Prioritizing livestock breeds for conservation needs to incorporate both genetic and non-genetic aspects important for the survival of the breeds. Here, we apply a maximum-utility-strategy to prioritize 14 traditional Ethiopian sheep breeds based on their threat status, contributions to farmer li...
Menz sheep are indigenous to the highlands of Ethiopia, and highly valued for their meat and wool production. The area is characterized as a low input mixed barley-sheep production system. In 1998, a selection experiment was setup to evaluate the response of Menz. sheep to selection for yearling ...
Solomon G.
,
Sisay L.
,
Hans K.
,
Arendonk, Johan A.M. van
,
[Estimates of genetic parameters and genetic trends for live weight and fleece traits in Menz sheep]
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Estimates of genetic parameters and genetic trends for live weight and fleece traits in Menz sheep
Breeding objectives were developed for meat sheep in smallholder production circumstances in the tropics. The traits considered were litter size, lambing frequency, pre-weaning, and post-weaning lamb survival to 12 months, ewe survival, lamb live weight at 12-month, mature ewe live weight, consum...
Kosgey, I.S.
,
Arendonk, Johan A.M. van
,
Baker, R.L.
,
[Economic values for traits of meat sheep in medium to high production potential areas of the tropics]
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Economic values for traits of meat sheep in medium to high production potential areas of the tropics
Ethiopia has a diverse sheep population, numbering 23.6 million, in parallel with its diverse ecology, production systems and communities. A comprehensive phenotypic and genetic characterization of Ethiopian sheep populations was initiated in 2005 to provide a nationwide framework for the managem...
Gizaw, Solomon
,
Komen, Hans
,
Hanotte, Olivier H.
,
Arendonk, Johan A.M. van
,
[Indigenous sheep resources of Ethiopia: Types, production systems and farmers preferences]
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Indigenous sheep resources of Ethiopia: Types, production systems and farmers preferences
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...
Gizaw, Solomon
,
Arendonk, Johan A.M. van
,
Valle-Zárate, A.
,
Haile, Aynalem
,
Rischkowsky, Barbara A.
,
Dessie, Tadelle
,
Okeyo Mwai, Ally
,
[Breeding programmes for smallholder sheep farming systems: II. Optimization of cooperative village breeding schemes]
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Breeding programmes for smallholder sheep farming systems: II. Optimization of cooperative village breeding schemes
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 practices. A cooperative village sheep-breeding sch...
Gizaw, Solomon
,
Goshme, S.
,
Getachew, T.
,
Haile, Aynalem
,
Rischkowsky, Barbara A.
,
Arendonk, Johan A.M. van
,
Valle-Zárate, A.
,
Dessie, Tadelle
,
Okeyo Mwai, Ally
,
[Feasibility of pedigree recording and genetic selection in village sheep flocks of smallholder farmers]
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Feasibility of pedigree recording and genetic selection in village sheep flocks of smallholder farmers
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 breeding schemes, dispersed village-based nucle...
Gizaw, Solomon
,
Rischkowsky, Barbara A.
,
Valle-Zárate, A.
,
Haile, Aynalem
,
Arendonk, Johan A.M. van
,
Okeyo Mwai, Ally
,
Dessie, Tadelle
,
[Breeding programs for smallholder sheep farming systems: I. Evaluation of alternative designs of breeding schemes]
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Breeding programs for smallholder sheep farming systems: I. Evaluation of alternative designs of breeding schemes
We evaluated the efficiency of selection for body weight in a cooperative village breeding program for Menz sheep of Ethiopia under smallholder farming system. The design of the program involved organizing villagers in a cooperative breeding group to implement selective breeding of their sheep. T...
Gizaw, Solomon
,
Getachew, T.
,
Goshme, S.
,
Valle-Zárate, A.
,
Arendonk, Johan A.M. van
,
Kemp, Stephen J.
,
Okeyo Mwai, Ally
,
Dessie, Tadelle
,
[Efficiency of selection for body weight in a cooperative village breeding program of Menz sheep under smallholder farming system]
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Efficiency of selection for body weight in a cooperative village breeding program of Menz sheep under smallholder farming system