Cattle fattening practices and performances in urban and peri-urban areas of Dangila town of Awi Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

The study was conducted in Dangila town, Ethiopia, to assess the cattle fattening practices and fattening performances of cattle in the area. A semi-structured questionnaire survey and on-farm monitoring of fattening cattle were carried out. A total of 200 cattle fatteners (160 from peri-urban and 40 fatteners urban) were included in the survey. Fattening was monitored for weight change. The initial, the middle, and final body weights were taken using a heart girth meter. The survey data was analyzed and summarized using descriptive statistics and index ranking. Monitoring data was analyzed using the General Linear Model Procedure of SPSS. The mean family size, age of household heads, and landholding were 5.15, 38.04 years, and 0.2 hectares, respectively. Respondents had average fattening experiences of 4.36 ± 3.03 years and fatten 2.24 ± 2.74 cattle per cycle. Body size/frame (index = 0.485) and the health condition of animals (index = 0.162) were the first and second selection criteria to purchase fattening animals. Crop residue (index = 0.26) and agro-industrial by-products (index = 0.33) were the first used feedstuffs in the peri-urban and urban systems, respectively. The mean final body weight of fattening animals was 365.443 ± 1.51 kg with a mean fattening duration of 107.38 + 0.58 days. Feed shortage was the first challenge that fattening households are facing in the peri-urban (index = 0.331) and urban areas (index = 0.290) of Dangila district. The result indicated that cattle fatteners should get the proper advice on animal selection and duration of fattening, feeding, and accessibility to credit service.