ISSN 2375-074X
African Journal of Plant Breeding ISSN: 2375-074X Vol. 11 (3), pp. 001-012, March, 2024. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Assessment of livestock feed resources and nutritional value in Gasera And Ginnir Districts, Bale Zone, Ethiopia: Implications for animal productivity in mixed farming systems
Mekuanint Gashaw*1 and Girma Defar2
1Department of Animal Sciences, Debre Tabor University, School of Agriculture and Environmental Science, Debre Tabor P. O. Box. 272, Ethiopia.
2Department of Animal and Range Science, Maddawalabu University, School of Agriculture, Bale Robe, P. O. Box 247 Ethiopia. Corresponding Author E-mail: [email protected].
Received 9 March, 2023; Accepted 7 December, 2023
Abstract
The study was conducted in Gasera and Ginnir districts of Bale mid to highland areas, Oromia regional state, southeast Ethiopia; to assess livestock feed resources, to determine major feed nutritional value and their implication on animal productivity. Stratified random sampling (poor, medium and wealth) was applied to identify the sampled unit of 156 households in the selected districts. The chemical compositions of sampled feeds were determined using wet chemistry at Holeta Agricultural nutrition laboratory. Livestock production systems in the districts were extensive type. The metabolizable energy (ME) of the major available roughage feeds was 956,094.71 and 980,392.51 MJ per annum in the Gasera and Ginnir districts, respectively. Crop residues (aftermath and barley straw, wheat straw and teff straw) contributed about 80.4 and 81.73% in Gasera and Ginnir, respectively of the total annual ME supply of roughage feeds where the remaining is from natural grasses. The DCP (digestible crude protein) amount estimated in sampled feed was not statistically different in the study districts (P>0.05). Crude protein (CP) and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) were significantly higher (P < 0.05) for feed from natural grasses than crop residues and aftermath. To the contrary, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) contents were significantly higher (P < 0.05) for crop residues and aftermath. Mean crude protien content of crop residues and aftermath was less than the critical level of CP (7% DM) required for optimum function of rumen microbes, implying the need for supplementation. On the other hand, the amount of dry matter available from major sampled feed sources indicated that, it satisfied the maintenance requirement of cattle; however, the bulkiness of the feed cannot indicate the quality of the utilizable nutrients. This implies supplementation with concentrates and improved forage feeds are compulsory to overcome energy and protein deficiency in both study districts, especially during dry periods for reasonable livestock production.
Key words: Livestock, feed resources, chemical composition.