Abstract

The study was conducted in Yabello and Dirre districts of Borana low-land southern Ethiopia. The objective of the study was to characterize and describe sheep management, breeding practices and major constraints to promote sheep productivity in the study area. A total of 148 households from four peasant association were selected purposively. Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaire, focus group discussions, and field observations. Major farming activities in the study district were livestock rearing followed by crop livestock production. Livestock and livestock products are major sources of income and home consumption in the pastoral area; whereas, crop farming was the leading in agro-pastoral communities. It pointed out that, both female and male sheep are maintained mainly for breeding followed by source of income. Body size has given high priority in selecting breeding males and female. Disease, feed shortage, drought and water shortages are the major constraints of sheep production mentioned in the study area. It was concluded that genetic improvement programs targeting smallholder pastoralists in agro pastoral and in the pastoral production system need to incorporate trait preference of pastoralist, multipurpose role of sheep and the existing traditional herding and breeding practices.

Keywords: Black head Somali sheep; Characterization; Production constraints; Production system