Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T11:34:48.449Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Efficiency of selection for body weight in a cooperative village breeding program of Menz sheep under smallholder farming system

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 November 2013

S. Gizaw ,
T. Getachew ,
S. Goshme ,
A. Valle-Zárate ,
J. A. M. van Arendonk ,
S. Kemp ,
A. O. Mwai  and
T. Dessie
S. Gizaw*
Affiliation:
Debre Birhan Agricultural Research Centre, PO Box 112, Debre Birhan, Ethiopia
T. Getachew
Affiliation:
Debre Birhan Agricultural Research Centre, PO Box 112, Debre Birhan, Ethiopia
S. Goshme
Affiliation:
Debre Birhan Agricultural Research Centre, PO Box 112, Debre Birhan, Ethiopia
A. Valle-Zárate
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Breeding and Husbandry in the Tropics and Subtropics, University of Hohenheim, PO Box 70593 Stuttgart, Germany
J. A. M. van Arendonk
Affiliation:
Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen University, PO Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands
S. Kemp
Affiliation:
International Livestock Research Institute, PO Box 30709, Nairobi, Kenya
A. O. Mwai
Affiliation:
International Livestock Research Institute, PO Box 30709, Nairobi, Kenya
T. Dessie
Affiliation:
International Livestock Research Institute, PO Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
*
E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

We evaluated the efficiency of selection for body weight in a cooperative village breeding program for Menz sheep of Ethiopia under smallholder farming system. The design of the program involved organizing villagers in a cooperative breeding group to implement selective breeding of their sheep. The program was jump-started through a one-time provision of elite rams from a central nucleus flock, but subsequent replacement rams were selected from within the village flocks. We also evaluated body weight trends in a village where cooperative breeding was not implemented and individual farmers managed their flocks under traditional breeding practices. Under traditional breeding practices, genetic progress over 8 years either stagnated or declined in all the weights recorded. In the cooperative villages, selection differentials of 2.44 and 2.45 kg were achieved in 2010 and 2011 selection seasons, respectively. Birth weight, 3-month weight and 6-month weight increased, respectively, by 0.49, 2.29 and 2.46 kg in the third-generation lambs over the base generation. Improved rams supplied from the central nucleus flock gave an initial genetic lift of 14.4% in the 6-month weight. This was higher than the gain achieved from selection in the village flocks, which was 5.2%. Our results showed that village-based genetic improvement in body weights under smallholder conditions could be feasible if appropriate designs are adopted and that commencing with elite central nucleus rams help jump-start village-based programs.

