (Kosgey et Africa, 1996) and over the whole range of production al., 2006) for sustainable utilization of the goat systems from intensive smallholder production to genetic resources. Therefore, this study was

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conducted to assess goat production systems, General information list of FAO (2011) and Oromia breeding practices and production constraint in livestock breed survey questionnaire (Workneh et al., pastoral production system in Surma district of Bench 2004) was used as a checklist in designing the Maji zone and mixed crop livestock production questionnaire. Therefore, the questionnaire survey system in Cheta district of Kaffa zone, south western was enabled us to investigate social-economic part of Ethiopia. aspects, flock size and structure, husbandry practices, constraints of production systems, Materials and Methods breeding and selection practice of the community. Description of the Study Area: The study was Statistical analysis: The data were organized, conducted at Surma district (pastoral production) and summarized and analyzed using SPSS statistical Cheta district (mixed crop livestock production) of package (SPSS 20.0, 2011). For data involving Bench Maji and Kaffa zones, respectively. Bench frequencies, descriptive statistics were employed and Maji is bordered with Kaffa zone in North, Debub indexes were developed for ranking data. The index Omo in North East direction, Sheka zone in South was calculated by the following formula: Index = sum West, with Gambela and South Sudden Republic in of (3 for rank 1 + 2 for rank 2 + 1 for rank 3) given for South direction. Surma district is bordered on the an individual reason (attribute) divided by the sum of south and west by South Sudan, on the northwest by (3 for rank 1 + 2 for rank 2 + 1 for rank 3) for overall the Gambela Region, on the north by Bero, and on reasons. the east by Maji (BMZ, 2013). Cheta is bordered on the west by Decha, on the north by Telo, and on the RESULTS east by the Konta special woreda (KFZ, 2014). Goat flock size and structure: The average flock Sampling procedure and data collection: Cheta size of goats per household was 25.2 (ranges 11-43) and Surma districts of Kaffa and Bench Maji zones in pastoral and 6.1 (ranges 2 to 16) in mixed crop were selected based on agro-ecology, production livestock production systems as shown in Table 1. system and the goat population potential purposively. From the total flock, male goats constitute 36.43% Then, three kebeles were selected namely Duba, Key whereas female goats about 63.57% from goat flock and Kolla from Cheta whereas Regie, Gomae and reported. Flock structure of goat reported that young Kideley kebeles were selected from Surma district stock less than six months were 44.33%, above a based on goat population potential and accessibility. year 36.43% and flock of aged between 6 months The total number of respondents in Cheta and Surma and a year constitute 19.24%. The results of group was 90 and 60, respectively. discussion revealed the reason for lower proportion of males in the flock were due to male goats were Semi-structured questionnaire, observation and sold as a source of income, slaughtered for different group discussion were used as tool to gather data. cultural and religious ceremonious.

Table 1. Livestock holdings per household at the study areas (average) Descriptor Surma (N=60) Cheta (N=90) Mean ± SD Min. to Max. Mean ± SD Min. to Max.

Cattle 35.97±16.90 17-90 6.83±3.38 1-19 Sheep - - 3.69±1.60 1-7 Goat 25.20±9.17 11-43 6.10±2.95 2-16 Horse - - 1.15±0.37 1-2 Mule - - 1.18±0.60 1-3 Donkey - - 1.0±0 1-1 Chicken 12.80±6.60 3-30 9.44±4.38 3-25

Purpose of keeping goats in study area: Goats ceremonies in the study areas. However, no were kept for multi purposes mainly as income respondents in both districts were reported as they source, wealth status indication, meat and cultural kept goats for milk. In Pastoral production system,

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respondents ranked their main source of cash crops ranked as their first and sale of livestock and income into sale of livestock and livestock products livestock products were ranked as the second as their first and sale of crops mainly (Maize and sources of income as shown in Table 2. Sorghum) the second. In Cheta district, sales of

Table 2. Ranked cash income source of the households (%)* Source of income Surma (N=60) Cheta (N=90) R1 R2 R3 I R1 R2 R3 I Crops 17.24 65.71 0 0.25 63.16 37.5 21.43 0.49 Livestock & LS products 82.76 34.28 0 0.73 21.05 37.5 50 0.30

