Indigenous Breeding Practices and Selection Criteria of Sheep Breed in Selale Area, Central Ethiopia

Abstract

This study was aimed to generate organized information on traditional breeding practices and selection criteria for indigenous sheep types in two districts of Selale area. A total of 300 households (150 in Debre Libanos and 150 in Wuchale district) were randomly sampled for the interview in selected and surrounding Kebeles. A semi-structured questionnaire and group discussion were used to gather sheep breeding practices and selection criteria in the area. The result showed that most of the households heads are males (77.33%) and mixed crop-livestock system. Sheep were kept predominantly as source of income generation. Mating was predominantly uncontrolled and no report of controlled breeding. Out of total farmers interviewed, only about 7.33% and 14% kept their own breeding males in Debre Libanos and Wuchale, respectively. The majority of the farmers got the service from unknown ram (63.33% in Debre Libanos and 51.33% in Wuchale). Selection of breeding animals was reported to be practiced in the study areas, and mainly focused on selection of breeding males. In selecting a breeding ram, appearance and/or conformation ranked first for both Debre Libanos and Wuchale sheep owners with an index of 0.42 and 0.311, respectively. Uncontrolled mating and absence of breeding rams in many of the flocks in Debre Libanos and Wuchale districts are challenges which have to be tackled when implementing breeding programs. In order to minimize the failure of breed improvement programs it is important to involve farmers considering the existing breeding practices, selection criteria and trait preferences of the community.

Breeding Objective, Breeding Practices and Selection Criteria of Indigenous Sheep in Western Amhara, Ethiopia

“…The pattern that allows mating within relatives can be associated with accumulation of inbreeding over time. Those in agreement with that of Getachew et al (2010); Abera et al (2014a) reported that the mating system of small ruminant under smallholder farmers are predominantly uncontrolled. Similarly, studies in the country reported that natural mating was a method to breed different livestock species and almost all farmers practiced this system (Menbere, 2005).…”

“…Similarly, this result was in lined with Getachew (2008) report appearance or conformation ranked first for both Afar and Menz sheep owners with an index of 0.35 and 0.29, respectively and this result was similar with in selecting a breeding ram, appearance /conformation ranked first for both DebreLibanos and Wuchale sheep owners with an index of 0.42 and 0.311, respectively (Abera et al, 2014a). And also this result was comparable with appearance or body size was ranked first by sheep owners in Basonawerena and Angolelatera with an index of 0.32, and 0.26, respectively (Haile et al, 2015).…”

“…Ram sharing tradition and herd mixing could potentially serve to downplay the risk of inbreeding and to speed up genetic improvement by increasing selection differential. These practices agreed with Abera et al (2014a) report on Selale indigenous sheep and report on Horro and Bonga breeds (Zewdu, 2008). In the present work, in all the three districts most respondents' answer that they were not practicing controlled breeding mating in Lay Gayint, Farta, and Sekela were 76.3 %, 73.3%, and 68.3%, respectively.…”

“…Overall, 37.7 % of the respondents have the breeding ram in Lay Gayint (40 %), Farta (38.3 %), and Sekela (35 %) of the answerers. This result was different from 7.33% and 14% of the household were kept their own breeding males in DebreLibanos and Wuchale, respectively (Abera et al, 2014a). In contrast to this, Abera et al (2014b) reported that above 23% and 50% native sheep keepers in Gubalafto and Habru lacked breeding rams types in North Wollo zone, And also districts in Tanqua-Abergelle (93.7%), Kola-Tembien (91.46 % ) and Adwa (86%) had their own indigenous breeding ram (Hagos et al, 2018).…”

On-farm phenotypic characterization of indigenous sheep population and its cross with awassi in selected Districts of South Wollo, Amhara, Ethiopia

“…This highest correlation of wither height and chest girth with body weight than other body measurements is in line with other results (Gizaw et al 2008;Getachew et al 2009;Alemayehu 2011;Abera et al 2016). The strong correlation of different measurements with body weight would imply these measurements can be used as indirect selection criteria to improve live weight (Gizaw et al 2008;Getachew et al 2009;Abera et al 2014;Mohammed et al 2015;Abera et al 2016;Bireda et al 2016) or could be used to predict body weight. The high correlation coefficients between body weight and body measurements for male and female suggest that either of these variables or their combination could provide a good estimate for predicting the live weight of sheep from body measurements.…”