Aynalem Haile

Management of reproduction that relies on naturally based solutions is extremely important to counter the negative perception around hormone-based interventions. In Mediterranean latitudes and wider regions of non-tropical drylands, sheep do not...

The community-based breeding program (CBBP) for Bonga sheep was introduced with the objective of improving the productivity of sheep and income of producers. Technical evaluation of the program reported outstanding outcomes in growth and reproductive...

Ethiopia has about 52 million indigenous goats with marked phenotypic variability, which is the outcome of natural and artificial selection. Here, we obtained whole-genome sequence data of three Ethiopian indigenous goat populations (Arab, Fellata...

Reproductive traits are economically important and therefore need to be considered during designing sheep breeding and improvement programs, as it determines the efficiency of sheep production. Reproductive performance can be assessed using key...

This study evaluated the reproductive and productivity of local and Dorper crossbred ewes in a community-based management system. We analyzed data collected from 2013 to 2021, taking into account different factors such as dam-breed, location, type of...

Introduction: The African Goat Improvement Network Image Collection Protocol (AGIN-ICP) is an accessible, easy to use, low-cost procedure to collect phenotypic data via digital images. The AGIN-ICP collects images to extract several phenotype...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth and survival of local and Dorper crossbred lambs managed under a community-based management system, using data collected between 2012 and 2021. The fixed effects considered were breed, location, sex...

The African Goat Improvement Network (AGIN) is a collaborative group of scientists focused on genetic improvement of goats in small holder communities across the African continent. The group emerged from a series of workshops focused on enhancing...

Fecundity gene introgression has become an economical method to improve sheep prolificacy in developing countries. The FecXBar and FecGH mutations are variants of the BMP15 and GDF9 sheep genes, respectively, identified in Tunisian Barbarine sheep...

Pastoralists are generally known for carefully selecting and maintaining their livestock. In this study, we examine the preferences of pastoralists for goat traits. We employ discrete choice experiments of all levels and endpoints to investigate the...

The objective of this work was to study genetic diversity by comparing whole genome sequence data of Rutana, Gumuz and Washera sheep found in Amhara and Benishanguel gumuz regional states of Ethiopia. We employed variant calling format tools version...

Breeding programs involving either centralized nucleus schemes and/or importation of exotic germplasm for crossbreeding were not successful and sustainable in most Africa countries. Community-based breeding programs (CBBPs) are now suggested as...

Community-based breeding programs (CBBPs) have shown, at pilot scale, to be effective and beneficial in achieving genetic progress and in improving livelihoods of smallholder communities. In Ethiopia 134 sheep and goat CBBPs were operational...

Generally, agricultural production involves several challenges. In the drylands, it is further complicated by weather-related risks and resource degradation. In this paper, we present a case study of the mixed crop-livestock production system in...

Dorper and Hu sheep exhibit different characteristics in terms of reproduction, growth, and meat quality. Comparison of the genomes of two breeds help to reveal important genomic information. In this study, whole genome resequencing of 30 individuals...

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of different estrus synchronization protocols followed by artificial insemination on estrus response and the conception rate of Abergelle goats. Three estrus synchronization protocols: (i) the...

This study aims to estimate genetic parameters and genetic trends for early growth and reproductive traits of Doyogena sheep. Data used in the study were collected over 6 years (2013–2018). Studied traits were birth weight (BWT), weaning weight (WWT)...

In recent times, community-based breeding programs (CBBPs) have been advocated as the best strategy for genetic improvement of local breeds in smallholder farms in developing countries. Since 2009, CBBPs have been...

The objectives of the current study were to estimate the genetic parameters and genetic trends for growth traits, and to assess inbreeding levels of Abera sheep under community-based breeding programs (CBBPs) in Ethiopia. General linear model...

MicroRNA (miRNA) is of great importance to muscle growth and development, including
the regulation of the proliferation and differentiation of skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs). In our
research group’s previous study, we found that miR-181a is...

Background: Ticks are obligate haematophagous ectoparasites considered second to mosquitos as vectors and reservoirs of multiple pathogens of global concern. Individual variation in tick infestation has been reported in indigenous sheep, but its...

