Flock composition, breeding strategies and farmers’ traits of interest evaluation of Wollo highland sheep and their F₁ crosses

The research project conducted in the two selected districts of South Wollo Zone of Amhara Region, Eastern Ethiopia. The geographical location delimited with Northern Shewa and Oromia region at the southern part, western Gojjam at western part, south Gondar at the north western part, North Wollo at the northern part, Afar Region at the northeastern part and Argobba district of Oromia Zone at the eastern part of the country (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. Map of the study areas in South Wollo Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

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Dessie Zuria and Kutaber districts had populous sheep production area from other Districts of the administrative Zone. Even though, the livelihood economy depends on crop production, much more assist by livestock production and mainly with sheep, cattle, goat, and chicken production. The districts were historically chronic food insecure area for long years ago because of shortage of rain fail and drought infected area. Sheep sold to get immediate cash income through petty trading including buying, fattening, and selling practice.

Farmers’ sheep flock management practices characterized by mixed types of crop-livestock production system. Smallholder farmers allowed their sheep flocks in a communal and private grazing land during daytime and depart during nighttime for enclosure in which they are housed together with other livestock species separated by woodlot. Some farmers who own only small flock do tie their sheep to a peg. The main feed sources for sheep were grazing on private and communal natural pasture, improved forage of oat grass (Jerry Oats) and vetch (Vicia sativa) and supplementation of non-conventional and conventional feed type. During crop harvesting times, however, sheep have access to feed crop aftermath. Some farmers give supplementation feed (wheat bran, milling and local brewery by-product, grain and grain by-product, home by-product and salt) for the pregnant and nursing ewes, suckling lambs and castrated rams. Their flock characterized by small, medium and large flock size of 1-13, 14-26 and 27 or more ewes/flock, respectively based on number of ewes per smallholder farmers’ flock (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2. Communal mixed livestock production system in the study area

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The study areas classified in to three strata. They are called as first, second and third strata and the first, second and third strata were comprised of Awassi rams F₁crossbred progenies, Washera rams F₁ crossbred progenies, and local Wollo highland progenies, respectively. The study areas classification performed by the assumption availability of ¾ Awassi and pure Washera rams and their F₁ crossbred lambs, a comparable number of sheep population, agro-ecology similarity, flock management system, breeding strategies and farmers’ breeding objectives resemblance. The main feats of data collection conducted through questionnaire survey, flock monitoring, participatory focus group discussion. Thus, producers’ sheep flock size and composition, breeding objectives, sheep breeding strategies, and flock structure information gathered via questionnaire survey and group discussion.

Multistage questionnaire survey used via semi-structured questionnaire and oral interview were held at each three strata household flock owners, development agents, experts, and animal health technician. The questionnaire initially pre-tested on key informants and adjusted before administrated for respondents. Stallholders sheep producer’s flock characteristics data on average flock size, number of breeding ewes, breeding rams, pre-weaning ewe lambs, post-weaning ram lambs, unproductive ewes and castrated and fattened rams, annual off take rate (slaughtered +sold and others removed from the flock by social and economical case), flock size and flock composition were gathered through questionnaire survey. While, participatory based focus group discussion data collection focused on breeding objectives, breeding strategies, farmer’s traits of interest, trait selection criterion, current breeding practice and flock structure.

On spot observation of phenotype performances data also gathered from Wollo highland sheep breed, Awassi and Washera rams F₁ crossbred progenies to compared and contrast each other. Smallholder sheep producers were also used phenotype performances evaluation of live animal’s by body conformation, hair type, color type, drought resistance, disease resistance, marketing value, horn type, growth rate, temperament, tail type and body size were gathered through spot observation. Breeding ewe’s selection criterion of lamb survival rate, mothering ability, temperament, lamb growth rate, parental history, drought tolerance, tail type, breed type, and body conformation gathered through spot observation at smallholder sheep producer’s farm. Likewise, breeding rams selection criterions data on body size, body conformation, drought tolerance, marketing age, horn orientation, meat characteristics, growth rate, tail type, coat color, temperament, horn and hair type were also collected through on spot observation.

