ON GOING ACTIVITIES IN THE GIBE VALLEY AND RELEVANT RESEARCH IN EHIOPIA

1. ON GOING ACTIVITIES IN THE GIBE VALLEY AND RELEVANT RESEARCH IN EHIOPIA • Ethiopia has diversified topographic conditions with altitudes ranging from extremes of 4500 m asl in the semen mountains to areas below sea level in the Danakil depression. • Ethiopia is predominantly an agricultural country with 85% of its population engaged in subsistence agriculture. • Agriculture accounts for 46% of the GDP, and • livestock contributes 30% to the Agricultural GDP, and • 19% to the export earnings (Azage and Alemu, 1997) • Estimates of FAO (1995) suggest that Ethiopia possesses * 31 million heads of cattle * 23.4 million heads of sheep * 17.5 million heads of goats and * 1 million heads of camels * 7 million equines

2. Cont… • However the contribution of this huge resource to the national income and export earning is disproportionately small, owing to low productivity caused by: • poor husbandry and management systems • prevalence of disease and malnutrition • Poor genetic potential • The majority of Ethiopian cattle are indigenous breeds, most of which are non-descript zebu types resulting from extensive interbreeding, with some sanga types existing in the eastern and north-eastern parts of the country. • A number of organizations have attempted to characterize some of the well- known indigenous cattle and sheep breeds through on station breed evaluation and improvement programmes. • MoA • IAR • Collage of Agriculture

3. Class 1. Hampless Brachyceros Hametic Longhorn 2. Zebu 3. Sanga 4. Intermediate Sanga /Zebu 5. Other “Breed” or “population” Sheko (Mitzan, Goda) Kuri Arsi, Barka, Borana, Arab, Shorthorn zebu(Harer), Highland Zebu (Bale), black zebu (jem-jem), Small zebu (Jijjiga) Danakil, Raya Azebo, Abigar Horro, Fogera, Arado, Jiddu Falata (Red Bororo) Classification of the indigenous cattle of Ethiopia (Albero and Haile-mariam, 1982)

4. Characterization of some of the well- known indigenous cattle and sheep breeds. • Albero and Haile-Mariam (1982) reported Abigar, Danakil, Arsi, Arab, Barka, Borana, Abyssinian zebu, Arado, Fogera, Horro and Sheko to be the main distinguishable cattle breeds. • Horro, Abigar and Sheko are found in the western Ethiopia, and Abigar is reported to be trypanotolerant breed. • Though Abigar and Sheko performed better than Horro breed it is the extensively studied breed. • Wide distribution in the western extending from West Shewa, East and West Wellega, Ilubbabor and Kefa.

6. Production performances of Horro breed • The females are said to be not good milkers. • On farm works - average MY/cow/day of 0.5 litres to 1.76 litres (range 0f 0.4 to 6 liters) and LL 4-12 months (Legesse et al. 1987; Tesfaye 1991) • Studies indicated low productivity of the breed under on farm conditions. • On station works – an average lactation milk yield of 508±341kg (range 100 to 1155kg) per lactation with a daily average of 2.41kg per cow (Mulugeta et al. 1993)

7. Cont.. • high individual variability within the breed • crossbreeding was taken as an alternative tool to increase milk production from indigenous animals. • As a result crossbreeding of Horro with Friesian, or Jersey or Simmental exotic sire breeds has been conducted and crossbreds with different exotic blood levels have been produced and evaluated for different economically important traits. • Milk yield and lactation length of 50% crossbreds of Horro with either Frisian, Jersey or Simmental were evaluated and an average lactation milk yield of 1355.0, 1375.4 and 1320.1kg; and LL of 293, 294 and 265 days wererecorded (Chernet et al., 2000).

8. Reproductive performance of Horro cattle and their crosses with different exotic blood levels

9. Cont.

10. Cont..

11. Growth and Fattening performance • On station works revealed that • average birth weight of Horro calves was 18.6±0.2kg • increase steadily from birth to a mean wt of 192.4±6.0 kg • However, after 3 years of age bulls grew at a significantly faster rate than cows to reach mature body weight at six years of age, which is approximately 370kg for bulls and 270 kg for cows (Mulugeta, 1991). • Fattening of Horro bulls with available feed resource were conducted and recommendation were made

12. Cont.. • Growth performance of European x zebu (Horro and Boran) crossbred calves at different ages were studied. • Calves sired by Friesian had the heaviest weight at all ages • At birth, ¾ exotic crossbred calves were significantly heavier than zebu and F1 calves, but the difference between ¾ and F2 calves was not significant. At 90, 180 and 365 days of age the F1 crossbred calves were the heaviest, the ¾ crossbreeds intermediate and F2 and zebu were the lightest (Beyene and Galal, 1982; Sendros et al., 1987b).

13. Growth performance of Horro and their crosses with different exotic blood levels

14. Class Hairy Thin Tailed Wooled Thin Tailed Fat Tailed 4. Fat Rumped “Breed” or “Population” Hamele, Barka, Horro Arrit (eritrea) Menz, Arsi, Akele Guzai, Rashidi, Tucur Black Head Ogaden, Afar Classification of the indigenous sheep breeds of Ethiopia (Beyene and Bruk, 1992)

15. Horro sheep • Origin and distribution • Horro Guduruu-Wollega, Ilubabor-kefa-shewa • are uniform in colour, mostly of solid tan (very light brown) to dark brown. Exceptionally, they may be creamy white, black or spotted. • The body is covered with short smooth hair. The face has a straight profile but is somewhat convex in the rams. The ears are of semi-pendulous. Both males and females are hornless. • The mean height at shoulders is 731.30 cm for adult males and 680.80 cm for ewes. At about 3 years of age female and male Horro sheep have mature liveweights of 33.3 kg and 41.8 kg, respectively.

18. Summary of Production performances of Horro sheep

19. Summary of Reproduction performance and Survival of Horro sheep

20. Conclusion • Despite the attempts made so far the breed is not well characterized both phenotypically and genotypically. • The population is not known and the distribution is not well marked. • The high individual variability observed on the breed’s productive, growth and reproductive performances provides a chance for improving the breed through selection. • Yet no attempt is made to conserve the breed. This make the breed endangered through interbreeding with other local breeds in the surroundings and due to unplanned and uncontrolled crossbreeding going on for economic development. • Moreover, its presence in the trypanosomiasis endemic areas of the country warrants the need to exhaustively study the breeds

21. Thank you