The study simulated different potential breeding programs to design the optimal breeding structure and operational management structure for Borana goat. It evaluated different scenarios using ZPLAN+ software to maximize the genetic gain, discounted...

In this study, breeding objective traits were identified, and alternative breeding schemes were simulatedand evaluated for two goat populations. The traits were as follows: body size, twinning ability and kiddinginterval (KI) for Arab goats and body...

Background: Understanding the phenotypic and genetic parameter estimates of growth traits is important for an effective livestock genetic improvement programme.

Objectives: In this study, we evaluated the phenotypic performances and estimated...

We analysed options to optimize the use of sires in sheep and goat community-based breeding programmes (CBBP) for three scenarios occurring under field conditions: premature sale of selection candidates, fixed service periods of selected sires and...

Objective
The objectives of the study were to evaluate reproductive performance and selection response through genetic trend of community-based breeding programs (CBBPs) of Bonga sheep.
Methods
Reproduction traits data collected between 2012 and 2018...

Improved breeding practices and participatory health services have been designed and implemented by a partnership between national and international institutions in various parts of Ethiopia since 2014. Based on a panel data of two waves, we have...

Growth and reproductive performance traits are traits of economic importance for sheep
selection and productivity improvement interventions. This study aimed at comparative evaluation of growth and reproductive performance traits of sheep in the...

Knowledge on how adaptive evolution and human socio‐cultural and economic interests shaped livestock genomes particularly in sub‐Saharan Africa remains limited. Ethiopia is in a geographic region that has been critical in the history of African...

Small ruminant breeding programmes in low-input production systems are best organised at the community level. Participant farmers have to agree on goal traits and their relative importance. When BLUP breeding values of goal traits are not available...

Community-based sheep breeding programs (CBBPs) have been adopted strategically to improve Bonga
sheep, the most popular sheep breed in Ethiopia. The present study was undertaken to estimate genetic
parameters and genetic trends for growth traits and...

Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections have negative impacts on animal health, welfare and production. Information from molecular studies can highlight the underlying genetic mechanisms that enhance host resistance to GIN. However, such...

We executed two live animal ranking experiments, own-flock and group-animal ranking, to identify the breeding objectives of Arab and Oromo goat keepers in northwestern Ethiopia as a preliminary step towards designing sustainable breeding programs for...

Identification of breeding objective traits pertinent to specific production environments with the involvement of target beneficiaries is crucial to the success of a breed improvement program. A choice experiment was conducted in four locations...

Investigation was carried out to assess the effects of environmental factors and to estimate genetic parameters and trends for
reproductive traits in Bonga sheep, Ethiopia. Animals used in this study were managed by two communities involved in a...

The study investigated, for fixed time artificially inseminated (AI) Menz ewes in field trials, the reproductive
performance of prostaglandin-based treatments simultaneously to the standard ‘P4+eCG’ protocol. A total
of 483 Menz ewes were assigned to...

Context: The productivity of Ethiopian smallholder farms is considered to be low owing to different factors such as feed shortage, lack of breeding strategies, disease prevalence and missing marketing strategies.

Aim: The main objective of the study...

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the productivity of three indigenous goat breeds from Ethiopia namely Abergelle (AB), Central Highland (CH) and Woyto-Guji (WG) based on their kids’ total live weight at three months (LWW), survival rate to...

Community-based breeding programs (CBBPs) for small ruminants have been suggested as alternatives to centralised, government-controlled breeding schemes which have been implemented in many developing countries. An innovative methodological framework...

In Tunisia, livestock plays an important role in the economy; unfortunately, Tunisian sheep population faces several health challenges. The aim of this trial was to study phenotypic variability of four local sheep breeds and strains to abomasum...

Indigenous breeding practices of the farmers and the livestock production system form the bases for designing community-based breeding programs. The aim of this study was to characterize production system and examine breeding practices of the...

In the traditional Menz sheep breeding, communities select against black coat color and therefore its frequency is declining over time. We hypothesize that this exercise is causing the loss of an important gene pool. Data collected from on-station...