The percentage composition of ewes, rams, pre-weaned ewe lambs, pre-weaned ram lambs, unproductive ewes, castrated and fatten males and annual off-take rate were presented in Table 1. The overall average flock size in the given study area was 22.6 heads, however, the three stratified areas of average flock size were different. In the second stratum the average flock size was greater than the first and the 3rd strata. The average number of ewes, rams, pre-weaned ewe and ram lambs, unproductive ewes, castrated and fatten rams and annual off-take rate were also different between each strata. Except the average number of ewes and rams, the second stratum had larger than first and third stratum. The number of ewes and rams were larger in third stratum than first and second strata.

Village community based control sheep crossbreeding practices were being adopted approach of genetic improvement practices. This strategies, mostly applied in the second stratum than the first and third strata (Table 2). Village communities were selected their own interested ram breed type of genetic improvement of local breed through controlled communal ram use method and had their own common interest. The common interests were governed by their established rules and agreements accordingly shared breeding objective of village communities. On the other hand, private owned controlled breeding practice had the largest coverage in the third, second and first strata in the order of their importance. While, the customary of random mating breeding practice was prominent in the third stratum. However, all breeding strategies were mixed together and presented in all strata with various extent of occurrence. Hence the mixed type of breeding practices was most commonly applied in second, first and third strata in the order of their importances. Generally, private controlled, mixed type, village communities based control breeding and random mating practices presented as decreasing order of importance (Table 2).

All breeding strategies and strata had their own source of ram breed type. Owners interested ram breed types obtained from their own flock, donor project, purchased from local markets and government supply from nucleus farm (Debre-Brehan Breed Multiplication Research Center). In the first stratum of village, communities based controlled breeding practice local market source of ram was the most common practice, followed by project donation, government supplies, and own flock ram source type accordingly their order of importance. Similarly, the first stratum of private controlled, random mating and mixed type of breeding strategies most commonly ram source was local market, own flocks and local market, respectively. While, in the second stratum of village communities based control breeding, privately owned controlled, random mating and mixed type of breeding strategies their ram source were prominently characterized by market source, own flock and both market and own flock type, respectively. On the other hand, the third stratum of village based breeding, privately controlled, random mating and mixed type of breeding strategies were most commonly applied to purchases from market, project supplied, government supplied and own flock source of rams, respectively (Table 2). Therefore, majority of rams selected from the producers’ own flock and used for random mating breeding practice. However, mixed type and private controlled breeding strategies also used rams selected from their own flocks. Generally, Private controlled breeding strategies followed by mixed type were the most common breeding strategies in the current study. The result of this study indicated that the random mating breeding strategy being reduced and replacing by controlling breeding practices.

On-farm smallholder sheep producers comprised their own production objectives and traits of interest. In the current study first farmers were listed their interested type of traits and then each traits were ranked accordingly. Both productive and reproductive traits were the major crossbreeding goal at smallholder farming conditions. Accordingly producer’s trait selection criterion; growth rate, body size, weaning rate, body conformation, age at first lambing, lambing rate, drought resistance, color type, disease resistance, hair type, marketing value, twine rate, horn type, tail type and temperament traits were prioritized accordingly their order of importance and presented in Table 3. The most frequently used traits for reproductive and productive purpose were growth rate, body size, weaning rate, body conformation, age at first lambing and lambing rate accordingly their order of importance. Temperament, disease, and drought resistance attributes evaluated and ranked by means of the animal response towards behavioral change and incidence of disease and drought in the production condition, respectively.

Growth rate, body conformation, and weaning rate traits selected by smallholder producers for sheep productivity potential improvement objectives. Therefore, farmers evaluated their live animals’ productivity on the conceptual perceptive of fast growth performance, large body fram and the rate of weaned from the dam (Table 3). Hair, color, tail, and horn type traits selected for market value addition improvement purpose based on their previous conventional marketing knowledge. Hence, wooly types of hair, color without black and white, upward twisted horn type and long fatty tailed type traits selected by smallholder farmers for marketing value advance.

