Morphometric characteristics and livestock keeper perceptions of “Arado” cattle breed in Northern Tigray, Ethiopia

Dessalegn Genzebu*, Mekonnen Hailemariam and Kelay Belihu

School of Veterinary Medicine, Addis Ababa University, P.O.Box 34, Debrezeit
alemu57@yahoo.com
* Mizan Tepi University, Ethiopia

Abstract

Morphometric characteristics of Arado cattle breed and livestock keeper perceptions on the breed’s performance were studied in 279 smallholder farms and on 110 adult male and female animals in three districts, namely “Asgede-Tsimbla”, “Tahatay-Koraro” and “Medebay-Zana”. The districts were/are known to be the main tract of “Arado” cattle breed in Northern Ethiopia. Data were collected by way of questionnaire survey, farm visit and measurements of morphometric characteristics.

All the smallholder farms were practicing mixed crop-livestock production and their primary reason of keeping “Arado” cattle was for draught purpose. Cows give an average milk yield of 1 to 2 l per day for an average lactation period of 7.3 months. The breed is also said to have appreciable resistance to disease and drought conditions. A total of 17 qualitative traits were assessed by visual examination. The “Arado” cattle have a uniform red coat color. Almost all animals were horned and have small to medium sized humps, located predominantly in cervico-thoracic position. They have, predominantly, straight facial and back profile, and medium to long tail length. Cows have small udder and teats. From a total of 15 body measurements taken, average heart girth values were 144.6±1.6cm and 138.0±0.8 cm, respectively, in male and in female animals. The height at wither was 115.6±0.8cm in males and 107.0±0.8cm in females, while body length was measuring 108.1±1.1cm in males and 103.5±1.3cm in females. In all quantitative traits, male animals had higher values than females (P<0.05). There was, however, no effect of spatial location (sampling district) on morphometric measurements. The breeding method practiced by almost all respondents was, however, uncontrolled natural mating. The “Arado” breed of today is found to be smaller than what was reported for the same breed some four decades back. Farmers also perceived that the “Arado” breed population has decreased over the years. Therefore, as a priority, suitable breeding strategies and conservation models should be devised for the overall improvement of the breed.

Key words: “Arado” cattle, body measurement, husbandry practices, smallholder

Introduction

In Ethiopia, cattle play a vital role in supporting the livelihoods of 60-70% of the human population (Ayele et al 2003; Ejigu 2003). The country’s cattle population is estimated at 47.57 million (CSA 2008); the majority (99.25%) of which are indigenous breeds, maintained under subsistence type of farming system. They provide meat, milk, skins and hides; they haul carts and ploughs; they bring cash and prestige; they act as savings and insurance; their dung is used as fertilizer, cement and fuel (Feleke and Geda 2001).

However, the security and survival of indigenous animal genetic resources are endangered by indiscriminate cross breeding with a tendency to concentrate on a few high-yielding breeds and many other associated factors. The loss of locally adapted breeds will have long term negative implication, and in most instances, will reduce food security rather than ensure it.

Tigray is one of the regional states of Ethiopia where livestock production is widely practiced. The region has seven cattle breeds, namely, Raya-Azebo, Irrob, Abergele, Adwa, Arado, Begait and Medense. Arado is the most populous breed of cattle in the highland part of the region. The breed is influenced by activities like introduction of bulls of other breeds from the lowland and AI services conducted by different projects (Merha 2006). Moreover, although the study area is known to be the breeding tract of Arado cattle, no study has been done so far. The present study was, therefore, undertaken to characterize Arado cattle breed morphologically and to investigate husbandry practices under which the breed is reared, so that suitable breeding strategies and conservation models could be suggested for the overall improvement of the breed.

Materials and Methods

Study area

The study was conducted from October 2008 to March 2009 in three districts (“woredas”) of North West Zone of Tigray, namely “Asgede-Tsimbla”, “Tahatay-Koraro” and “Medebay-Zana”, which are believed to be the breeding tract of Arado cattle. All the three districts are practicing smallholder mixed crop-livestock production system.

