Responses of farmers on reproductive performance of dairy cows in urban and peri-urban small scale dairy production system: The case of south east Oromia, Ethiopia

The study was carried out to assess the reproductive performance of dairy cows in urban and peri-urban small scale dairy production system. The response of the farmers were involved factors affecting the reproductive performances such as; household characteristics, cattle management system, feed and feeding system, breeding method used and the reproductive performance parameters. A total of ۱۸۰ dairy producer households (۹۰ from Urban and ۹۰ from peri-urban) were selected randomly from ۶ Towns (Mojo, Batu, Shashemane, Dodola, Robe-Bale and Goba) and interviewed using structured and semi-structured questionnaire. The result of the study indicated that ۲۵.۹% of Urban and ۲۲.۳% of peri-urban dairy producer households were literates. The mean number of cattle/per household was ۴.۱±۰.۲۸ and ۵±۰.۳۶ for urban and peri-urban dairy producers respectively. Bellow ۱۵% of the farmers uses regular follow up on estrus detection and herdsman information. More than ۹۰% of the respondents were indicated livestock production was constrained from getting year round feed supply both in quality and quantity. Out of the total respondents ۵۵% were only AI service beneficiaries, ۲۴.۴% both natural matting and AI beneficiaries, and ۲۰.۶% non-AI beneficiaries. Based on this; the overall average of main parameters such as Age at first calving (AFC), Calving intervals (CI), Days open (DO) and Number of Services per Conception (NSC) are ۳۶.۹۷±۰.۵۸ months, ۵.۷۶±۰.۱۹ months, ۱۴.۷۵±۰.۱۹ months and ۲.۵۲±۰.۲۲ respectively. The result of study suggests that the overall production system observed could be categorized as fairly good in urban and poor in peri-urban. The overall production and reproduction parameters are bellow the standard level for optimum production. The major constraints mentioned by farmers and other stakeholders are; feed and feeding problem, poor cattle management, poor genetic potential and health problem in precedence.The study was carried out to assess the reproductive performance of dairy cows in urban and peri-urban small scale dairy production system. The response of the farmers were involved factors affecting the reproductive performances such as; household characteristics, cattle management system, feed and feeding system, breeding method used and the reproductive performance parameters. A total of ۱۸۰ dairy producer households (۹۰ from Urban and ۹۰ from peri-urban) were selected randomly from ۶ Towns (Mojo, Batu, Shashemane, Dodola, Robe-Bale and Goba) and interviewed using structured and semi-structured questionnaire. The result of the study indicated that ۲۵.۹% of Urban and ۲۲.۳% of peri-urban dairy producer households were literates. The mean number of cattle/per household was ۴.۱±۰.۲۸ and ۵±۰.۳۶ for urban and peri-urban dairy producers respectively. Bellow ۱۵% of the farmers uses regular follow up on estrus detection and herdsman information. More than ۹۰% of the respondents were indicated livestock production was constrained from getting year round feed supply both in quality and quantity. Out of the total respondents ۵۵% were only AI service beneficiaries, ۲۴.۴% both natural matting and AI beneficiaries, and ۲۰.۶% non-AI beneficiaries. Based on this; the overall average of main parameters such as Age at first calving (AFC), Calving intervals (CI), Days open (DO) and Number of Services per Conception (NSC) are ۳۶.۹۷±۰.۵۸ months, ۵.۷۶±۰.۱۹ months, ۱۴.۷۵±۰.۱۹ months and ۲.۵۲±۰.۲۲ respectively. The result of study suggests that the overall production system observed could be categorized as fairly good in urban and poor in peri-urban. The overall production and reproduction parameters are bellow the standard level for optimum production. The major constraints mentioned by farmers and other stakeholders are; feed and feeding problem, poor cattle management, poor genetic potential and health problem in precedence.

Keywords:

Calving intervals , Peri-Urban , Milk yield , Cattle