LIVESTOCK FEED RESOURCES AND UTILIZATION PRACTICES IN DERASHE SPECIAL DISTRICT, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA: STATUS, CHALLENGES, AND OPPORTUNITIES

Abstract

The study was conducted in Derashe Special District, Southern Ethiopia with aim of assessing the availability of feed resources and feeding practice, chemical composition of major feeds, and major constraints and opportunities for livestock feed production in relation to feed supply and utilization practices. From the studied District, 2 kebeles from the highland, 1 kebeles from mid land and 2 kebeles from the lowland areas were selected by proportional sampling. From each selected agro-ecology, 78 households from highland, 39 households from midland and 78 households from lowland agro-ecologies and totally 195 households randomly selected were interviewed. The primary data were collected using structured questionnaire and field observations. The collected data were analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. The survey results revealed that the farming activity in the study area was crop-livestock production systems and the dominant feed in the area were crop residues (73%); natural pastures (23%) and improved forages (4%).In the study area about (32%) and (44.1%) of HHs feed their animals the non-conventional feed and aftermath grazing respectively. The crop residues were utilized by treating as chopping (52.3%), water soaking (8.7%), and mix with green feeds (16.4%) (5.6%) other methods like with salt and locally made brewery (atella) and (22%) no any treatment while there was no urea treatment at all. The livestock feed compute with mulching of crop residues (21.5 %) especially in the lowland agro ecology Holte kebele and midland agro ecology walayite kebele. The feed utilization practices in the area were free grazing (12.3%), private grazing (2.56%), and cut and carrying system (75.4%) and (9.74%)practices all feeding systems in the area. The result of chemical composition of the sampled feeds s were the dry matter ranged from 90-95%, ash values from1-10%DM, CP 2.49-14.19%DM, EE 0.7-3.6%DM, NDF 62-81.6%DM, ADF 40.8-60.5%DM. and ADL ranged from 3.9-9.1%DM. The shortage of land (33.3%), overpopulation (28.2%), drought (26.2%), crop expansion (6.6%), overgrazing (4.1%) and settlement (1.5%) were constraints of feed production in descending order and whereas the opportunities for livestock production and improved feed production were high demand for livestock products, price for livestock and livestock products and better marketing access, crop-livestock mixed agriculture, the diversified season of agricultural product .Generally the feed available in the area not sustain the for livestock so it is better to conserve feed when abundant a