FEED RESOURCES, FEEDING PRACTICES AND NUTRIENT BALANCE OF DAIRY CATTLE IN KEDIDA GAMELA WOREDA OF KAMBATA TAMBARO ZONE, SOUTH CENTRAL ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The study was carried out in Kedida Gamela Woreda of Kambata Tambaro Zone, South central Ethiopia with the objectives of assessing the major dairy cattle feed resources in terms of quality and quantity, assessing the feeding systems, estimating the balance between feed supply and requirement and to identify the constraints, opportunities and coping strategies of dairy cattle feeding in relation to agro-ecologies and seasons in the study area. Field survey, field measurement and laboratory analyses were applied to generate the data. Multistage sampling procedures were followed. A total of 160 respondents were included for the formal cross sectional study. Feed samples were analyzed in duplicates for dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ash, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL) contents and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD). The overall mean TLU per household was 5.9, 0.07, 0.06, 0.24, 0.02 and 6.3 for cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys, poultry and total livestock, respectively. The major available feed resources in the study area includes natural pasture, crop residues, enset, banana, sugar cane tops, improved forages, and agro industrial by products. Overall mean annual DM output was 6.9 ± 0.15 tons per household (P>0.05). About 15%, 20%, 13%, 18.8%, 7.3% and 26.1% of DM were contributed by natural pasture, crop residues, concentrates, forages, fodders and others to the total annual DM output, respectively. Both cattle herd size and total DM output were positively correlated with a land size (r = 0.342 and r = 0.755), respectively. The NDF content of most feed resources was less than 65%, except for teff straw (76%). Mean DM produced per household in highland and midland were 3.4 and 3.7tons (P<0.05) and required 8.5 and 8tons (P>0.05) with a negative balance of 5.1 and 4.3tons (P<0.05), respectively. Mean DM produced per household during wet and dry season were 4.1 and 3.1tons (P<0.05) and required 7.9 and 8.6tons (P>0.05) with a negative balance of 3.9 and 5.5tons (P<0.05), respectively. Overall feeding systems at wet and dry season were 37.5% and 5% herded grazing, 27.5% and 75% stall feeding and 35% and 20% tethering (P>0.05). The estimation demonstrated that the feed requirements of dairy cattle exceed feed supply between agro ecologies and seasons in the study area. Further, an integrated effort of different stakeholders would be required in improving the quality and quantity of feed resources as well as feeding systems to exploit the potential of the dairy cattle.