Breeding Practices and Reproductive Performances of Indigenous Sheep Breed in Mixed Crop Livestock System of Arsi Zone Oromia, Ethiopiathiopia

Abstract

The study was conducted in the Arsi zone to generate comprehensive information on the breeding practices and reproductive performance of local sheep under farmer’s management conditions. The information on these traits is important to develop a sustainable genetic improvement program. Lack of knowledge about reproductive performance and breeding practices leads to the setting up of unrealistic breeding goals, which in turn leads to improper utilization and conservation of animal genetic resources. Study districts were selected purposively based on the potential of sheep population distribution. Data were collected through questioners, focal group discussion and secondary data. A total of 240 households were randomly selected and interviewed. Descriptive statistics and a ranking index were used to present the findings. Sheep were multi-purpose animals and kept to fulfill both tangible and non-tangible benefits. The main reasons for keeping sheep were income generation and as a means of saving and wealth status. Selection of breeding animals, is practiced by farmers to become parents of the next generation using different criteria. The main preferred traits for selecting breeding males were appearance and coat colors. While breeding females were mainly selected based on age at first sexual maturity and lambing intervals. Uncontrolled mating was dominantly practiced in which mating takes place between closely related animals because sheep flocks graze together on communal grazing areas and watering points, lack of awareness, and lack of a breeding ram in the flocks. The age at first lambing and lambing interval were 15.5 and 9.3 months, respectively. The level of inbreeding is higher than the maximum acceptable level. Generally, the breeding practices and reproductive performance of sheep requires intervention to improve the potential of sheep in this particular area.