Homemade products 0 0 57.1 0.009 0 12.5 21.43 0.07 Salary/ wage 0 0 42.9 0.007 15.79 12.5 7.143 0.14 * R1, R2 and R3 = rank 1, 2 and 3, respectively; I= index The study revealed that majority of pastoralists in Feed resources and Feeding practices: In Surma Surma district (100%) owned their breeding bucks, district, majority of the respondents’ used natural though majority of farmers in Cheta district (66.3%) pasture and fallow lands and few (8.33%) of them were borrowed from neighbours and/ or relatives for were also used crop residues as an additional source breeding purposes. Natural uncontrolled mating of feed, near riverbank and forest areas. This result system was the predominant (100%) in Surma district showed that the respondents mainly rely on natural and 53.7% at Cheta district because the goat flock pasture as source of feed for their goats. During dry browsed and housed together. However, 46.3% of season, the respondents in Surma described that the respondents in Cheta district used natural they moved to another area in search of feed for their controlled mating system this might be due to livestock. Majority of the respondents in Cheta shortage of bucks and controlled grazing system in (91.11%) used controlled browsing by herding and the area. tethering of their goats, though 8.89% of them used Castration was practiced by 58.1% of the farmers in free browsing. In contrast, free browsing was the Cheta, though 81.7% of the pastoralist in Surma commonest method in Surma district and few (6.67) districts was not practiced. Majority (63.6%) of the of respondents revealed that they divided their fallow farmers were used closed castrations methods by lands and used controlled grazing. In Cheta district, using traditional method in Cheta district. Goats were during rainy and dry seasons on average goats were castrated commonly at age range of 6 months and 1 browsed 6 to 7 and 9 to 10 hours per day, year in the areas. Castration was practiced to respectively. Similarly, at Surma district, during rainy improve fattening potential to get higher selling price and dry seasons on average goats were browsed 7-8 and also to control temperament of bucks. However, hours and 10-11 hours, respectively. All classes of castration for controlled breeding was not reported in the goats were herded together during the daytime. both areas. However, newborn kids were managed separately for some days near the house. Constraints of goat production: In Cheta district, feed shortage and disease ranked first and second Breeding practices and Mating Systems: Selection with index 0.42 and 0.25, respectively as presented of breeding stock was practiced at variable rate in Table 3. However, disease ranked first with index pastoral and mixed crop livestock production systems (0.35) and market ranked second with index (0.30) in in the study areas. Majority (68.3%) of the Surma district. According to the farmers report the respondents at Cheta and 53.3% at Surma had given common disease occurred were respiratory disease, more attention and selected breeding does. On the internal parasite, and external parasites. other hand, only 48.5%, and 36.7% of the respondents practiced selection of breeding bucks at Cheta and Surma, correspondingly.

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Table 3. Ranked constraints for goat production at the study areas (%)* Constraints Surma(N=60) Cheta(N=90)

R1 R2 R3 I R1 R2 R3 I Feed shortage 0 3.33 8 0.02 54.2 31.82 7.69 0.42 Water shortage 0 0 12 0.02 0 0 0 0.0 Disease occurrence 46.9 16.67 36 0.35 27.1 18.18 34.6 0.25 Drought 0 0 4 0.01 0 0 0 0.0 Market problem 15.6 56.67 24 0.30 6.25 20.45 26.9 0.13 Labor shortage 0 0 0 0 8.33 4.545 0 0.06 Predators 37.5 23.33 16 0.29 4.17 25 30.8 0.14

* R1, R2 and R3 = rank 1, 2 and 3, respectively; I= index DISCUSSION shortage of bucks and controlled grazing system in the mixed crop livestock production system. Similarly, The goat flock size was higher in the Surma pastoral the studies in different part of the country revealed district as compared to Cheta. Goat flock size report that natural uncontrolled mating is a method to breed in this study were lower than the report of Grum different livestock species and almost all farmers and (2010) for Short Eared Somali goat population (32.8) pastoralists practiced this system (Wondwosen, but higher goat flock size were reported in Surma 2007). This finding is not in agreement with the result than the case reported by FARM Africa (1996) of Grum (2010) 96.7% of respondents controlled Central Highland (10), Woyto-Guji (11) and Western mating. lowland goats (11), Arsi-Bale goats (7). The result in Cheta was closely related with previous report of Good understanding of the relative importance of the Keffa goats (6) FARM Africa (1996). The large goat different constraints is fundamental prior to initiating flock size found in Surma district is an opportunity to any genetic improvement programme (Baker and carry out strong selection for genetic improvement Gray, 2003). In Cheta district, feed shortage and and increasing income of the farmers in the areas. disease ranked first and second constraints, respectively. This was mainly associated with In Ethiopia, indigenous goats are an important shrinkage of browsing lands, destructive nature and resource for farmers, providing meat, milk, manure, herding difficulty of goats in area. This finding was in fibres and skins, and satisfying various cultural and agreement with the report of Grum (2010) and Tibbo religious functions (FARM Africa, 1996; CSA, 2013; (2000) goat production constraint is mainly feed Tesfaye, 2004).Goats were kept for multi purposes, shortage due to a lack of browse species resulting though not reported for milk in the study area. This from deforestation. In Surma district, disease was the might be due to lack of traditional/culture practices in first ranked constraints. Similar to the current study, milking and drinking of goats’ milk in the study areas. some reports in the country indicated that disease is This finding was in contrast to the report Grum (2010) the major goat production constraints to Afar, Central and FARM Africa (1996) goats are milked in all other highland, Western highland and Western lowland parts of the country with the exception parts of goats (FARM Africa, 1996; CSA, 2011). Gojam, Wellega, Kaffa and Wolayta (FARM Africa 1996). CONCLUSION Selection of breeding stock was practiced at variable The pastoral goat production system in Surma district rate in pastoral and mixed crop livestock production was characterized by having large number of goat systems in the study areas. In both production flock size as compared with the mixed crop-livestock systems farmers and pastoralist gave more attention system in Cheta district. In both production systems, for breeding does than bucks. This finding is not goats were kept mainly for income generation but inline with Grum (2010) 97.6% select buck for goat milk were not consumed. Free browsing and breeding and 38.7% selection of breeding females. natural uncontrolled mating in pastoral while Natural uncontrolled mating system was the controlled browsing and castration in mixed crop- predominant (100%) in Surma district because flock livestock production system were predominantly of goats browsed and housed together; however, practiced. In both production systems, more attention 46.3% of the farmers in Cheta district used natural was given for selection of does than bucks. In controlled mating system this might be due to pastoral production system, disease and marketing

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