Performance of drought and disease resistance considered with the potential capacity of the animals, which resist and recovered after disease and drought occurrence. Prolificacy rate, age at first lambing, lambing, and weaning rate attributes were preferred as reproductive performance improvement traits of interest. Thus, twin birth type, fast age at first lambing, short lambing interval, and fast weaning rate traits of ewes and rams were particular attributes for breeding objectives. Generally, smallholder sheep producers were select their interested traits with the impression of productivity, marketing and reproductive performance improvement practice of their animals.

Average flock size was the major determinant factors of sheep reproductive and productive performance, income and wealth value, selection intensity, and grant for household activities. It’s a long history of traditional on-farm sheep producers were more interested in the number of animals rather than their productivity performance improvement anticipation. The overall mean number of flock size in the current study had considerable difference between the three strata (Table 1). However, the overall average flock size was slightly greater than reported by Gizaw (1) in the sub-alpine area (20.1) and lower than the same author reported in the lowland area of Ethiopia. Nevertheless, Yenesew et al. [14] reported 3.7 ± 2.4 heads of sheep per household at on-farm condition of Burie district and much lower than the current study. Tsedeke [15] was also noted that an average flock size was 7.4 in the Alaba Zone of Southern region, Ethiopia which had lower than the present study. However, according to Awigichew [16] and Samuel [17] reports, at higher altitudes of 2800-3000 m average flock size was 30 to more than 100 sheep per flocks and much higher than the current report.

Related to the present study, Gizaw et al. [18] revealed that large flock size usually had extensive sheep breeding practices and generated large number of lambs for sale. This indicated that smallholder households were usually experienced non-fattened yearling lamb sale for income generation of emergency household need, which might be negative effect on selection intensity of breed improvement practices. The large flock sizes in the subalpine sheep–barley and pastoral systems characterized by extensive mode production system, whereas in high potential cropping areas is maintenance of small flocks and production of lambs for fattening. Generally, the overall average flock size of Wollo highland sheep production had larger flock size, but becoming decreasing tendency than the previous flock size report. Therefore, the reasons might be a shortage of feed, change producers’ responsiveness from keeping large flock size to small flock size for productivity and reproductive performance improvement, grazing land limitation and increasing frequency of prevailing drought occasion. Conversely, smallholder sheep producers’ based genetic improvement practices observed and a little bit supported by government and nongovernmental organizations.

Flock structure/composition defined as the proportion (in terms of head) of the flock of sheep, which formed by different age and sex classes of animals. Flock composition in terms of age and sex classes taken as an indicator of production objectives of the owner and the production system of a given flock. Therefore, flock structure and composition was composed of the number of ewes, rams, pre-weaned ewe lambs, pre-weaned ram lambs, unproductive ewes, castrated and fattened rams in the flock (Table 1). The number of ewes, pre-weaned ewe and ram lambs, unproductive ewes, castrated and fattened male sheep, and annual off-take rate were higher in the second stratum than first and third strata. However, the number of rams was higher in third stratum than first and second strata and the reason behind this might be the number of rams not selected for breeding purposes and all ram lambs and rams presented in the flock due to the traditional way of the flock management practice. The third stratum had a high number of ewes, rams, pre-weaned ewe lambs, and unproductive ewes than first strata. However, the large number of ewes and rams in the third stratum did not show an effect on number of weaning lambs and annual off-take rate and the reason behind this might be poor fertility, and managerial condition of the flock. Whereas, the first stratum had a greater number of pre-weaned ram lambs, castrated and fattened and annual off-take rate than third stratum and it might be the better fertility performance of the breed contributed to more number of lambs weaned and which is in agreement with the idea stated by Hassen et al. [19].

In the present study, relatively larger proportion of breeding ewes per flock were observed and compared with previous result reported by Niftalem [20], Abebe [21], Tesfaye [22], Hundie and Geleta [23] and Agyemang et al. [24]. On the contrary of that the present finding had the lowest proportion of flock composition than Agyemang et al. [24] reported as 74.8% female, 22.4% entire males and 2.8% castrated for Menz sheep in the traditional sector of the Ethiopian highlands. Taye [25] revealed that flocks of Washara sheep constituted 81% females, 17.3% intact males and 1.7% castrates in traditional system in Amhara region and which had more females per flock than present result. Samuel and Belay [26] furthermore revealed that from the total sheep enumerated, 40% ewes, 7.5% rams, 51.9% lambs were comprised out of which 24.8% female and 27.11% male lambs and 0.62% castrated males which were comparatively coincide with the current finding (Table 1).

