Assessment on problems associated with artificial insemination service in dairy cattle in Tullo district, West Hararghe, Ethiopia

A cross sectional study was conducted from November 2015 to May 2016 with the objective of assessing the problems associated with artificial insemination service in dairy cattle in five selected peasant associations of Tullo district, west Hararghe, Ethiopia. A structured questionnaire was used for 389 dairy cattle owners, 3 artificial insemination technicians and 8 animal health professionals. The result of the study showed that 219 (56.3%) of the dairy farmers get artificial insemination services regularly and without interruption while 170 (43.7%) do not use this service regularly due to shortage of artificial insemination technicians (18.2%), discontinuation of service on weekends and holidays (51.2%) and shortage of inputs (30.6.0%). Conception failure (34.9%) was identified by dairy cattle owners as a major problem of AI followed by death of embryo or dystocia (28%). About 71.1% of the owners wait for the next oestrus as they are unable to get AI service during heat period while 28.9% use natural mating if they do not get the service. The questionnaire survey indicated that artificial insemination service faces several constraints and needs improvement for increasing the productivity of dairy cattle in term of genetic improvement in the study area.Keywords: Artificial insemination; Cross breed; Cross sectional; Dairy cattle; Tull

Honey-bee production practices and hive technology preferences in Jimma and Illubabor Zone of Oromiya Regional State, Ethiopia

The study was conducted in two purposefully selected zones of Oromiya Regional State, namely Jimma and Illubabor. The objective of the study was to analyse the honey-bee production and to assess hive technology preferences in the study area. A total of 156 beekeepers were randomly and proportionately selected from four districts (Mana and Gomma from Jimma and Bacho and Yayo from Illubabor). Data were collected through formal survey and secondary sources. Accordingly, the average age of the beekeepers was 40.2 ± 8.13 years with an average of 13.5 ± 6.58 years of experience. The majority of the respondents (53.2%) in the study area got their colonies by catching swarms. Three hive types (traditional, transitional, and frame hive) were found in the study area. More than 70% of the respondents harvested once a year from traditional hives, while 25% of respondents harvested up to three times per year from frame hives. Moreover, an average of 22 ± 4.6 and 16 ± 4.1 kg of honey were harvested from frame and transitional hives per year, respectively. Compared to these two hives, a much lower (7 ± 1.6 kg) amount of honey was harvested from traditional hives. Various honey-bee floras were identified in the study area. Plants such as Vernonia amygdalina, Croton macrostachyus, and Schefflera sp. produce white honey. Half of the respondents’ preferred transitional hive followed by frame hive (37.2%). Factors which affect the use of frame hives were lack of equipment (36.5%) followed by wax quality and availability problems (34%). That is why few beekeepers tried to modify the frame hive to solve the problems of wax in vertical frame hive. In order to adopt and sustain modern hive technology, the focus should be on honey-bee equipment as well as wax quality and availability

Beekeeping management practices and constraints in Eastern Tigray, Ethiopia

The study was designed to assess beekeeping management practices and challenges in eastern zone of Tigray. A semi-structured questionnaire, field observation and focal group discussion were employed to collect primary data. Randomly selected three districts were used for the study. A total of 120 respondents were selected from the zone and 40 beekeepers from each district for the study. Both primary and secondary data were collected. Beekeepers indicated that frame hive technology was most preferred. Even though, some equipments such as casting mold and honey extractor were not durable and available as required. Study reveals frame hive was more productive than tradition in the study area.Trees, shrubs and herbs were major honey bee flora identified in the study area. Accordingly, honey produced specially from Leucas abyssinica is a special white and highly demanded honey in Tigray. Beekeepers indicated large amount of honey was harvested in September and October. However, low amount of honey harvested in July and August of the year. Bee forage and absconding due to pestes are major constraint honey bee production in the study area. Honey bees required feed supplementation during dry season; higher supplements were made during February to March and followed by December to January. The commonly used supplements were sugar, shuro and barely flour (besso). The study suggests that bee forage, absconding and pests and predators were the most constraints in the study area

Bovine tuberculosis in eastern Ethiopia: prevalence, risk factors and its public health importance

Abstract Background Bovine tuberculosis is among the primary zoonotic disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis which has significant impact on the health of livestock and human. It has been significantly a cause for great economic loss in animal production. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2014 to June 2016 on 315 cattle in selected areas of eastern Ethiopia, aiming to estimate the occurrence of bovine tuberculosis using comparative intradermal tuberculin skin test and assess cattle owners’ awareness on its public health implication. Random sampling method was applied in order to select animals from farm/household and associated risk factors were recorded before purified protein derivative (PPD) injection. Forty three farm/household owners of tuberculin tested animals were interviewed using pre-tested structured questionnaires. Results The overall prevalence of bovine tuberculosis was 20.3% (n = 64) in dairy cattle at recommended cut off > 4 mm. From a total of 43 farms/households tested, 22 were positive; each farm exhibited at least one tuberculin positive reactor animal with a total herd level prevalence of 51.2%. The prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in individual animal level was significantly different (χ2 = 45.2; P-value = 0.000) in different sites with a higher prevalence (50%) in Dire Dawa. Farming system, herd size and other risk factors were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with bovine tuberculosis occurrence. Of the total interviewed farm owners, only 33% had the knowledge of or had heard about bovine tuberculosis and 23% respondents were aware of the zoonotic importance of the disease. More than 50% of the interviewees had shown their preference of raw milk consumption. Out of the total interviewed households, 3 (7%) farm workers had TB cases that had direct contact with the animals. Conclusion The study showed bovine tuberculosis is highly prevalent. Associated risk factors contributed to the prevalence of the disease in cattle and its transmission. Moreover, the majority of cattle owners lack awareness about the disease and its public health significance. Awareness rising about the disease, its transmission and zoonotic implication is of great importance for reduction and control measures. Evidence of tuberculosis patient farm attendants calls also for further detail investigation