Feed resources and its utilization practices by smallholder farmers in Meta Robi District, West Shewa Zone, Oromiya Regional State, Ethiopia.
Abstract The study was carried out in Meta Robi district, West Shewa Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. Secondary data collection, field observation, key informants discussion and semi structured questionnaire interview were employed to generate data. The district was stratified into upper, mid and lower altitudes and a total of 90 respondents (upper=30, mid=30 and lower=30) were randomly selected and interviewed individually. The major feed resources were grazing of natural pasture (58.9% wheat straw (42.4% barley straw (30% and hay (21.1% During the dry season, 90% of the respondents feed their animal crop residues followed by hay (55.6% and stubble grazing (35.6% Natural pasture was the major feed source during the wet season. September (86.7% October (86.7% and November (74.4% were classified as months when feed available relatively in excess. Feed was adequately available in the months of December (52.2% January (54.4% June (46.7% July (52.2% and August (51.1% whereas February (83.3% March (95.6% April (96.7% and May (96.6% were classified as feed shortage months. In the study district, 22.2, 37.8, 36.7, and 3.3% of the respondents feed their animals in indoor, group feeding, let to graze and tethering, respectively. Among the grazing systems, continuous grazing, deferred grazing, and zero grazing systems were practiced by 62.2, 36.7 and 1.1% respectively. About 74.4% of the sampled households in the district did not produce improved forage mainly due to shortage of land (41.1% shortage of forage seeds (23.3% and lack of awareness (24.4%.Only 30, 20 and 20.6% of the respondents in upper, mid and lower altitudes manage their grazing land for better production. About 69% of the respondents in the district were transporting livestock feeds to their back yard for their livestock feeding. Feed conservation in upper, mid, lower altitudes and the study district was in the order of 96.7, 96.7, 56.7 and 83.3% respectively. Utilization of hay and crop residue was started soon after collection (47.8% one month after collection (15.6% two months after collection (17.8% and stay conserved over two months (18.9% Generally, the production, productivity, transportation, storage and utilization efficiency of the available feed were low and therefore, further research and development works should be designed to reverse the existing situation.