Dairy Cattle Husbandry Practices and the Major Constraints of Smallholder Farmers in Telo District, Ethiopia

Abstract

Dairy cattle production is an integral part of the farming system in Telo district which lacks information on dairy cattle husbandry practices and major constraints. Thus, this study was conducted with the aim of assessing the husbandry practices and major constraints of smallholder farmers in Telo districts. Cross-sectional study design was used to collect data from randomly sampled 156 households (33 from Urban and 123 from Rural) using questionnaires, farm visit and group discussion. The average number of dairy cattle were 7, the higher (P<0.05) cattle number found in rural than in urban. About 67.3% and 66.9% of cows and calves were housed sharing the same house with family house respectively. The main source of feed were grazing on natural pasture on the grazing area of individual owned 71.2% (rural), combination of rented and individual owned10.3% (rural) and only rented 18.6% (urban) respectively. Majority (78.8%) of respondents were producing crops like wheat, barley, teff and maize. But the ones supplementing their cows with crop residues were only 13.8%. The majority (67.3%) of smallholders used water from river for their dairy cattle. Access to modern animal health services was significantly (p<0.05) different between rural (mixed crop-livestock) and urban smallholders. The reported disease was Anthrax, black leg, diarrhea, parasite, bloating and cough. Most smallholders relay on traditional healers or on their own skill to treat their sick dairy cattle. Male calves suckle relatively longer period than female. The major constraints hindering dairy cattle production was shortage of grazing land, disease and low productivity on their decreasing orders of importance. Crop and livestock production systems were not complementing each other therefore; there should be resource control over with improved dairy management system.