Community-based livestock breeding programmes (CBBPs) have emerged as a potential approach to implement sustainable livestock breeding in smallholder systems. In Malawi and Uganda, goat CBBPs were introduced to improve
production and productivity of...

To understand the ovarian basis for prolificacy of Bonga sheep, a total of 31 ewes were selected based on litter size (LS) records and divided into two groups: High Prolificacy (HP) (n = 20) with LS ≥ 2 and Low Prolificacy (LP) (n = 11) with LS = 1...

Improved Awassi sheep from Israel has been used for the improvement of the productivity of Ethiopian short-fat tailed Menz and Wollo sheep breeds through crossbreeding. High density (~50,000) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers distributed...

We conducted a household survey in the semi-arid and sub-humid parts of Benishangul Gumuz region in northwestern Ethiopia to better understand and describe production systems and breeding practices of Arab and Oromo goat keepers. Multistage random...

Maximizing the number of ofspring born per female is a key functionality trait in commercial- and/or subsistence-oriented
livestock enterprises. Although the number of ofspring born is closely associated with female fertility and reproductive success...

Ethiopia has a large and diverse population of small ruminants, which contribute
substantially to the livelihood and income of the rural poor and the country at large.
However, the sector faces a number of challenges. Productivity per animal and...

On station small ruminant researches in Ethiopia were ineffective due to various factors. As alternative, community based breeding program (CBBP) has emerged. In the current CBBPs, sires’ side selection only (SN1) was practiced. The objective of the...

In this study, expected genetic progress and economic benefits from implementing three community-based breeding programs for sheep (CBBP) out- and upscaling strategies were investigated. Strategy 1 is to replicate average existing CBBPs, strategy 2...

Community-based sheep breeding programs (CBBPs) were established in Ethiopia since 2010. Improved rams from CBBPs need to be disseminated. However, there is a risk of transmitting reproductive diseases to other community flocks. To investigate this a...

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) remain one of the main health and production constraints of sheep globally. Considering alternatives to anthelmintics in control of GIN of sheep has become important mainly due to development of anthelmintic...

African livestock breeds are numerous and diverse, and typically well adapted to the harsh environment conditions under which they perform. They have been used over centuries to provide livelihoods as well as food and nutritional security. However...

Assessments of production parameters and flock productivity were made in three indigenous goat breeds of Ethiopia. The goat breeds included Abergelle (AB), Central Highland (CH) and Woyto-Guji (WG). Objectives of this work were to estimate production...

This article aims at identifying factors that determine market prices of goats and analyse potential mechanisms by which smallholder goat producers could maximize their benefits. Data on 357 farm households and 2103 goat transactions were collected...

Lungworms are important parasitic nematodes of small ruminants that colonize the lower respiratory tract and cause high morbidity and economic loss throughout the world. This systematic review was conducted with the aim of estimating the pooled...

Genetic parameters and genetic trends for growth, reproduction, milk production and composition traits were estimated for Syrian (S) and Turkish (T) Awassi sheep and their crosses maintained at the International Center for Agricultural Research in...

We generated epidemiological information on the prevalence of nematode parasites and possible resistance/resilience of goats in three areas, Bati, Shinille, and Borana, of Ethiopia. A total of 350 breeding does were randomly selected and monitored...

This study aimed at identifying Sheko cattle keepers' preferences by way of phenotypic ranking and hypothetical choice experiment in their habitat in order to define the indigenous selection criteria. The ranking experiment report was based on 15...

The study investigated, for cycling sheep, synchronizing protocols simultaneously to the standard “P” protocol using progestogens priming with intravaginal devices and gonadotropin. In November 2014, 90 adult Menz ewes were assigned to either the “P”...

An exploratory survey was undertaken in Doyogena district of Southern Nation Nationalities Peoples region of Ethiopia to understand the sheep production system, the breeding practices, selection criteria and sheep production constraints in order to...

Description of the physical characteristics of livestock breeds is very important for developing a breeding strategy in a particular production system. Doyogena sheep are among the potential breeds of Ethiopia reared in the mixed perennial crop and...

