Academic Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Research
 

Academic Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Research 

Vol. 4(2), pp. 45-54. February, 2016.

ISSN: 2360-7874 

 DOI: 10.14662/ARJASR2015.072

Full Length Research

Livestock feed production and feed balance in meta-Robi District, West Shewa Zone, Oromiya Regional State, Ethiopia

*Endale Yadessa¹, Abule Ebro², Lemma Fita³ and Getnet Asefa¹

¹Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research

²International Livestock Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

³Ambo University, Department of Animal Science, Ambo, Ethiopia

*Corresponding author’s E-mail: endaleyad@yahoo.com

Accepted 31 February 2016

The study was carried out in Meta Robi district, West Shewa Zone, Oromia Regional State to identify the types of livestock feed resources and estimate annual feed produced, maintenance requirement and annual feed balance. Secondary data sources and field observations, key informants discussions and semi-structured questionnaire interview were employed to generate data. The district was stratified into upper, mid and lower altitudes and a total of 90 respondents (upper=30, mid=30 and lower=30) were randomly selected and interviewed individually. The results of the study indicated that the major feed resources were grazing of natural pasture (58.9%), wheat straw (42.4%), barley straw (30%) and hay (21.1%). During the dry season, 90% of the respondents feed their animals crop residues, hay (55.6%) and stubble grazing (35.6%). Natural pasture was the major feed source during the wet season. The total maintenance DM of feed requirement of the animals in the district was 388,859.8 tons while the actual DM of feed production was 212,047.15 tons. The total DM of feed produced per year fulfilled the maintenance requirement of the animals only for 6.54 months of the year in the district. According to the opinion of the sampled households, in the rest of the year, animals suffer from feed shortage which resulted in weight loses, mortality and milk reduction.

Key words: Feed production, Maintenance requirement, Feed balance

How to cite this article: Yadessa E, Ebro A, Fita L, Asefa G (2016). Livestock feed production and feed balance in meta-Robi District, West Shewa Zone, Oromiya Regional State, Ethiopia. Acad. Res. J. Agri. Sci. Res. 4(2): 45-54.

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