Assessment of Livestock Feed Resources and Coping Strategies with Dry Season Feed Scarcity in Mixed Crop–Livestock Farming Systems around the Gilgel Gibe Catchment, Southwest Ethiopia

In the current study area, livestock are an integral part of mixed farming system, and play very important roles as sources draught power, nutrition, cash income, employment poverty alleviation. However, feed shortage, especially during dry season, is most constraint to optimal productivity. This aimed investigate resources feeding practices, coping strategies with seasonal scarcity, identify major constraints production in a system around Gilgel Gibe catchment, southwest Ethiopia. Data were collected from 342 households using structured questionnaire. The results showed natural pasture, crop residues, stubble grazing, roadside grasses main resources, that order. None respondents practiced improved forage cultivation due insufficient land lack knowledge on utilization. Free grazing was predominant system. Almost all experienced season scarcity. Conserving residues hay, purchasing roughages, reducing herd size renting farmers’ perceived animal diseases, low productivity local breeds. Institutional, technical technological interventions suggested alleviate crop-livestock systems area outside similar settings.