Feed Resources Availability, Feeding Practice and Nutritional Composition for Dairy Cattle in Mekelle City, Tigray, Ethiopia

Abstract

The study was conducted in Mekelle city in Tigray region with the aim of assessing the available of feed resources, feeding practices, and major opportunities and constraints of dairy production in relation to feed resources and evaluating the nutritional composition of the major feeds. The study area was selected using purposively sampling techniques. Accordingly, a total of 120 respondents, 60 households from each selected districts, Hadnet and Quiha subcities, were participating in the study. The respondents of urban dairy cattle producers were randomly selected. A survey was conducted on 120 households, key informants, and personal observations, and data was collected using a structured questionnaire. A total of four types of major feed samples (wheat bran, wheat straw, barley straw and hatella) were collected from the study area for analyzing their nutritional composition and analysis using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS). All the data collected was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. The results of the study indicated that the feed resources identified were wheat bran, cereal straw, Hatella, formulated feed, hay, oilseed cake, vegetable leftovers, and seed screening. Wheat bran, cereal straw, and Hatella were the most dominant and common feed resources. During the study, high feed costs and feed supply shortages were the main constraints of dairy cattle production in relation to feed resources. The amount of concentrate feed provided for the dairy cattle was prioritize based on their production in average 5.31 kg of concentrate feed per a day was fed for milking cows and next pregnant cows (3.09 kg). Dry roughages (48.94%) and concentrate feeds (51.06%) were the feed proportion ration provided for dairy cattle, according to the study. There was a highly significant (P<0.001) difference in the nutritional composition (CP, NDF, ADF, and CF) of wheat bran obtained from seven flour manufacturers in Mekelle city and one outside of Tigray (unknown source). In a similar vein, the mean nutritional value of CP in wheat bran (11.92%), Hatella (25.71%), and cereal straw (3.46%) demonstrated a strongly significant (P<0.001) influence on feed types. Thus, bran and hatella are rich sources of protein, but straws are of inferior quality. ,