World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

HUSBANDRY PRACTICE OF BLACK HEAD SOMALI SHEEP IN PASTORAL PART OF GODE AND ADADILE DISTRICTS, SOMALI REGION, ETHIOPIA.

Wendimu Bireda*, Kefelegn Kebede and Yoseph Mekasha

ABSTRACT

The study was conducted in pastoral part of Gode and Adadile district of Somali region, Ethiopia. Although most of the sheep population in the study area comprised of Black Head Somali sheep with remarkable socioeconomic relevance to the society, no research has been done before to describe this sheep breed in the area. Therefore the objective of study was to describe and compare the small holder sheep husbandry practice in Gode and Adadile districts. The study was conducted based on household survey. Purposive sampling was used to select the study sampled areas and households based on sheep availability of sheep. For household survey, 252 households were involved (126 from Gode and 126 from Adadile). Data were described and summarized by using descriptive statistics of SAS version 9.2 (2008). The average sheep flock size was 11.19 in Gode and 18.45 in Adadile. The primary reason of keeping sheep was for cash income, in both districts. Grazing on natural pasture is the major feed source for livestock in both Gode and Adadile districts. The main sources of water were river (Wabe Shebelle), pond, and bore hole. Growth rate, body size, drought tolerant, was the major traits preferred in this study. Feed shortage, water shortage, drought, were the constraints in Gode and Adadile districts for sheep production. Black head Somali sheep adapts the area with harsh environmental condition and have great transaction to the low resource owners in this study.

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