Asgede-Tsimbla is situated at 1109 km north of the capital Addis Ababa, with an altitude ranging between 800 to 2300 masl. Average annual temperature ranges between 150C and 340C and the annual rainfall ranges from 600 to 900 mm. Major cultivated crops include sorghum, “teff” (Eragrostis teff), maize, noug (Guizotia abyssinica) and sesame (BoARD 2006). Tahatay-Koraro “woreda” is found at 1087 km north of the capital Addis Ababa with an average altitude of 1800 masl. The temperature ranges from 150C to 340C with an annual rainfall of 700-900mm. Major crops grown in the district are cereals such as teff (Eragrostis teff), sorghum, and maize and cash crops. Medebay-Zana is located at 1057km North of Addis Ababa and the area lies at an altitude ranging from 1700 to 1900 masl. Average temperature Medebay-Zana district was 260C and the average rainfall ranges from 650 to 950mm. Major crops grown in the district are cereals such as “teff” (Eragrostis teff), maize, sorghum, millet and pea.

Sample size determination

Sample size was determined based on the formula recommended by Arsham (2007) for survey studies.

N=0.25/SE²

With the assumption of 3% standard error, a total sample size of 279 smallholders were considered for the study. From each district, three peasant associations (PA) were selected randomly, and from each PA 31 smallholders were selected using simple random sampling procedure (n=279 households). A total of 110 adult animals (40 male and 70 female) from 56 herds were used for the morphometric measurements. The herds (20% of the total) were randomly selected from participant smallholders’ and animals aged 3 years and above were considered by using dentition as described by Amstutz, HE (1998).

Data collection

Data were collected by way of questionnaire survey, participatory appraisal and morphometric body measurements. The questionnaire was closed type for its major part, focusing on demographic characteristics of households, livestock herd size and composition, husbandry practices, animal health aspects, breeding practices, herd dynamics, phenotypic description, milk yield and reproductive performance of Arado cattle. It was designed based on the information checklists and breed descriptor list developed by FAO (1986) and Workneh and Rowlands (2004).

There were a total of nine participatory appraisal discussion groups (one per peasant association) and each group had 8-11 members consisting of male and female farmers who were purposively selected based on their good knowledge of the Arado cattle. Development agents were involved in the identification of farmers for the group discussion. The preference proportional piling, as described by Kirsopp-Reed (1994), was used in the participatory appraisal discussions.

Morphometric body measurements involved 17 qualitative and 15 quantitative traits. Quantitative traits were measured using measuring tape to the nearest 1mm. Details of the characteristics considered for morphometric evaluation of Arado cattle are presented in Table 1. 

Data management and statistical analysis

Data collected were entered into Microsoft Excel (2003) computer software program and analyzed using SPSS (2006) version 15. Survey results and morphometric measurements were summarized using descriptive statistics like mean, standard deviation and percentage. Differences between the study districts and sex groups were tested using chi square test and one way ANOVA. Differences were said significant when P< 0.05.

Results

The main characteristics of the sampled households of the three districts (Asgede-Tsimbla, Tahatay-Koraro and Medebay-Zana) are presented in Table 2. Thirty percent of the households were headed by females and the rest (70%) by male. More than half of the household heads (53%) were illiterate while the rest, at least, read and write. On the average, there were 6.4 ± 2 persons per household in the study areas and there was no significant difference (p>0.05) in family size among the three districts. The farming system in all the three districts was mixed crop livestock production system. The average farm size of Asgede-Tsimbla district households (1.4± 0.7ha) was significantly larger than those of Tahatay-Koraro (0.9±0.4ha) and Medebay-Zana (0.7±0.3ha) districts. The overall mean livestock (cattle, sheep, goats and equine) holding per household was 7.2 TLU (tropical livestock unit), of which cattle represented the highest proportion. There was significant difference (p<0.05) in cattle herd size between the three districts; the highest (7.6±4TLU per household) being recorded for Asgede-Tsimbla followed by Tahatay-Koraro (5.3±2.6TLU) and Medebay-Zana (3.8±1.5TLU) in that order. The primary purpose for keeping cattle that was indicated by the majority of the respondents of the three districts (69% of the respondents) was for draught power.

Husbandry practices

Farm household members participated in various cattle management practices in the study areas. Sell and purchase of cattle were, mostly, the responsibility of men while women were in charge of feeding, milking and making dairy products. Herding was, mostly, done by adolescents.

