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The aim of the current study was to assess the major animal health problems and their impact on beef cattle production in Doba district of West Harerghe Zone, Ethiopia. The study area was purposively selected, and a simple random sampling method was used to selected households’ fatteners from each kebele and interviewed using structured questionnaires. The present study showed that the overall prevalence of the diseases was internal and external parasite 93.3%, bloat 53.3%, black leg 71.1%, pasteurolosis 71.8%, wound 71.8%, FMD 22.2%, and anthrax 13.33% which affect fattening cattle, respectively, in the study area. All the respondents (100%) involved in the study were experienced with deworming of their animals to protect from parasites. But, only 46.7% and 42.2% of the respondents have accessed veterinary services with limited regularity and vaccination program, respectively, in the study area. Hence, the beef cattle fatting sector should be supported through considering alleviating the major disease affecting this sector and encouraging the farmers’ indigenous knowledge practice with technology.

A cross sectional study was conducted from October 2015 to September 2017 on skin and hide defects, handling practice and marketing channel in east and west Hararghe zone, Oromia region. In this study, both purposive and random samplings were used to select the districts (Babille, Haramaya, Chiro and Chiro zuria), PAs and households from the two zones. A total of 247 respondents from households, butcheries, municipal abattoirs, middlemen and local skin and hide collectors were interviewed. Direct wet skin and hide observation and follow up investigation was also made on 62 cattle hide, 86 sheep and 99 goat skins from 136 different sites to collection centers along the marketing channel to the tannery plant. The result of the study showed 17% of the respondents had no understanding on contribution of skin and hide in national economy and only 34% of the participants had sold skin and hide to local collectors and traders whereas 12.1% of the participants preferred to use skin or hide for coverings of home materials. The study also revealed involvement of illegal traders, poor infrastructures, uneven distribution of collectors were some of the main challenges in skin and hide marketing and rejection at tannery because of damages during flaying and preslaughter factors like skin diseases and ectoparasites, poor preservation techniques, storage and transportation methods were identified as the main factors downgrading skin and hide. Of the 247 wet blue skin and hides examined at Mojo tannery PLC only 4.9% fall in export level grading score (grade 1-4), 27.1% were rejected and the left fall in grading level supplied to local market. Hence, there was knowledge gap in skin and hide handling practices and poor market access. Therefore, awareness creation and building link amongst producer to collector, trader and tannery were recommended.

Assessment of the prevailing chicken egg storage materials and length at the rural household in different Agro ecological zone of Eastern Ethiopia were conducted to assess the existing local egg storage facilities and length under the rural farmers. From two zone representing Eastern Ethiopia and the lowland, midland and highland altitude, proportionally 10 districts of 30 rural kebeles were selected using probability proportional to sample size. From each selected rural kebeles, ten farmers were purposely selected. A total of 300 chicken owner were interviewed by structured questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS software. The majority of the respondents (98%) in Eastern Ethiopia stored eggs for both marketing and incubation in lowland (86.4%), midland (69.3%) and highland (91.2%) using plastic (28.8%), basket (28.4% and (34.1%) followed by basket (25.4%), pot made of clay/ cow dung (23.9% and 23.8%) along with coffee hulls and dried grass as bedding materials respectively. Mostly, eggs produced at home was used for incubation in lowland (75.9%), midland (76.9%) and highland (73.9%); not experienced for home consumption except for household of better economic status and at the festivity in a year, and to some extent purchased eggs from known neighbor where their qualities were evaluated by shaking and sun candling in lowland (53.8%) and midland (46.7%) and sun candling in highland (51.4%). Hatching eggs were stored more than a week in mid (43.1%) and highland (44%) and about a week in lowlands (48.2%) until the required number of egg was produced for incubation by broody hen. Most of the respondents (78%) were select incubating eggs based on size in lowland (44.9%) and color and size in mid (45.7%) and highland (54.4) preferably large size and white eggs. The common hatching materials used in the area was pot in lowland (61.1%), mid (40%) and highland (53%). Due to suitable weather condition, better hatchability, less disease and parasite infestation and better feed resource availability, most of the respondent (70%) performed incubation during the dry season. Generally, rural poultry producer used different egg storage and hatching materials for different duration, they may influence the quality of eggs for uses that require further investigation to evaluate and recommend the best methods of storage material and duration across different agro ecology and provision of successful training for rural poultry producer; women, on modern egg storage and incubation for improvement of poultry production.

