Abstract:
The study was conducted in Mari Mansa woreda, Dawuro Zone aimed to investigate
dairy cattle breeding practices and efficiency of artificial insemination. One hundred and
forty seven respondents were selected from four kebeles of the woreda who have dairy
cattle by using a purposive sampling technique and interviewed using semi-structured
questionnaires. All data were analyzed by using a general linear model procedure of
statistics in Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS version 21.0) by fitting breed
and agro ecology as main effects. The most commonly breeding practice was natural
mating system (66.6%) and Artificial inseminationcontributing(33.3). As common in most
areas of Ethiopia, scarcity of breeding bulls and uncontrolled mating practices at
communal grazing lands were reported from the study farmers. Indigenous knowledge of
farmers to select their breeding animals, culling of ones, breeding bull sharing among
farmers and higher desire towards using crossbred cows were observed breeding
practices in the study district. Body sizes, growth rate, production history of animals,
adaptation to harsh production environment, and recent production potential and visual
physical appearance of animals were used by farmers as selection criteria of their
breeding animals. Age at first service of local and cross breed heifer was 43.43±19 and
36.13±.41 months, respectively.The mean age at first calving, calving interval, days open
and number of services per conception of local and cross breed was reported as
48.60±.07and43.38±.07, 21.26±.08 and16.83±.02 ,148.85±.21and146.08±.2
days,1.69±.04and1.65±.04, respectively. The reported average daily milk yield of local
cattle were 2.21±.03 liter and cross breed 4.5±.0311liter. In high land agro ecology both
local and cross breedaverage daily milk yield is 3.24±.02 and midlandboth local and
cross breed average daily milk yield 4.27±.06 liters. The mean lactation length (month)
and lactation milk yield of local and cross breed cows was, 7.16±0.13and
327.5±2.93,6.19±0.23and 704.69±2.93respectively.About 70% of the respondents faced
failure in artificial insemination and the main reason for this was absence of an artificial
insemination technician at a time.The most common challenge fordairycattle breeding
across the study area were uncontrolled mating (72%),shortage of grazing land (71%)
and other extensive management practices. High price of milk and milk products, high
demand for milk, good market access and facilities, conducive agro ecology were
reported as good opportunity for dairy cattle production by the most respondents. In
general, the current uncontrolled and extensive breeding system of cattle and shortage in
AI services should be addressed to improve the poor efficiency of AI in terms of low
reproductive efficiency.