Keywords

breeding programsmallholder farmersresponse to selectionsheepEthiopia
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 8 , Special Issue 8: Agroecology: integrating animals in agroecosystems , August 2014 , pp. 1249 - 1254
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Afolayan, RA, Pitchford, WS, Deland, MPB and Mckiernan, WA 2007. Breed variation and genetic parameters for growth and body development in diverse beef cattle genotypes. Animal 1, 13–20.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Croston, D and Pollott, G 1994. Planned sheep production, 2nd edition. Blackwell Scientific Publications, London, UK.Google Scholar
Duguma, G, Mirkena, T, Haile, A, Okeyo, AM, Tibbo, M, Rischkowsky, B, Soelkner, J and Wurzinger, M 2011. Identification of smallholder farmers and pastoralists’ preferences for sheep breeding traits: choice model approach. Animal 5, 1984–1992.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eikje, ED 1975. Studies on sheep production records. VIII. Estimation of genetic change. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica 25, 253–260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Getachew, T, Haile, A, Tibbo, M, Sharma, AK, Sölkner, J and Wurzinger, M 2010. Herd management and breeding practices of sheep owners in a mixed crop-livestock and a pastoral system of Ethiopia. African Journal of Agricultural Research 5, 685–691.Google Scholar
Gizaw, S, Komen, H and van Arendonk, JAM 2009. Optimal village breeding schemes under smallholder sheep farming systems. Livestock Science 124, 82–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gizaw, S, Komen, H and van Arendonk, JAM 2010. Participatory definition of breeding objectives and selection indexes for sheep breeding in traditional systems. Livestock Science 128, 67–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gizaw, S, Lemma, S, Komen, H and van Arendonk, JAM 2007. Estimates of genetic trends and genetic parameters for live weight and fleece traits in Menz sheep. Small Ruminant Research 70, 145–153.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gizaw, S, Getachew, T, Haile, A and Dessie, T 2011. Congruence between selection of breeding rams based on breeding values for production traits and farmers ram choice criteria. Animal 5, 995–1001.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Janssens, S and Vandepitte, W 2004. Genetic parameters for linear measurements and linear type traits in Belgian Bleu du Maine, Suffolk and Texel sheep. Small Ruminant Research 54, 13–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kosgey, IS 2004. Breeding objectives and breeding strategies for small ruminants in the tropics. PhD thesis, Wageningen University.Google Scholar
Kosgey, IS and Okeyo, AM 2007. Genetic improvement of small ruminants in low input, smallholder production systems: technical and infrastructural issues. Small Ruminant Research 70, 76–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mahanjana, AM and Cronje, PB 2000. Factors affecting sheep production in a communal farming system in Eastern Cape region of South Africa. South African Journal of Animal Science 30, 149–154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mapiliyao, L, Pepe, D, Chiruka, R, Marume, U and Muchenje, V 2012. Production practices and constraints to sheep productivity in two ecologically different and resource poor communal farming systems of South Africa. Scientific Research and Essays 7, 3209–3217.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mavule, BS, Muchenje, V and Kunene, NW 2013a. Characterization of Zulu sheep production system: implications for conservation and improvement. Scientific Research and Essays 8, 1226–1238.Google Scholar
Mavule, BS, Muchenje, V, Bezuidenhout, CC and Kunene, NW 2013b. Morphological structure of Zulu sheep based on principal component analysis of body measurements. Small Ruminant Research 111, 23–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mirkena, T, Duguma, D, Willam, A, Wurzinger, M, Haile, A, Rischkowsky, B, Okeyo, AM, Tibbo, M and Solkner, J 2012. Community-based alternative breeding plans for indigenous sheep breeds in four agro-ecological zones of Ethiopia. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics 129, 244–253.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mueller, JP and James, JW 1984. Design and evaluation of progeny testing in open nucleus breeding systems. Animal Production 38, 1–8.Google Scholar
Nicoll, GB, Bodin, L and Jonmundson, JV 1986. Evaluation of inter-flock genetic improvement programs for sheep and goats. In Third World Congress on genetics applied to livestock production, vol. 4 (ed. GE, Dickerson and RK, Johnson), pp. 619–636. University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.Google Scholar
Rege, JEO, Marshall, K, Notenbaert, A, Ojango, JMK and Okeyo, AM 2011. Pro-poor animal improvement and breeding – What can science do? Livestock Science 136, 15–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
SAS (Statistical Analysis System) 2002. SAS user’s guide: statistics Ver. 9.0. Statistical Analysis System Inc., Cary, NC, USA.Google Scholar
Smith, C 1988. Genetic improvement of livestock in developing countries using nucleus breeding units. World Animal Review 65, 2–10.Google Scholar
Sölkner, J, Nakimbugwe, H and Valle-Zarrate, A 1998. Analysis of determinants for success and failure of village breeding programs. In Proceedings of the 6th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, vol. 25, pp. 273–281. University of New England, Armidale, New England, Australia.Google Scholar
Wurzinger, M, Willam, A, Delgado, J, Nurnberg, M, Zarate, AV, Stemmer, A, Ugarte, G and Soelkner, J 2008. Design of a village breeding program for a llama population in the High Andes of Bolivia. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics 125, 311–319.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yapi-Gnaorè, CV, Rege, JEO, Oya, A and Nega, A 1997. Analysis of an open nucleus breeding programme for Djallonkè sheep in the Ivory Coast. 2. Response to selection on body weights. Animal Science 64, 301–307.CrossRefGoogle Scholar