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A study was conducted to document how smallholder farmers in Ethiopia utilize desho grass (Pennisetum pedicellatum) and explain the determinants of alternative and competing uses of the grass. The study was conducted using a semistructured questionnaire for 240 farmers in the districts of Burie Zuria and Doyogena, complemented with input from key informants and secondary data. The dependent variables tested were the use of desho grass as a feed, multipurpose uses of the grass and types of livestock fed. To test the effect of the explanatory variables on the dependent variables, separate univariate Probit models were used. Although the majority of respondents can read and write, about 23% of respondents were illiterate. The average desho grass-producing farmer in the sample owned 0.95 ha of farmland and 3.56 tropical livestock units; average household size was 6.5 people with a household head who was typically male (91% of households). Eighty percent of respondents in Burie Zuria and all respondents in Doyogena district depended solely on rain for desho grass production. Fifty-eight percent in Burie Zuria and 65% in Doyogena district applied either manure or artificial fertilizer to the grass. Weeding of desho grass was not practiced by any respondents in either district. Sixty percent of farmers used desho grass as a feed and 35% used it for more than a single purpose. Forty-two percent of farmers who fed desho grass did so to only lactating cattle, 3% fed it to small ruminants and 53% fed it to all livestock species. There were significant negative correlations (P<0.01) between both experience in production of desho grass and access to training in its production and utilization, and its utilization as a feed. Seventy percent of farmers in Burie Zuria and 13% in Doyogena have received training in desho grass production. To expand the utilization of the grass to as many farmers as possible, further training should be provided. A multi-faceted approach would be needed for the 23% of illiterate farmers over the 2 districts.Keywords: Cut-and-carry, lactating animals, multipurpose, Probit models. ResumenEn el estudio se analiza la utilización del pasto desho (Pennisetum pedicellatum) por pequeños agricultores en Etiopía y se explican los factores que determinan sus usos alternativos. El trabajo se realizó con la colaboración de 240 agricultores de los distritos de Burie Zuria y Doyogena mediante un cuestionario semi-estructurado, complementado con aportes de informantes clave y datos secundarios. Las variables dependientes analizadas fueron: uso del pasto como forraje; usos multipropósito; y tipo de animales que lo utilizan. Para probar el efecto de las variables explicativas sobre las variables dependientes, se utilizaron modelos Probit univariados en forma separada. Aunque la mayoría de los encuestados sabía leer y escribir, alrededor del 23% de los encuestados eran analfabetos. En la muestra, el productor promedio del pasto desho poseía 0.95 ha de tierra y 3.56 cabezas de ganado (TLU, tropical livestock un...

This study was conducted to evaluate the comparative growth, sexual maturity, survival, and feed utilization efficiency of local and White Leghorn chicken under intensive management condition. Five groups of each of the two breeds, with 200 baby chicks each, were subjected to appetite feeding with commercial layer's type starter's and grower's ration at day old to eight weeks and eight weeks to twenty weeks of age respectively in a completely randomised design with 5 replication. The results showed that mean daily feed intake and total feed consumption from hatching to maturity were significantly higher (P<0.05) for the local chicken the value of which seem to be overestimated due to their highly pronounced selective feeding and feed scratching behaviour. They attained 90 and 94% of the mean body weight of leghorn chicken at an age of 2 and 5 months, respectively. Mortality and the amount of feed required to raise day old baby chicks to maturity were also significantly higher (P<0.05) for the local chicken. Local chickens were inferior to the leghorn breed in terms of feed utilization efficiency and survival when kept in confinement. The results of this study suggested that there is no economic justification for keeping local chicken under intensive management systems due to their poor feed utilization efficiency and survival.

The study was conducted to determine feed intake, digestibility, and body weight (BW) change of Washera sheep fed on desho grass and natural pasture hay as a basal diet and supplemented with concentrate mixtures. Twenty-five intact male sheeps with body weight of 19.4 ± 1.89 kg (mean ± SD) were used in randomized complete block design. The dietary treatments were 100% natural pasture hay (NPH) (T1), 75% NPH + 25% desho grass hay (DGH) (T2), 50% NPH + 50% DGH (T3), 25% NPH + 75% DGH (T4), and 100% DGH (T5). Equal amount of concentrate mixture (CM) (300 g DM/day/h) was supplemented in all of the five treatments. The result of laboratory chemical analysis revealed that the CP content of the basal diets increased with increased proportion of desho grass hay inclusion in the treatments at the expense of natural pasture hay. Total DM, OM, CP, NDF, and ADF intake and digestibility was significant (P < 0.05) and in the increasing order of T1 < T2 < T3 < T4 < T5. The average daily body weight gain (ADG) of experimental sheep was significantly (P < 0.05) higher as proportion of desho grass increased from 0 to 100% in the basal diet. The result indicated that desho grass can be used as a basal diet for local sheep with better performance than natural pasture hay-based diets.

In the search for alternative feed resources for laying hens, papaya pomace is available as industrial by‐product but information on its nutritive value is lacking. Dried papaya pomace was included in a common laying hen diet at 0%, 2.5%, 5% and 7.5% to evaluate its effect on egg production performance, egg quality and general health parameters in Bovan brown layers. For every inclusion level, three cages with ten 20‐week‐old layers were used, making a total of 120 hens. The effect of dried papaya pomace inclusion on egg production, egg quality and general health parameters was evaluated. Dried papaya pomace inclusion improved egg production and laying by 6.15% and 17% respectively, while it significantly decreased feed conversion ratio by 7.5%. Eggshell weight, thickness and strength of PP5 were higher than the control by 0.3 g, 0.8 mm and 0.43 kg/cm2, respectively. There was a significant improvement in albumin weight (by 1.5 g/L), albumin height (2.1 mm), yolk weight (0.4 g/L), yolk height (0.4 mm), yolk colour (4.4 points) and Haugh unit (8 points) due to PP5 treatment. Inclusion of papaya pomace at a level of 7.5% of layers diet had negative effect on Egg production, feed conversion ratio and interior and exterior egg quality traits. Inclusion of papaya pomace affected significantly serum total cholesterol, serum triglyceride, serum low density lipoprotein, serum high density lipoprotein, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and white blood cell count. However, all blood traits of the experimental animals were within the normal ranges reported for layers. Inclusion of papaya pomace in 5% of layers commercial diets improves egg production and quality without negative impact on health while decreasing feeding cost.