STUDY OF LIVESTOCK FEED RESOURCES AND NUTRITIONAL VALUES OF MAJOR LIVESTOCK FEEDS IN DOYOGENA DISTRICT, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

The main barrier to livestock production in Ethiopia is an insufficient supply of feed, both in terms of quantity and quality. This study was conducted in the Doyogena district of the Kembata-Tembaro zone of Southern Ethiopia with the objectives of determining the availability and nutritive value of major livestock feeds; conserving and utilizing available feed resources. The utilization practices of different feeds was assessed with a self-structured questionnaires. Chemical composition of major feed resources was estimated in animal nutrition lab of Hawassa University. Natural pasture and crop leftovers are key feed resources in the area and cultivated forages were only lately introduced, with limited adoption due to agricultural land scarcity. Their use for livestock feed had been hindered by economic, inadequate handling and processing problems. The involvement of the government for improving the financial capabilities of farmers with improved technologies related to feeding crop residues and natural pastures were suggested as an important strategy. Chemical analysis on major feed resources indicated that there were significant (p<0.05) difference among the feed types in CP and NDF content. The CP varied from 5.37% to 79.24% in woynadega while in kola it ranged from 4.54% to 79.41%. In the woynadega agroecology, the NDF content ranged from 44.17% to 79.24%, whereas in kola, it ranged from 44.13 % to 79.41 %. ADF and lignin contents were also significantly different (P<0.05). The ADF and lignin contents ranged from 12.86% to 48.91%and 3.57% to 9.70% respectively in woynadega, in kola agroecology ranged from 12.74% to 50.04% and 3.52% to 10.49% respectively. There were significant differences in IVDMD (p<0.05%) also, and it ranged from 47.30% to 79.78% in woynadega agro-ecology and in kola it ranged from 59.98% to 79.67%. As a result, farmers must learn how to use and process locally available feeds in order to improve local animal production performance.