According to Taye et al. [27], the larger proportion of breeding ewes would be implied that production of a larger number of lambs, which in turn might increase the intensity of selection, and saleable lambs. The different research result indicated that the number of ewes in the flock shown greater number, but the number of lambs and ewes per flock was not proportional and which indicated that reproductive loss might be the factors to be affecting the expected number of lambs in the flock. This indicated the expected number of lambs from the given number of ewes and rams in the flock not generated. Generally, in the present study the overall flock structure and composition indicated comparatively proportional size than most other finding of in the above authors. Un proportional flock composition and structure might be indicative of external factors (feeding, disease and breeding management problems) affecting the given flock. Therefore, it might be called for researchers to search the factors affecting a given flock structure and composition.

It the current study important attributes of producer’s breeding objectives were described and ranked by growth rate, body size, weaning rate, body conformation, age at first lambing, lambing rate, drought resistance, color type, disease resistance, hair type, twin rate, horn type and tail type were ranked in the order of their importance (Table 3). Kosgey [28] and Asresu et al. [29] reported that, smallholder sheep producer’s traits of interest were characterized by body size, growth performance, breed type, body conformation, temperament, color and horns were ranked in their order of importance and which is in agreement with current report of farmer’s traits of interest. Solomon et al. [30] reported that, breeding objectives of Menz, Bonga, Horro and Afar sheep production area owners were ranked by body size as first preferred traits for breeding objective achievement and in the present study growth rate was ranked as first trait of interest, so both traits are size explanatory and compatible traits. The second preference traits by the same author were growth rate in Menze, color in Bonga, tail size, and shape in Horro and Afar. However, body size in present study second ranked trait comparable with only Menz area second rank trait of Solomon et al. [30] report. Getachew [31] also reported that, about 62.5% of smallholder farmers in Menz area and 77.4% of pastoralists in Afar area were able to identify the sire of a newborn lamb by relating the lamb with the color and appearance or body conformation, respectively. Yet again, the same author stated that, lambing interval, mothering ability and milk yield in both crop-livestock and pastoral systems were important traits of interest for the choice of breeding ewes. Yadeta et al. [32] also illustrated that, farmers ranked body size, coat color and lamb survival rate as first, second and third traits of interest for selection of breeding ewes in all three agro-ecological zones. The present study was in agreement with Kosgey [28], Helen et al. [33] and Yadeta et al. [32] report of the three criteria for breeding ewes selection (Table 3).

According to Fewson [34], breeding objective is defined as “developing vital animals which will ensure that profit as high as possible under future commercial production conditions”. Solkner et al. [35], Getachew [36], and Kosgey and Okeyo [37] also stated that, subsistence farmer unlike commercial ones tend to keep animals for family need rather than purely as economic enterprise. Kosgey et al. [28] also confirmed smallholder sheep producer has kept multi-purpose animals, which produce meat, milk, wool, skin beside their ceremonial purpose and pleasure service. For that reason, it is important to consider all tangible and intangible roles of the breed, when defining breeding objectives at breed level Kosgey et al. [28].

Yadeta et al. [32] recently reported that, farmers’ trait preferences affected by agro-ecological zones. Hence, body size more preferred by highland producers, color type by midland producers and survival rate by both mid and low land sheep producers. Generally, most researchers agreed that, smallholder sheep producers were usually preferred; body size, color type, growth rate, breed type and horn type as breeding ram’s performance evaluation criterion and body size, cot color and lamb survival rate, lambing interval, twin rate and milk yield used as breeding ewes’ selection criteria. Even though, producers had multiple trait of interest, the overall interested traits were difficult to gain together from a given breed at the same period. Therefore, all interested trait have to be prioritised and considered through breeding practices and subsequently flock productivity improvement program for long-term plan of research and development activities. In general, smallholder farm producers had more focused on economical traits of interest for household income generation activities. The influence of each economical trait for genetic improvement program needed to investigate for both small scale and commercial sheep production perspectives.

