Assessment of Goat Husbandry Practices and Milk Production Performance in Borana Zone, Southern Oromia, Ethiopia
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Goats play a crucial role in mitigating environmental risks due to their unique adaptation to arid and semi-arid environments. This study was aimed to generate organized information based on household survey and flock monitoring to assess goat husbandry practices and evaluate goats’ milk yield respectively. About 180 households of goat owner were selected and interviewed. A total of 266 lactating goats with different parity were monitored to evaluate milk yield. The main purpose of raising goats in the study area was primarily to generate cash for purchasing food items to fulfill immediate family needs. The selection of breeding males was largely done by considering the characters like body size, pedigree, and growth rate and coat color. The overall goat milk yields on average were 0.37 ± 0.01 L/day. The average milk yields of goats were higher (0.57 ± 0.01L/day) during kidding the wet season than those were kidded during the dry season (0.24 ± 0.01L/day). The indigenous goats have indeed a lower milk yield than the improved goat breeds. Therefore, more emphasis on improvement of the feeding practice and breeding program needs to be placed on the improvement of the productive and reproductive performance of goats.
Source: American Journal of Zoology
Institution: Oromia Agricultural Research Institute
Language: English
Subfield: Animal Science and Zoology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4411794895