Dissertation Ref. No: 038/ 06/ 2018 ON-FARM PRODUCTIVE, AND FEEDLOT PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF WOLLO HIGHLAND SHEEP BREED AND THEIR F1 CROSSBREDS OF AWASSI AND WASHERA SHEEP IN ETHIOPIA PhD DISSERTATION BY TADESSE AMARE SISAY ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE AND AGRICULTURE, DEPARTMENTOF ANIMAL PRODUCTION STUDIES, PhD PROGRAM IN ANIMAL PRODUCTION JUNE 2018 BISHOFTU, ETHIOPIA ON-FARM PRODUCTIVE, AND FEEDLOT PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF WOLLO HIGHLAND SHEEP BREED AND THEIR F1 CROSSBREDS OF AWASSI AND WASHERA SHEEP IN ETHIOPIA A Dissertation Submitted to the College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture of Addis Ababa University in Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Animal Production By Tadesse Amare Sisay June 2018 Bishoftu, Ethiopia ii Addis Ababa University College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture Department of Animal Production Studies As members of the Examining Board of the final PhD open defense, we certify that we have read and evaluated the dissertation prepared by Tadesse Amare Sisay entitled With “On- Farm Productive, and Feedlot Performance Evaluation of Wollo Highland Sheep Breed and Their F1 Crossbreds of Awassi and Washera Sheep in Ethiopia”. This recommend accepted as fulfilling the Dissertation requirement for the degree of Philosophy in Animal Production. Chairman Name: Ashenafi Mengistu (PhD), Signature __________ Date_______________ Internal Examiner Name: Prof. Harpal Singh, Signature __________ Date_______________ External Examiner Name: Solomon Gizaw (PhD) , Signature __________ Date___________ Final approval and acceptance of the dissertation is contingent upon the submission of its corrected copy to the CGC through the concerned departmental graduate committee. I hereby certify that I have read the revised version of this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement. Gebeyehu Goshu (Asso. Prof. PhD): __________________, _________________________ Dissertation Advisor Name: Signature Date Prof. Berhan Tamir (PhD): ___________________, _______________________________ Dissertation Co-Advisor Name: Signature: Date Prof. Berhan Tamir (PhD): ___________________, ________________________________ Department Chair Name: Signature : Date: iii Addis Ababa University College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture Department of Animal Production Studies STATEMENT OF THE AUTHOR I reiterate and declare that this dissertation is my original work and that all sources of material used for this have been duly acknowledged. The dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a PhD degree at Addis Ababa University, College of Veterinary Medicine, and Agriculture and deposited in the University/College library to make available to borrowers under the rules of the Library. I critically declare that this dissertation is not submitted to any other institution anywhere for the award of any academic degree, diploma, or certificate. Concise citation from this thesis permitted without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgement of the source made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may granted by the head of the major Department or the Dean of the College when in his or her judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however permission must obtained from the author. Author’s Name: Tadesse Amare Sisay Signature ___________Date __________________ iv DEDICATION This work dedicated to my beloved pleasurable mother Asselef Zewode but unfortunately, she passed away when I was so kid. v BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH The author of this dissertation was born in April 1984 G.C in Kutaber District found near Dessie town of South Wollo Zone in Amhara Regional State. He attended his Elementary, Junior Secondary, and High School at Bambasi District between 1991 to 2003 G.C and he joined Preparatory and High school at Assosa Town in Benishangul Gumuz Regional State. In September 2006 G.C, he joined Haramaya University and he graduated with a BSc. Degree program of Animal Production in 2008. After he had boasted two years of work experiences in Ministry of Agriculture Office of Benishangul Gumuz Region and then he admitted for his MSc. study in Animal Production and Technology program at Bahir Dar University Poli-Technique Compass in September 2010 and graduated in January 2011. After graduation, the author employed by the Ethiopian Ministry of Higher Education in Wollo University, lecturer position since June, 2011. The author served for two consecutive years from June, 2011 to September, 2013, in the department of animal science by teaching, community service, research, teachers’ association coordinator and other committee member. Then, he joined Addis Ababa University, College