Herded or free grazing was practiced on communal natural pastures that constituted almost the only feed resource for all farmers. Crop residues like teff (Eragrostis teff ) straw, millet straw, maize and sorghum stover as well as hay from natural pasture were provided for working oxen and in times of feed shortage (dry season). Cattle were also provided with salt, especially in wet season. During dry season, water is a scarce resource. Animals were watered once per day after traveling up to 10 km to rich watering points. Roofless fenced enclosures were used to keep cattle during night times. Calves, however, were separated from adults and housed in the same shelter with households. The breeding method practiced, by almost all respondents, was uncontrolled natural mating. The sources of breeding bulls were village bull (52% of households) or farmer’s own bull (41.6%). The farmers practice castration of male animals at an average age of 6.7 years using a local technique. Of interviewed farmers 59.1% indicated that the Arado breed population has decreased over the years.

Trypanosomiasis (cited by 79% of the respondents), anthrax (54.4%) and bovine pasteurellosis (52.3%) were the most frequently cited diseases, in terms of distribution and frequency of occurrence, in the districts. Respondents indicated that in the past 12 months period, 12.9% of their cattle were culled, of which death incidences due to diseases accounted for about a quarter of them. Other major culling reasons cited were old age, low performance, temperament and financial requirement.

Dwindling grazing land, feed shortage, disease, low productivity of cattle and shortage of veterinary services (in decreasing order of importance) were constraints with highest frequency of citations in the study areas. The majority of respondents mentioned that Arado cattle were/are doing well in disease tolerance (78.1% of the respondents), drought tolerance (82%), heat tolerance (78.8%) and has good temperament (56.6%). On the other hand, respondents qualified the breed as poor for milk yield (88.2% of the respondents), growth rate (63.8%) and fertility (64.8%) (Table 3).

Farm household characteristics

Production and reproductive characteristics

Table 4 shows the statistics of milk production and reproductive performance of Arado cattle based on the information gathered from the respondents. Cows produce little milk, about 1 to 2 liters per day for an average lactation length of 7.3 months. The average daily milk yield per cow of the Asgede-Tsimbla, Tahatay-Koraro and medebay-Zana districts were, respectively, 1.9±0.06, 1.5±0.04 and 1.6±0.05 liters. Milk yield per lactation and per cow was estimated at 372 liters. The age at puberty of Arado cattle was reported to be 41.2±0.34 and 39.8±0.30 months, for female and male cattle, respectively. Mean age at first calving and calving interval (CI) were 56.9±0.37 and 21.6±0.25 months, respectively. There were significant variations among the districts in age at puberty and first calving and calving intervals (p<0.05). The mean life time calf crop of a cow in the study areas was 4.6±0.06 heads.

Morphometric measurements

Table 5a and 5b illustrate results of qualitative traits assessment of male and female “Arado” cattle. Coat colour of Arado cattle breed is uniform (in 72% of the animals) or pied (black and white or red and white). Red is the most frequently encountered coat colour. There was no significant variation between the study areas as well as between male and female animals in distribution or pattern of coat colour. Almost all of the sampled cattle (98%) were horned. In most male animals (62.5%), horns are curved, while in females they are more of straight (57%). Mean horn length was 22.2±1.1cm in males and 19.6±0.8cm in females. The Arado cattle have predominantly straight facial profile (88.6% of the sampled animals) and straight back profile (80%). The hump location is cervico-thoracic in 66.4% of the animals and thoracic in the rest. The ear size ranged from medium (74.3% of the sampled animals) to small (25.7%) and the orientation was slightly dropping in the majority of the cases (68.6% of the sampled animals). 

Table 6 illustrates results of body measurements taken in the three study districts. Differences in almost all measured morphometric traits, were non-significant between the study districts. However, in almost all body measurements, male animals had significantly higher values (p< 0.05) than females. In male animals, the average values of heart girth, height at wither and body length were 144.6±1.6cm, 115.6±0.8cm and108.1±1.1cm respectively, while in females 138.0±0.8 cm, 107.0±0.8cm and 103.5±1.3cm, in that order. Neck length was 40.1±0.7cm in male and 38.4±0.5cm in female animals. Teat length, qualified as small by nearly two third of the respondents, had average measurement of 2.9±0.1cm.

