Impact of Feed Sources and Feeding System on Milk Production and Marketing in the Babille District of East Hararghe Zone, Ethiopia

The aim of this article was to investigate the impact of feed sources and feeding system on milk production and milk marketing in the Babille district of Eastern Hararghe zone. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire which was administered to 152 randomly selected sample dairy cow keepers in the district. Data was analyzed using descriptive methods and regression analysis. Data from regression analysis demonstrated that the different factors had a different effect on the milk produced. The factors with strongest influence on the milk yield were dry fodder, green fodder, labor and number of cows. Feed is set to remain the most important and manageable component of commercial livestock production. Results clearly show that, in addition to dry fodder, the green fodder obtained through thinning of sorghum and maize highly affects milk production positively. Hence, ways of integrating cereal production with dairy production and efficient utilization of existing feed sources should be sought. So if energy dense sources of feed is adopted for the dairy producers in the study area, they may diversify their feed sources and could lessen risk related livestock feed and livelihood. The high cost of feeds and unimproved feeding system is a universal constraint in livestock production of the study area.