Sheep fattening: A manual for livestock farmers and extension workers in the Ethiopia

Abstract

Sheep fattening has long been a practice in Ethiopia specifically geared towards demand, which typically increases during festive seasons. It is low-risk and more profitable than rearing large ruminants. The traditional sheep fattening cycle can last six months or more. Farmers attribute the long fattening period to a lack of sufficient and high- quality forage, poor management due to a lack of skills and knowledge of improved fattening practices, and complementary feeding methods. Therefore, the improvement of the feed and nutritional aspects of the small ruminant value chain became one of the core intervention areas of the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry areas, ICARDA. The focus is on market-oriented sheep fattening, under a semi-intensive system, which includes short-term intensive feeding of rams with formulations partly from locally available feed sources and partly grazed, before they are sold. This manual provides simple and tested practical guidelines for sheep fatteners and extension workers in Ethiopia. It contains information on feeds and feeding management options that can be applied by small-scale producers and extension workers.