Goat Breeds Utilization And Productivity Of Crossbred Goats In Eastern And Southern Ethiopia And Biophysical Model

The major objectives of this work were to assess the utilization and managementrncondition of crossbred and indigenous goats and to develop a biophysical model forrncrossbred goats. A survey was made in three districts (Kombolcha, Gursum and Konso)rnin Eastern and Southern Ethiopia to assess the utilization of these goats. In addition, arnthree-year data was obtained from Haramaya University to develop the biophysicalrnmodel.rnNearly 92% of the respondents prefer crossbred goats to indigenous goats. Thesernrespondents prefer crossbred goats due to the physical, productive, and reproductivernfeatures of the crossbred goats compared to the indigenous goats. However, in terms ofrnability to walk long distance, longevity and disease tolerance, local goats were preferredrnby most of the farmers than the crossbred goats. For milk and meat production crossbredrngoats were their first choice than local goats.rnThe most common method of grazing crossbred goats was tethering. About 74% ofrnKombolcha, 86% of Gursum and 94% of Konso district respondents feed their crossbredrngoats through tethering. The amount of dry matter (DM) protein supplement was thernmajor factor affecting productivity of crossbred goats. The amount of protein supplementrngiven to the crossbred goats affected longevity, daily milk yield and lactation length.rnCrossbred had higher milk yield and longer lactation length than indigenous goats butrnthey suffered higher mortality.rnIn the districts an average of 3.17 family labors was used per flock. Most of the crossbredrngoat owners practiced controlled breeding. Goats’ health care was found to be one of thernmost important factors that affect the productivity of crossbred goats. Increasedrninvestment (expenditure) for medical cases was found to increase the longevity of goats,rnmilk yield and lactation length of the goats. Information generated in this study isrnbelieved to guide investment priorities for in goat-keeping families in the country. Six models developed using a three year data. To develop these models a total of 165rncrossbred goats and 257 indigenous (Somali breed) goats included in the study. To fit thernmodels a total of 20,907 daily record of the crossbred goats are used.rn�� Weight = -1.17 + 28.723*Feed Intake+ 12.619*Labor intake of each of goatrnThe model shown above is used to estimate the performance of crossbred goats in thernthree districts and can be used to estimate the weight of a crossbred goat if the otherrnvariables are known or vice versa.rnKey words: Gursum district, Kombolcha district, Konso district, Haramaya University,rncrossbred goats, simulation model, indigenous goats

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