Discussion

The mean value of family size in the study areas (6.4 ± 2 persons) was higher than the average family size reported for the whole country (5.15 persons) (CSA 2005). The average livestock population per household of 15 animals was also higher than the reports of Mekonnen et al (2009) for the East Gojam Zoze of the Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia (11.3 animals). Land which is a key factor for livestock production was scarce in the area and showed significant variability between the study districts. The 1.0±0.61ha land holding in the study districts was much lower than the report of Mekonnen et al (2009) for Ada’a district farmers (2.05±0.97ha per household) that own, on the average, 12 animals. Labour distribution among family members that showed most of the works (feeding, milking, making dairy products) being carried out by females, is in agreement with other reports in different parts of the country (Mekonnen et al 2006; Mekonnen et al 2009).

Most of the respondents in the three districts reported work power and milk (in decreasing order of importance) as reasons for keeping Arado cattle. Similar results were reported earlier by Mukasa-Mugrewa (1989) for mixed crop livestock production areas in Ethiopia; multiple functions are particularly relevant in high-risk production environments. According to Scarpa et al (2003) in developing countries, especially in low input smallholder production system, the most valuable livestock attributes are often those that successfully guarantee multi functionality, flexibility and resilience in order to deal with variable environmental conditions. Cattle production constraints, in decreasing order of importance, were grazing land shortage, feed shortage, disease, low productivity of cattle and inadequacy of veterinary services. These constraints corroborate with the reports of Abraham (2009) for western and central zones of Tigray. There was also highest consensus among respondents regarding the physical and biological characteristics of the “Arado” breed that encompass disease tolerance, drought tolerance, temperament, milk yield, growth rate and fertility. Arado cattle seemed to attain puberty at older age (40.5months). Moreover, there was variation in age at puberty between the study districts. This might be due to environmental effect and possible differences in management practices.

The average daily milk off-take from Arado cows (1.7±0.03 liters) was comparable to the report of Azage et al (2009). The later reported an average daily milk yield of 2±0.13 litters under transhumance cattle production system in Amhara region in North Gondar Ethiopia. On the other hand Abraham (2009) reported 4.5 liters per day per cow for Begait cattle breed of Ethiopia. The average lactation length obtained in the present study (7.3 months) was slightly lower than what was reported by  Merha (2006)  (242±2 days) for the same breed. Kedija et al (2008)  reported a lactation length of 7.3 ±0.2 months for local cattle in the Mieso district, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. The 4.6±0.06 calf crop per cow’s life time of Arado breed is less than the values reported by Azage, et al (2009) (7.4±0.47 calf crop per cow’s production life) but higher than what was reported by Gebeyehu (2005) at Cheffa farm in Oromiya for crossbred cattle (3.58 calf crop per cow’s production life).

 The animals sampled in the three different districts had similar average body measurements when corresponding body parts were compared. The similarities in measured values were, most likely, due to the likeness in breeding methods and absence of a strong genetic effect from other breeds in the study areas. Male animals, however, had greater body measurements when compared to females. Mason and Maule (1960) reported average height at withers of 122 cm for bulls and 111 cm for cows of Arado breed, indicating that animals of this breed some four decades back were, somewhat, taller than the present ones (present height at wither 115.6±0.8cm in male and 107.0±0.8cm in female). The severe feed scarcity in the region might have favored smaller sized animal with relatively lower feed requirements. Feed shortage and small and continuously dwindling grazing land were cited by the respondents as the most critical constraints of livestock production in the study districts.

Conclusions

• The present status of the “Arado” cattle breed revealed that the breed is characterized by uniform red coat colour, small body size, appreciable resistance to diseases and tolerance to drought conditions and low milk production.

• The “Arado” cattle has been reared more of for their fitness traits and can be considered as the most suitable indigenous cattle breed for the low-input and high stress production systems, which are still practiced traditionally by millions of farmers in Ethiopia.

• The current number of “Arado” cattle shows that the breed is not in a state of disappearance.  However, the animals are of smaller size than their ancestors and farmers perceive that the “Arado” breed population has decreased over the years. Therefore, as a priority, suitable breeding strategies and conservation models should be devised for the overall improvement and conservation of the breed.

Acknowledgement

We acknowledge the co-operation received from the smallholder farmers of Asgede- Tsimbla, Tahatay-Koraro and Medebay-Zana districts.

References

Abereham H 2009 Phenotypic characterization of Begait cattle breed and their traditional production systems in West zone of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. MSc thesis, Mekelle University, Ethiopia.
 

