TITLE:
Management Practices and Production Constraints of Indigenous Somali Cattle Breed in Shabelle Zone, Somali Regional State, Ethiopia
AUTHORS:
Abdihakim Ma’alin, Kawnin Abdimahad, Guled Hassen, Abdulahi Mahamed, Mahamed Hassen
KEYWORDS:
Cattle Production, Reproductive Performance, Constraints, Management Practices
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Animal Sciences,
Vol.12 No.1,
January
21,
2022
ABSTRACT: This study was conducted in Shabelle zone of
Somali Regional State to assess management practices and production constraints
of indigenous Somali Cattle. A total of 200 household heads were selected from
four cattle potential districts; Dhanan, Ber’ano, Godey & Adadle. The
relevant information was collected through semi-structured questionnaire, focus
group discussion, key informants interview, and personal observations. Majority
of the respondents were illiterate. The average cattle holding size was 8.97
heads/household and cattle were mainly kept for milk production. The major feed
resources in the study area were natural pasture and crop residue, and communal
grazing was the most important feeding system in the area. Feed shortage was a
problem hindering cattle production in the study area during dry season mainly
January up to March. Animals traveled long distances to watering points (>5
km) during dry season, while in wet season, animals were watered in nearby
water sources. Cattle housing was open kraal fenced with the thorned plenty
acacia trees and calves were housed separately from other cattle. Breeding in
the study area was uncontrolled and was bred with their own or neighbors’ bull.
Age at first mating, age at first calving and calving interval were 3.25 years,
4.05 years and 16.56 months, respectively. The daily milk yield and lactation
length were 2.22 liters and 8.07 months, respectively. The production and
reproduction performance of Somali cattle was relatively higher than other
local breeds in the country mainly in terms of milk yield and fertility
potential under the existing environmental conditions. The major constraints of cattle production were feed shortage, disease,
water scarcity, lack of veterinary services, marketing problem and predator.
Among those constraints, inadequate supply of quality feed, diseases and water
shortage were the main reasons for low productivity of cattle and are the major
factors limiting productivity. Therefore, to sustain the production system in
the study areas, it is recommended to improve the current condition of communal
rangelands through management of degraded areas by awareness creation on the
value of these common resources and development of rules and regulation to
sustain the existing resource and implement over the utilization of communal/pastoral
rangeland management systems to reduce constraints such as shortage of feed,
drought and grazing land deterioration which perpetuated through time due to
land-use changes and seasonal fluctuation).