of Veterinary Medicine, and Agriculture and Department of Animal Production Studies in September 2013 for PhD programme by Animal Production Study. vi AKCNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost praise and thanks to God, the Almighty, for the countless blessings he has given me in my life. I would like to express my deepest respect and most sincere gratitude to major and co- supervisor Gebeyehu Goshu (PhD, Asso. Prof.) and Prof. Berhan Tamir (PhD), respectively for their realistic supervision, guidance, encouragement, unremitting editorial correction, constructive comments, and their optimistic approach of this dissertation work at all stages of the study. Their realistic criticism and comments from the initial conception to the end of this work is highly appreciated. I am also deeply indebted to my friends for their mindful and friendly discussion with academic issues. I am very grateful to Addis Ababa and Wollo University for providing me partial research grant of thematic project and for allowing me to use academic library and other facilities. My most sincere thanks and appreciation goes to Department of Animal Production Study (DAPS) for their diligent assistance from the beginning to the end of the whole dissertation work as a facilitator. My heartfelt thanks also go to the staff of Holleta Animal Nutrition Laboratory Center ‘for their kind assistance in feed analytical work. My thanks and appreciation also goes to South Wollo Zonal Agricultural Office, particularly Animal Production Department (APD) staff members, Dessie Zuria and Kutaber districts Agricultural Office experts, development agents, Peasant Associations (PA) and village community leaders and individual flock owners who were participated directly or indirectly through on-farm flock monitoring data collection activities. My deepest respect and acknowledgement goes to the local communities who has provided me appropriate sheep flocks for on-farm lamb monitoring of the whole study period at their farming condition. I would like to express my deepest respect to Save the Children Project fo r allowed me to establish model village community based local sheep genetic improvement activities. vii I am also deeply indebted to Mr. Mohamed Ali and his staff members who provided me his private Awassi sheep production and multiplication center as part of the study population during lamb monitoring and evaluation period. Without their unreserved support, completion of this work would not have been possible. My sincere thanks also go to my classmate in the college of veterinary medicine and agriculture and the department of animal production study and others friendly and unlimited academic issue discussion, comments, and suggestion. I would like to express my deepest respect and most sincere gratitude to my beloved wife and son for their unlimited joyful love and stimulant. viii ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AAU Addis Ababa University ADF Acid Detergent Fiber ADG Average Daily Gain AGBU Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit ANOVA Analysis of Variance ARC Agricultural Research Council ASB Animal Science, Biotechnology BWC Body Weight Change CCW Cold Carcass Weight CGC Collage Graduate Committee CP Crude Protein CSA Central Statistics Authority SD Standard devation CVMA College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture DAGRIS Domestic Animals Generic Resources Information System DAPS Department of Animal Production Study DM Dry Matter EARI Ethiopian Agricultural Research Institute EBW Empty Body Weight ESGPIP Sheep and Goats Productivity Improvement Program FBW Final Body Weight GLM General Linear Model HCW Hot Carcass Weight IBW Initial Body Weight ILCA International Livestock Center for Africa ILRI International Livestock Research Institute ix Abbreviations and Acronyms (Continued) IVDMD In Vitro Dry Matter Digestibility LSD Least Significant Difference ME Metabolizable Energy NDF Neutral Detergent Fiber NSPC Number of Service Per Conception OM Organic Matter PA Peasant Association PPI Pair of Permanent Incisor REA Rib Eye Area SAS Statistical Analysis System SBW Slaughter Body Weight SEM Standard Error of the Mean SRR Small Ruminant Research USA United State of America x TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents Page TITLE PAGE ii STATEMENT OF THE AUTHOR iv DEDICATION v BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH vi AKCNOWLEDGEMENTS vii ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ix LIST OF TABLES xv LIST OF FIGURES xvi LIST OF APPENDICES xvii ABSTRACT xviii 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 5 2.1. Genetic Diversity of Ethiopian Sheep Breeds 5 2.2. Flock ize and Composition 6 2.3. Sheep Genetic Resources Improvement 8 2.3.1. Crossbreeding practices 9 2.3.2. Crossbreeding performance using exotic