IJCRAR is now DOI (CrossRef) registered Research Journal. The DOIs are assigned to all published IJCRAR Articles.

INDEXED IN INDEX COPERNICUS - ICI Journals Master List 2016 - IJCRAR--ICV 2016: 81.15 For more details click here

Abstract            Volume:6  Issue-10  Year-2018         Original Research Articles


Online ISSN : 2347 - 3215
Issues : 12 per year
Publisher : Excellent Publishers
Email : editorijcret@gmail.com

Assessment of Major Constraints of Dairy Cattle and Its Associated Risk Factors in Mekelle City, Ethiopia
Ahmed Ali Farah*
Mekelle University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mekelle, Ethiopia
*Corresponding author
Abstract:

A cross-sectional study using semi-structural questionnaire survey and observation was conducted from August to November 2017 with the objective of assessing the major constraints of dairy farms and its possible risk factors. During the assessment, a total of 54 dairy farm keepers were interviewed. Result of socio- demographic characteristics of the current study showed that (35.2%) of respondents were female and (64.8%) of them were males having different educational backgrounds (9.3%), illiterate, (20.4%), primary school (37%) secondary school and (33.3%) university level). At the same time, the present finding indicated that respondents having experience of > 5 years were (77.8%). The present result also showed that the rate of small, medium and large-scale dairy farms are (50%, 31.5%) and (18.5%) respectively. The major health challenges identified in the current assessment are infectious, parasitic (ecto and endo parasites), metabolic, reproductive and other diseases disorders as shown by (64.7%, 35.3%), (85.7%, 40%, 82.9% and 83.3%) of the respondents respectively. According to the response rate of interviewee vaccination, treatment, traditional treatment, slaughtering, quarantine and do nothing of affected animals were used to contain the disease as responded by (92.5%, 85.2%, 1.8%, 1.9%, 1.9% and3.7%) of respondents respectively. Regarding the feed and feeding of the dairy sector feed scarcity was reported as main challenge by (77.8%, 22.2%) of respondents working in intensive and semi-intensive dairy farmers respectively especially during the dry season. From the current study it was concluded that, the daily feed supply to animals was not measured by most of dairy farmers rather feed was provided roughly based on the availability of feed, experience farm workers and daily milk yield. Therefore, detailed on-farm monitoring research on the existing practice of ration formulation by the farmer to come up with possible interventions was very important.

Keywords: Assessment; Constraints; Dairy cattle; Questionnaire; Mekelle
Download this article as Download

How to cite this article:

Ahmed Ali Farah. 2018. Assessment of Major Constraints of Dairy Cattle and Its Associated Risk Factors in Mekelle City, Ethiopia.Int.J.Curr.Res.Aca.Rev. 6(10): 23-38
doi: https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcrar.2018.610.004
Copyright: This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.