Sheep breeding strategies in the current study were characterized by village community based controlled breeding, privately owned controlled breeding, random mating and mixed type of breeding strategies (Table 2). In this, finding random mating users were the lowest number of beneficiaries than the other breeding strategies. The overall percentage indicated that private controlled breeding followed by village community based controlled and mixed type of breeding practices had the largest number of beneficiaries in the order of their importance. The typical character of village community based control breeding strategy had social, cultural, common economic interest and traditionally well-defined areas in the course of breeding practice. Furthermore, breeding objectives designed and incorporated by indigenous knowledge of local communities and had developed rules and regulation of the breeding system. Private controlled breeding strategy was those sheep producers selected and controlled their own breeding rams in their flock and sometimes borrowed from their neighbor and random mating mostly controlled. Hence, each producer had their own breeding objectives and traits of interest during breeding ram and ewes selection process as parents for subsequently generation. Whereas, mixed type of breeding strategy was used all breeding strategies mixed knowingly or unknowingly. This means if a certain circumstance is accessible, the producers had their own breeding objectives, and traits of interest to be used controlled breeding strategies. However, when conditions not allowed beneficiaries might be use in random mating. Therefore, if situations are furnished those mixed type breeding strategy users had possibility to be entirely used controlled breeding strategies and so easy for developmental intervention for genetic potential improvement practices.

In agreement with the present finding, Gizaw et al. [38] revealed that village, community based control breeding strategies was applied in Menz, Bonga, Horro and Afar areas as a model for designing breeding program. However, the former genetic improvement attempts mainly focused on crossbreeding of indigenous local breeds with exotic sheep with top to down breeding approach and that not brought the expected level of result in genetic improvement practices. Both Taye [25] and Gizaw et al. [38] stated that breeding strategies were generally uncontrolled or indiscriminate mating in both Menz and Afar areas, except only to some extent in the Afar area observed in the previous progress. Thus, the major problems of conventional sheep crossbreeding approach as indicted by Workneh [39] and Markos [40] were lack of clear vision of breeding strategies, recording at smallholder level and the incompatibility of the genotype with the existing environment to bring impact. Consequently, Getachew et al. [41] reviewed that indiscriminate crossbreeding without prior analysis of crossbred suitability for a given production environment and without clear breeding objectives, presents a potential threat to better-adapted indigenous breeds. In the present study parallel with the use of exotic breeds with the supports of governmental and nongovernmental organizations; smallholder sheep producers’ trying to achieve their interested breeding objectives through introduction of new superior performance indigenous breeding rams for crossbreeding purpose from domestic market (Table 2). Selection of the superior performance, indigenous breed based on phenotype traits of ram selection criteria. Together with this random mating is trying to control by castration, fattening and selling of unwanted ram lambs before sexually maturing were common practice. The predominant practice of everywhere dissemination and selling of different breed type of breeding rams in the country to individual farmers dilutes the efforts of genetic improvement practice.

The average flock size of Wollo highland smallholder’s sheep producer context had larger size but becoming decreasing than the previous report. Therefore, the reason behind this might be due to shortage of feed, producers’ awareness to change large flocks to small flock size. The other reason might be due to productivity and reproductive performance improvement strategies, grazing land limitation, and increasing frequency of prevailing drought occasion infected areas.

Smallholder sheep producers’ traits of interest represented by body size, color type, growth rate, breed type, and horn type for breeding rams’ performance evaluation criteria. On the other hand, body size, cot color and lamb survival rate, lambing interval, twin rate and milk yield traits were used breeding ewes selection criteria. The current study sheep breeding strategies characterized by village controlled breeding, private owned controlled breeding, indiscriminate mating and mixed type of breeding strategies. Currently, smallholder sheep producer’s attempt to achieve their breeding objectives through introduction of new superior performance indigenous breed rams for crossbreeding with locally available breeds.