Feeding strategies and feed resource development for oxen and crossbred dairy cows used as draught animals in the highlands of Ethiopia
Abstract
In the Ethiopian highlands, cattle are kept mainly as draught animals, and it is estimated that this accounts for about 60% of the value of the regional cattle production. The development of crop agriculture is linked with the development of power for cultivation, and a major constraint to increasing crop production is an inadequate availability of draught power. Overgrazing, insufficient feed resources, and diminishing land size per household contribute to this problem. Inadequate nutrition, especially a lack of energy and protein, is the main constraining factor responsible for the poor performance of Ethiopian livestock. Feed resources in the Ethiopian highland mixed farming areas are mainly natural pastures, fallow croplands and crop residues. Cereal straw is the most widely available feed in the area but its value is limited by its inherent low digestibility, low nitrogen content and low passage rate. A year round survey will be conducted to collect relevant data and samples from fourty farms (either men headed or women headed) which are located in two different thermal zones. The framework of farming activities will be described (land allocation, type of crops, yield per hectare, number of animals raised, herd structure, available feed sources, feeding practices, body condition, milk yield, activity of cattle etc.). Feed samples will be collected and analyzed for their nutrient content. Besides this, the work output and other relevant traits of draught animals will be recorded. The results of this survey will be used to develop alternative feeding strategies and to establish a more sustainable distribution of feedstuffs among the draught animal population. The efficiency of using crossbred dairy cows instead of oxen for draught purposes will also be analyzed.
keywords cattle Ethiopia development country draught animal DEV-FORUM Associate Project
Publikationen
Ochsen statt Traktoren
Autoren: Wlcek, S., Abate, E., Zollitsch, W. Jahr: 2003
Newspaper / Magazine article
Project staff
Werner Zollitsch
Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Werner Zollitsch
werner.zollitsch@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-93211, 99101, 99111
Project Leader
01.10.1999 - 31.03.2003
Wilhelm Friedrich Knaus
Ao.Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Wilhelm Friedrich Knaus
wilhelm.knaus@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-93235
Project Staff
01.10.1999 - 31.03.2003
BOKU partners
External partners
International Livestock Research Institute
none
partner
Austrian Development Cooperation, Integrated Livestock Development Program Gondar
none
partner
Austrian Academic Exchange Service
none
partner