Breeding programmes for smallholder sheep farming systems: II. Optimization of cooperative village breeding schemes
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Date
2014-09-16
Date Issued
2014-10-31
ISI Journal
Impact factor: 1.877 (Year: 2014)
Citation
Solomon Gizaw Assefa, Johan van Arendonk, Anne Valle Zarate, Aynalem Haile, Barbara Rischkowsky, Tadelle Dessie, Ally Okeyo Mwai. (31/10/2014). Breeding programmes for smallholder sheep farming systems: II. Optimization of cooperative village breeding schemes. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics, 131 (5), pp. 350-357.
Abstract
A simulation study was conducted to optimize a cooperative village-based
sheep breeding scheme for Menz sheep of Ethiopia. Genetic gains and
profits were estimated under nine levels of farmers’ participation and
three scenarios of controlled breeding achieved in the breeding programme,
as well as under three cooperative flock sizes, ewe to ram mating
ratios and durations of ram use for breeding. Under fully controlled breeding,
that is, when there is no gene flow between participating (P) and
non-participating (NP) flocks, profits ranged from Birr 36.9 at 90% of participation
to Birr 21.3 at 10% of participation. However, genetic progress
was not affected adversely. When there was gene flow from the NP to P
flocks, profits declined from Birr 28.6 to Birr 3.7 as participation declined
from 90 to 10%. Under the two-way gene flow model (i.e. when P and NP
flocks are herded mixed in communal grazing areas), NP flocks benefited
from the genetic gain achieved in the P flocks, but the benefits declined
sharply when participation declined beyond 60%. Our results indicate
that a cooperative breeding group can be established with as low as 600
breeding ewes mated at a ratio of 45 ewes to one ram, and the rams being
used for breeding for a period of two years. This study showed that farmer
cooperation is crucial to effect genetic improvement under smallholder
low-input sheep farming systems.
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Author(s) ORCID(s)
Gizaw Assefa, Solomon https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7489-062X
van Arendonk, Johan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2592-3947
Haile, Aynalem https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5914-0487
Rischkowsky, Barbara https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0035-471X
Dessie, Tadelle https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1630-0417
Mwai, Ally Okeyo https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2379-7801
van Arendonk, Johan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2592-3947
Haile, Aynalem https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5914-0487
Rischkowsky, Barbara https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0035-471X
Dessie, Tadelle https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1630-0417
Mwai, Ally Okeyo https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2379-7801