Indigenous Sheep Populations in Western Zone of Tigray Region, Ethiopia: Characterization of Major Husbandry Practices and Lambing Patterns

Abstract

The survey was conducted before the ignition of the war (before October 2020) in Tigray Regional State, Ethiopia. The objective of the survey was to characterize the major husbandry practices and lambing patterns of the indigenous sheep populations. Begait (126), Rutanna (37) and Arado (90) sheep sample households who totaled 253 households were randomly involved in the face-to-face single visit survey interview. Statistical Package for Social Sciences software was used for statistical data analysis. About 50% of the Arado respondents were illiterate whereas 48% of Begait and 57% of Rutanna respondents attended lower primary school. The mean (±SD) number of females greater than one-year-old (35.75±54.8, 90.92±76.4 and 6.00±4.1) and mean (±SD) number of females 6 months to one-year-old (15.26±16.3, 48.62±48.5 and 0.89±1.6) were the major proportions in Begait, Rutanna and Arado sheep flocks, respectively. The mean (±SD) flock size of Rutanna sheep (223.08±170.5) was not comparable with the flock sizes of Begait (85.07± 90.1) and Arado (11.72±8.0). However, there was similar downward flock dynamics in Begait and Rutanna sheep flocks. Animals went to water source to drink water in 75% of Begait, 24% of Rutanna and 83% of Arado respondents. River was the water source for the animals of (45% of Begait and 79% of Arado) respondents whilst piped water was the water source in about 46% of Rutanna respondents. Animals travelled a watering point distance of 1-5 kilo meter (km) to obtain water (60% of Begait and 58% of the Arado respondents) whilst the animals of 32% of Rutanna respondents drunk at household site. Once a day drinking was in animals of 88% of Begait and 73% of Rutanna respondents whereas animals in 77% of Arado respondents drunk water twice a day in the dry season. Diseases and external parasites (EPs) occurrences were in Begait (95%, 86%), Rutanna (100%, 97%) and Arado (68%, 64%) respondents, respectively. Dry and wet season (60% of Begait, 95% of Rutanna and 46% of Arado respondents) was the major season of occurrences of EPs. Nevertheless, 72% of Begait, 41% of Rutanna and 100% of Arado respondents did not get access to veterinary service center (VSC). Moreover, 85% of Begait, 95% of Rutanna and 100% of Arado respondents travelled a distance of greater than 10 km to the nearest VSC. Own ram use (87% of Begait, 100% of Rutanna and 29% of Arado) and own flocks ram birth (63% of Begait, 81% of Rutanna and 22% of Arado) respondents were practiced. Uncontrolled mating was practiced in 54% of Begait, 22% of Rutanna and 100% of Arado respondents due to communal grazing. Respondents used rams outside of their own flocks (69% of Begait, 65% of Rutanna and 100% of Arado). Respondents used unknown ram to ewe ratio (43% of Begait and 38% of Rutanna) and 83% of the Arado respondents used a ratio of one ram to all ewes in the flock. It was also noted that 62% of Rutanna respondents practiced crossbreeding with Begait sheep. The peak lambing months of Begait and Rutanna sheep were in October and November whilst that of Arado sheep were in September, October and November. Ram castration was practiced in about 10% of Begait, 35% of Rutanna and 69% of Arado respondents. Ram castration was mainly practiced to improve carcass quality (69% of Arado respondents), and the animals were mainly castrated in 2-3 years old (48% of Arado respondents). Traditional castration method was practiced in 64% of Arado respondents. Education, controlled mating and breeding, castration to control inbreeding, access to nearby water and access to veterinary service center should be future attentions of the farmers and stakeholders.
Key words: Characterization, indigenous sheep, husbandry practices, mating practices, lambing pattern