A study was conducted to evaluate growth performances of Washera sheep under smallholder production systems in the Yilmanadensa and Quarit districts of the Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia. Data were collected and analysed on the growth of 690 lambs owned by 110 households from October 2004 to September 2007. Weight (kilograms) of Washera lambs at birth, 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age was 2.69 +/- 0.02, 7.10 +/- 0.16, 12.42 +/- 0.11, 16.12 +/- 0.91, 20.05 +/- 0.55 and 23.47 +/- 0.68, respectively. Birth weight was significantly (P0.05) affected by district, year of birth, parity of the dam, birth type and sex of lamb and by the interaction effect of parity by birth type and parity by sex of lamb. Weaning weight was also affected by year of birth, type of birth and sex of lamb. Yearling weight was affected by only year of birth and sex of birth. The average daily weight gain (ADG; grams) from birth to 30 days, birth to 90 days, 90 to 180 days and birth to 1 year of age was 143.37 +/- 13.46, 107.09 +/- 2.67, 39.78 +/- 9.73 and 60.13 +/- 1.89, respectively. Growth rates from birth to 30 and 90 days of age were significantly (P0.05) affected by birth year, birth type and sex. ADG from birth to 1 year of age was affected by lamb sex and district. The indigenous Washera sheep had faster growth rate than those sheep breeds of Ethiopia extensively studied thus far. Integrated efforts combining improved nutrition, health and participatory community-based breeding would help the smallholder farmers to utilise and conserve this immense sheep genetic resource of Ethiopia.

On-farm survey of farmers' breeding practices, breeding objectives, and selection criteria and on-station feedlot performance evaluation of Washera sheep were undertaken in Ethiopia. The survey revealed that most (79.8%) of the farmers had no breeding ram. The mating system was predominantly uncontrolled. A majority (75.5%) of the sheep owners reported that they herded their sheep flock by mixing with other livestock species mainly with cattle. During grazing, 44.6% of the farmers mix their sheep flock with neighboring sheep flocks. The major sheep production objective was to generate income from the sale of live sheep. Fast growth, appearance, coat color, and pedigree performance were important ram selection criteria, respectively. Ability to breed at early age, pedigree information, mothering ability, and lambing interval were important selection criteria for ewe, respectively. The on-station performance study involved evaluation of feedlot gains and carcass production under five levels of feeding regimes (300, 400, 500, 600, and 700 g day(-1) of concentrate feed) for a period of 93 days. The results indicated that the feedlot growth and carcass performance of Washera sheep were very high, with average daily weight gains of up to 126 g and carcass weight of 16 kg, with the optimal level of supplementation for Washera sheep being at 500 g of concentrate per day for a period of 93 days.

Menz sheep are indigenous to the highlands of Ethiopia, and highly valued for their meat and wool production. The area is characterized as a low input mixed barley-sheep production system. In 1998, a selection experiment was set up to evaluate the response of Menz sheep to selection for yearling live weight (WT12) and greasy fleece weight (GFW) combined in an economic index. In this paper, we report the results of this breeding program obtained between 1998 and 2003. Average annual genetic selection responses for WT12 and GFW were 1.506 and 0.043 kg in the selected flock and 0.392 and −0.008 kg in the control flock. Annual genetic trends in the selected flock, estimated by regressing BLUP estimated breeding values on year of birth, were 0.495 ± 0.053 kg for WT12, 0.012 ± 0.002 kg for GFW, and Birr 5.53 ± 0.55 for the aggregate breeding value (1 Ethiopian Birr = 0.115 USD). Corresponding values for the control flock were 0.276 ± 0.065 kg, 0.003 ± 0.002 kg and Birr 2.93 ± 0.69. Correlated responses in birth weight (WT0), weaning weight (WT3), 6-month weight (WT6) and staple length (STPL) in the selected flock were 0.038 ± 0.005 kg, 0.271 ± 0.03 kg, 0.388 ± 0.039 kg and 0.011 ± 0.017 cm, respectively. Heritabilities, estimated by fitting a multitrait individual animal model were 0.464 ± 0.014, 0.477 ± 0.016, 0.514 ± 0.017, 0.559 ± 0.019, 0.393 ± 0.016 and 0.339 ± 0.014 for WT0, WT3, WT6, WT12, GFW and staple length (STPL), respectively. Phenotypic and genetic correlations between all traits were positive, except for STPL and WT12. Estimates of genetic parameters and observed genetic trends confirm that selective breeding can lead to significant genetic improvement in Menz sheep.