THESIS SUBMITTED TO DEPARTEMENT OF ANIMAL SCIENCE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES ARBA MINCH UNIVERISTY

Abstract

The study was conducted in Wondogenet district with objective of assessing feed resource, feeding practice, feed related problems and farmers coping strategies and reproductive and productive performance of crossbred dairy cow. Multistage purposive and simple random sampling method was used for the study to select study kebeles and respondent households. The primary data were collected through questionnaires, focus group discussion and field observation. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS version 25 and summarized by percentage, frequencies mean and standard deviation. Independent sample t-test, chi square was used to compares means in agro ecologies and indices were used to rank variables. The study showed that major available feed resources in study area were natural pasture, crop residues and improved forage ranked first, second and third with different index value respectively. Types of improved forages in study area were Elephant grass (43.1 %), Desho grass (36.0 %), alfalfa (10.1 %), Sasbain (7.1 %), lablab (2.53 %) and cow pea (1.0 %). Teff straw, wheat straw and maize Stover were major crop residues in study area ranked 1st 2nd and 3rd respectively. Source of water in study area wells (33.5 %), tap water (27.9 %), river (22.8 %), and Pond (15.7 %) with different watering frequency. Majority of respondent (50.8 %) use stall feeding for their crossbred dairy cattle followed by both stall feeding and grazing(sub grazing)(28.4 %) and grazing (20.8 %). Cost (37.6 %) scarcity (26.4 %), Seasonality (20.3 %), and lack of awareness (15.7 %) are feed related problem in study area. Farmers use different coping strategies for feed related problem by conserving feed resources, purchase from available source, and use of non conventional feed resources and reduce feed given. The average mean age at first service, age at first calving, day open, calving interval, number of service per conception, lactation length, lactation milk yield, daily milk yield, weaning age and feed start of new born calve were 26.41±5.35, 36.125±5.4, 6.98±2.87, 16.7±3.2, 1.93 ±0.99, 10.43±1.73, 3223.1±160.36, 10.35±3.0, 4.46±1.5 and 3.25±0.905 respectively in study area. Feed resource availability and feeding practice needs different support and making awareness on feeding management of crossbred dairy cattle. Reproductive and productive performance of crossbred dairy cattle in study area especially highland area was low. It is recommended that better management on feed availability, feeding practices to get more from crossbred dairy cow