Abstract:
The objectives of this study were to describe sheep and goats production systems
comparatively and to phenotypically characterize the goat population in three districts of
Oromia zone (Artuma Fursi, Dewachefa and Jile Timuga). The study was performed based on
household survey and field measurements. For household survey, 162 households (54 from
each district) were involved while body measurements were taken from 600 goats (200 goats
from each district). Data collected through questionnaire (survey) were described by
descriptive statistics using SPSS. Observations on qualitative traits of goats were analyzed
using frequency procedure of SPSS. However, quantitative traits were analyzed using SAS
version 9.3, (2014). The overall average number of sheep and goats per household were
7.19±4.34 and 11.90±6.70, respectively in the study area. Agro-pastoral (84.6%) and
pastoral (15.4%) were the main production system in the study area. The primary reason of
keeping sheep and goats in all districts was for cash income. Goat milk is consumed by
respondents particularly in Artuma Fursi and Jile Timuga districts with index value of 0.019
and 0.078, respectively. On the other hand, all respondents in the study area reported that
using sheep milk for home consumption is forbidden by their culture. Natural pasture and
river water were the major sources of sheep and goats feed and water respectively in both dry
and wet seasons in the three districts.Majority (88.3%) of farmers in the study area practiced
uncontrolled mating system. Appearance/body size, growth rate and color were the first,
second and third selection criteria, respectively, to select breeding ram and buck in the study
area. The overall liter size of sheep and goats were 1.27±.49 and 1.73±.82 in the study area,
respectively. Diseases were the main production constraints in all of the study districts. The
most frequent color patterns observed in the study area were plain (77.7%), patchy (20.2%)
and spotted (2.2%). The predominant coat color type was fawn in Artuma-Fursi (30.0%) and
(26.5%) in Dewa-chefa districts whereas in Jile-Timuga district (31.5%) red coat color was
the most frequently observed color. The presence of horn was common in each of the three
districts with a straight shape and backward orientation. District had significant (P<0.05)
effect on body weight and other linear body measurements except cannon bone length,
cannon circumference. Age classes of animals contributed significant (p<0.05) differences to
body weight and most of the linear body measurements. Heart girth was the first variable to
explain more variation than other variables in both female (62%) and male (68%) goats. The
prediction of body weight could be based on regression equation BW = -19.55 + 0.63HG for
female and BW = -45.72 + 1.0HG for male sample goat population. Goats had better
economic importance than sheep with respect to income generation.Most body measurements
of goats in Artuma Fursi and Dewachefa district relatively higher than Jile-Timuga district.
