Assessment of feed resources in urban and peri-urban areas of mid and high land of Bale

Abstract

The survey was conducted in urban and peri-urban areas of mid and high land of Bale during September 2017 to June 2018 with the objective of identifying available feed resources, its utilization methods and constraints related to feeding. The three major towns of Bale zone Ginir, Goba and Robe and the villages surrounding them and having a border with the town were included. A total of 180 household were selected using both purposive and random sampling techniques. Out of the total respondents 66.1% were indicated feed and feeding system as primary constraints. In peri-urban the principal dry season feed resources available to livestock in the study area include crop-residue, stubble grazing, natural pasture and hay in their descending order. Milled grain, Agro-industrial byproduct and by product of local beverage “atela” are the main supplements used. In urban, feeds are mostly purchased from flour milling and oil producing houses. Despite high price and shortage of supplementary feeds, about 80% of the total respondents are supplementing concentrate to their dairy cattle. The total mean supplements of protein sources 0.94kg and energy sources 1.22kg per lactating cow provided per day and one lactating cow costs 31.66 and 30.87birr in average in urban and peri-urban area respectively to produce the total average milk of 3.65 litters. The overall average daily dairy production output is 65.90 birr and the average net profit is 2.36 and 34.76 birr per day/cow for local and cross breed respectively. Feed quantity and quality problem was the first ranked followed by lack of improved breed and health problem. Hence, to bring a meaningful increase in livestock productivity livestock should be supplemented with a reasonable quantity and quality feeds. Similarly, the traditional husbandry practice, management of natural pasture and feeding value of crop residues should be improved.