The present study was conducted to justify that keeping birth weight (BWT) records have little or no significance in genetic improvements of market or adult weights of small ruminants while implementation of community based breeding program (CBBP)...

Domestic goats in Syria may provide an interesting source of genetic variability due to its proximity to the centers of domestication. This study aimed to assess the morphological variation, genetic diversity and population substructure of the Syrian...

The objective of this review paper is to examine whether or not sheep crossbreeding is a feasible option to improve indigenous sheep breeds in developing countries using Ethiopian case as example. The paper reviewed and discussed the history of...

The objective of this study was to characterize Bati, Borena and Short-eared Somali goat populations kept under traditional management systems. The survey conducted in three locations; namely Bati, Borena and Siti (the previous Shinille) representing...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relative resistance of Menz and Washera sheep breeds to artificial infection with Haemonchus contortus. The challenge trial was conducted at the Debre Berhan Agricultural Research Center in Ethiopia. A total...

Breeding programmes described as community-based (CBBP) typically relate to low-input systems with farmers having a common interest to improve and share their genetic resources. CBBPs are more frequent with keepers of small ruminants, in particular...

The study was conducted to characterize the morphological features of Mursi cattle breed and to identify the species of trypanosome infecting the cattle and its prevalence in these traditionally managed cattle in the Bodi and Mursi pastoral...

Village- and central nucleus-based schemes were simulated and evaluated
for their relative bio-economic efficiencies, using Ethiopia’s Menz sheep as
example. The schemes were: village-based 2-tier (Scheme-1) and 1-tier
(Scheme-2) cooperative village...

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...

Pedigree recording and genetic selection in village flocks of smallholder farmers have been deemed infeasible by researchers and development workers. This is mainly due to the difficulty of sire identification under uncontrolled village breeding...

A community-based sheep breeding program has been implemented in the highlands ofEthiopia to improve the body weight of Menz sheep. It is important to evaluate the potentialconsequences of such a breeding strategy on herd dynamics. For this purpose...

A study was undertaken to understand local knowledge and practices of communities in animal management as a step in designing and
implementation of communitybased
breeding programs for four local breeds (Afar, Bonga, Horro and Menz) in four sites in...

The genetic trends in fitness (inbreeding, fertility and survival) of a closed nucleus flock of Menz sheep under
selection during ten years for increased body weight were investigated to evaluate the consequences of selection
for body weight on...

Colour sidedness is a dominantly inherited phenotype of cattle characterized by the polarization of pigmented sectors on the flanks, snout and ear tips(1). It is also referred to as 'lineback' or 'witrik' (which means white back), as colour-sided...

This paper revises the evolutionary history of the stem root of the genus Equus from Eocene period (54 million years before present, MYBP) to present. It also assesses molecular taxonomy and evolutionary relationships of this line since the first...

The study was conducted to evaluate reproductive performances and estimate genetic parameters for reproduction traits in Arsi-Bale goats. A total of 792 kidding records collected from 2001 to 2007 were used. Parity of dam, year, season and type of...

The study was conducted in the central rift valley of Ethiopia to define Arsi-Bale goat keepers' breeding objectives and breeding practices and to describe flock management practices and rate of inbreeding in Arsi-Bale goat population. Two-stage...

Based on the results of participatory approaches to define traits in the breeding objectives, four scenarios of ram selection and ram use were compared via deterministic modelling of breeding plans for community-based sheep breeding programmes in...

The influence of non-genetic factors on lamb survivability at various ages up to 360 days was studied under village management condition in Jimma, Ethiopia. The overall least squares means of lamb survival rate was 89.0 at 0-60, 81.5 at 0-120 and 50...

A three-year longitudinal study was conducted to evaluate effects of strategic anthelmintic treatment regimes on age at first lambing (AFL), weight at first lambing (WFL) and lambing interval (LI) of 356 communally grazed ewes and 675 lambs owned by...

An investigation was made into the epidemiology of nematode infections of sheep in two districts of Jimma zone, southwestern Ethiopia. We used two approaches—long-term monitoring of identified sheep for nematode infection and abattoir or market...