Amstutz H E 1998 Dental development. In: Aelio S E (Ed.), The Merck Veterinary Manual, Eighth ed. Merck & Co. Inc., pp. 131–132.
 

Arsham H 2007 Perturbed Matrix Inversion with Application to Linear Programs Simplex Method. Applied Mathematics and Computation,  188: 801-807.

Ayele S, Assegid, Jabbar W, Ahmed M and Belachew H 2003 Livestock marketing in Ethiopia: a review of structure, performance and development initiatives. Socio-economic and Policy Research, Working Paper 52. ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute), Nairobi, Kenya,  page 35.
 

Azage T, Tesfaye M, Tesfaye D, Worku T and Eshete D 2009 Transhumance cattle production system in North Gondar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia: Is it sustainable? IPMS (Improving Productivity and Market Success) of Ethiopian Farmers Project. Working Paper No.14. ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute), Nairobi, Kenya, page 73.
 

BoARD 2006 Asgede-Tsimbla woreda bureau of agriculture and rural development, Tigray Ethiopia.

CSA (Central Statistical Authority) 2005 Report on land utilization, Agricultural sample survey. Statistical Bulletin 331, Volume IV, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

CSA (Central Statistical Authority) 2008 Federal democratic republic of Ethiopia agricultural sample survey. Volume II, Report on livestock and livestock characteristics (private peasant holdings), Addis Ababa, page 183.

Ejigu B 2003 Opening address. In: Proceedings of the Ethiopian Dairy Master Plan Study Pre-planning Workshop, held at International Livestock Research Institute, 19 June 2003, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, pp. 5-7.

FAO 1986 Animal genetic resource data banks 2. Descriptor list for cattle, pigs, buffalo, sheep and goats. FAO, Animal Production and Health paper 59/2.FAO, Rome, Italy, page 150.

Felleke G and Geda G 2001 The Ethiopian dairy development policy. In: A draft policy document, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Ministry of Agriculture/AFRDRD/AFRDT Food and Agriculture Organization/SSF.

Gebeyehu G 2005 Breeding efficiency, lifetime lactation and calving performance of Friesian-Boran crossbred cows at Cheffa farm. Ethiopia. Livestock Research for Rural Development, http://www.cipav.org.co/lrrd.

Kedija H, Azage T, Mohammed Y and Berhanu G 2008 Traditional cow and camel milk production and marketing in agropastoral and mixed crop–livestock systems: the case of Mieso District, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. IPMS (Improving Productivity and Market Success) of Ethiopian Farmers, Project Working Paper 13, ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute), Nairobi, Kenya, page 56.

Kirsopp-Reed K 1994 A review of PRA methods for livestock research and development. RRA, Notes 20, pp.11-36.

Mason I L and Maule J P 1960 The indigenous livestock of Eastern and Southern Africa. Common Wealth Agricultural Bureaux. Farnham Royal, Bucks England, pp.76-77.

Mekonnen H,  Dehninet G and Kelay B 2010 Dairy technology adoption in smallholder farms in “Dejen” district, Ethiopia. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 42: 209-216.

Mekonnen H,  Mulatu D,  Kelay B and Berhan T 2010 Assessment of the nutritional status of scavenging chicken in Ada’a district, Ethiopia, Tropical Animal Health and Production,  42: 123-130.

Mekonnen H M, Asmamaw K and Courreau J F 2006  Husbandry practices and health in smallholder dairy farms near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 74: 99-107.

Merha Z 2006 Genetic Diversity in Northern Ethiopian Cattle Breed: An on-Farm and Molecular Characterization.  PhD dissertation, Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

Mukasa-Mugerwa E 1989 A review of a productive performance of female Bos indicus  (zebu) cattle. ILCA, Monograph 6. ILCA, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, page 134.

Scarpa R, Drucker A G, Anderson S, Ferraes-Ehuan N, Gómez V, Risopatrón C R and Rubio-Leonel O 2003 Valuing genetic resources in peasant economies: the case of 'hairless' Creole pigs in Yucatan. Ecological Economics, 45: 427-443.

Workneh A and Rowlands J  2004 Design, execution and analysis of the livestock breed survey in Oromiya Regional State, Ethiopia. OADB (Oromiya Agricultural Development Bureau), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute), Nairobi, Kenya,  page 260.

Received 27 September 2011; Accepted 5 November 2011; Published 4 January 2012

Go to top