! " # $ % 1 College of Agriculture and Veterin 2 School of Animal and Range Scie 3 Department of Food Science and T ’ A survey was conducted in the highland districts of Horro Guduru Wollega Zone of O objectives of assessing livestock producti major feed resources and their potential c survey method was used in the survey. A t and 150 from mid altitude areas were selec was 4.43±0.26 ha per household in the high The average size of grazing lands of highlan higher (P<0.001) than that of mid altitude ( holdings of highland respondents (13.00±0 than that of mid altitude livestock holding (9. species. Feed shortage, health problem, po were listed as major constraints for livesto stubble grazing were listed as major feed re forages and local beverage by products (Diq palatable species of grasses, expansion of i Parthenium hysterophorus, and depletion o the quality of grazing land. An average of was produced per household of highland 74.03% of the feed in highland and 80.63 residues. The contribution of private grazing the total feed supply from the private h respectively. The contribution of stubble (afte 13.03 % of the feed that can be obtained from (&)*+#, % - ./%01(%./ Agriculture contributes 47% of the coun more than 80% of the export earning and 85% of the population of Ethiopia. The li contributes 16.5% of the total GDP, 45% GDP (Behnke, 2010) and 37A87% of t incomes (MOFED, 2011). Ethiopia is endo livestock population distributed in the ecological zones of the country (Alemaye commonly available livestock feed reso natural pastures, crop residues, improved fo industrial products (Adugna ., 2012). In the highlands where mixd crop livest system predominates, the areas of graz !" % &&&’($)&&*+, &")( ( &) -. /// " 0 %& % # % * 2 0 # nary Medicine, Jimma Univesrity, P. O. Box: 307, Jim ences, College of Agriculture, Hawassa University, P Hawassa, Ethiopia Technology, Wollega University, P.O.Box: 395, Neke ’ and mid altitude areas of Horro and Guduru Oromia Regional State, western Ethiopia with the ion situation, livestock production constraints, contribution. A singleAvisit multi subject formal total of 210 household heads, 60 from highland cted and interviewed. The average land holding hland and 3.98±0.11 ha in the mid altitude areas. nd respondents (0.73±0.08 ha) was significantly (0.47±0.03 ha). Similarly, the average livestock 0.60 heads) were significantly higher (<0.001) .72±0.45 heads) in which cattle dominates other oor genetic potential, labour and water shortage ock production. Natural pasture, cop residues, esources, with minimal contribution of improved qi or atela). Disappearance of better quality and invasive plants like Raphanus raphanistrum and of soil nutrients were listed as factors affecting 11.55 and 13.89 tons of feed dry matter (DM) and mid altitude, respectively, of which about 3 % in mid altitude were obtained from crop g land was estimated to be 11.7 and 6.41 % of holdings in highland and mid altitude areas, er math grazing) was estimated to be 14.81 and om private holdings. !&4 Livesto Natural Crop re Afterma AgroAec $( ! 5 kassah 1&6 6 ntry’s GDP and d employs over ivestock sector of agricultural the household owed with high different agro ehu 2006). The ources include orage and agro tock production zing lands are highly fragmented and limited to area are adverse for cropping due to topogr climatic conditions. According to CSA ( of the highlands are allotted for tempor crops. Therefore, crop and livestock su for scarce farm resources causing supply, both in quality and quantity (Ad As a result, livestock productivity is g the potential (EARO, 1998; CSA, 201 Horro and Guduru districts as well. This necessitates assessment production situation, feed resources prevailing livestock feeding practices 111 !#!"$ (""$& *, !*", (’ 0 2& 7 mma, Ethiopia P.O.Box: 222, emte, Ethiopia . &3 3 12A07A2015 3 21A09A2015 3 25A09A2015 3 ock l pasture esidues ath grazing cologies 3 " 3 hun.hu@gmail.com as where conditions raphic, edaphic and (1998) about 93.5% rary and permanent ub sectors compete g inadequate feed dugna ., 2000). generally lower than 13). This is true in of the livestock availability and the s in order to better