No abstract

The study was conducted to identify breeding practices and traits preferences of the dairy cattle producers in the southern part of Ethiopia. Representative sample households were selected by SRS (Simple Random Sampling) techniques. A cross-sectional survey with a structured questionnaire was used to collect the data on the purpose of keeping dairy cattle, herd composition, source of dairy cattle, trait preference, and breeding practices performed by the farmers. The data were analyzed using statistical software SPSS 27, and chi-square was used to compare categorical variables. The herd composition of the Bule district is significantly different from the rest of the districts in the mean number of calves, heifers, and bulls. The Yirgachefe district significantly differs in the mean number of cows compared to other districts. The breed preference of most farmers (81.67%) is cross-bred bulls (Jersey and Holstein Frisian). There are not enough bulls on the farms; only 21.7% of them have a breeding bull, and the primary sources of bulls in the study community are the grazing areas and the neighbors. Respondents preferred artificial insemination (96.1%) to natural mating. Milk yield, appearance, and genotype were important traits in selecting a dam, whereas genotype, appearance, and fast growth rate were the most preferred traits in sire ranking. The farmers' breeding objectives were to improve milk production and increase cash income. Therefore, establishing a village-based mating program for the genetic improvement of dairy cattle in the study area is recommended to overcome the shortage of bulls.

The study was undertaken in Gedeo zone with the aim to identify traditional sheep breeding practices. Three potential districts (Yirgachefe, Bule and Gedeb) were purposely selected from Gedeo zone. A total of 180 smallholder sheep farmers were selected at random to complete a structured questionnaire that had been pretested. A pairwise ranking tool was used to prioritize ranked data during focus group discussion. Descriptive statistics were generated using SPSS version 26, while indices were computed for the ranked data. Mating happens because most farmers in Gedeo zone (80%) own breeding rams that are mixed and run with ewe flocks. Fifty-two percent of farmers were certain that their breeding rams mate with neighboring ewes. Nearly 70% of farmers prevented unwanted sheep breeding in their flocks by castrating or isolating undesirable rams from the ewe flock. Undesired or old breeding rams were replaced either from the same flock (58.9%) or purchased from local markets (41.1%). Breeding flock selection was common in Gedeo zone, with 97.2% of farmers selecting breeding rams and 93.3% of farmers selecting breeding ewes. Genotype (Index = 0.26) and body conformation (Index = 0.20) were the primary and secondary criteria used to select breeding ewes. Likewise, confirmation (Index = 0.25), genotype (Index = 0.24) and lamb growth rate (Index = 0.19) were the top three criteria when selecting breeding rams. Approximately three-quarters of interviewed farmers culled sheep due to poor body condition (31.8%), old age (28.6%), sickness (22.7%) and sterility (15.6%). Castration of rams was more common in Gedeb (58.3%) and Yirgachefe (55%) districts, and it was done for fattening, controlling unwanted breeding, and improving temperament. The mean selection and castration age of breeding rams were 13.18 and 30.72 months. In general, sheep breeding strategies for Gedeo zone should take into account section preferences and basic traditional sheep breeding practices.