Exploring Livestock Feed Resources, Seasonal Availability, and Strategies for Managing Feed-Related Issues in Burji District, Southern Ethiopia

An assessment was conducted on livestock feed resources, seasonal availability, and strategies for managing feed-related issues in the Burji District of Southern Ethiopia. A total of 134 households involved in livestock production activities were randomly selected for an interview. The results indicated that the majority (74.96%) of interviewed respondents were males, while 25.04% were females. The average number of livestock owned by households in the study area was 11.17 ± 0.29 tropical livestock units (TLU), with cattle predominating at 93.91%. Natural grazing pastures and crop residues were the primary feed sources, though chemical analysis revealed that they are deficient in nutritional quality. The results indicated the feeds contained 4.1-7.5% crude protein (CP) and 63.2-71.5% neutral detergent fiber (NDF). Crop residues and saving natural pasture as hay are the most common coping mechanisms in times of feed shortages.The use of supplementary feeds and crop residue treatments is recommended to address the low crude protein content in primary feeds and to improve the palatability of crop residues