A Review on Differentiation of Sheep Populations in Ethiopia Based on Husbandry Practices, Breeding and Morphological Traits: The Primary Step for Conservation

¹Ministry of Labour and Skill, Agarfa College, Agarfa, Ethiopia

²Department of Animal Science, Mizan-Tepi University, Mizan-Aman, Ethiopia

*Corresponding author: Amanu Abate, Ministry of Labour and Skill, Agarfa College, Agarfa P.O.BOX-15/2011, Ethiopia, Phone: +88-01712563750, E-mail: [email protected]

Received Date: November 07, 2025

Published Date: November 25, 2025

Citation: Abate A, et al. (2025). A Review on Differentiation of Sheep Populations in Ethiopia Based on Husbandry Practices, Breeding and Morphological Traits: The Primary Step for Conservation. Mathews J Vet Sci. 9(8):93.

Copyrights: Abate A, et al. © (2025).

ABSTRACT

Sheep production is an integral component of Ethiopia's agricultural economy, supporting the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers by providing a critical source of income, meat, manure, and socio-cultural value. The sector is underpinned by a rich diversity of indigenous sheep populations, which exhibit significant phenotypic variation in traits such as tail type, body size, and coat color, reflecting adaptation to diverse agro-ecological zones. Traditional management practices prevail, with farmers selecting breeding stock based on observable traits like body conformation. However, the reproductive performance of these herds is often sub-optimal, characterized by late sexual maturity and low lambing rates, largely due to nutritional limitations. The prevailing feeding system relies extensively on natural grazing, which is subject to seasonal scarcity, with crop residues serving as the main supplementary feed. Housing is generally rudimentary, offering minimal protection from environmental stresses, while targeted fattening practices are employed to improve market readiness. Despite its importance, the sector faces significant constraints, including chronic feed shortages, high disease incidence, limited genetic improvement, and inefficient marketing channels. Addressing these challenges through integrated improvements in feed resource management, healthcare, breeding strategies, and housing infrastructure is essential for enhancing productivity and ensuring the sustainable development of the sheep sub-sector in Ethiopia.

Keywords: Husbandry Practices, Sheep Breeding, Conservation, Phenotypic Characterization.

INTRODUCTION

Ethiopia possesses one of the largest and most diverse sheep populations in Africa, representing a critical genetic resource and a cornerstone of the nation's agricultural economy. These indigenous sheep are vital to the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers and pastoralists, fulfilling multifaceted roles that extend beyond mere meat production to include a readily available source of cash income, manure for soil fertility, and significant socio-cultural capital in ceremonies and wealth storage [1]. The country's varied agro-ecologies have given rise to a remarkable array of sheep types, with phenotypic characterization studies documenting substantial diversity in morphological traits such as tail type (fat-tailed, fat-rumped, and thin-tailed), body size, and coat color, which reflect long-term adaptation and traditional breeding objectives [2]. These breeding strategies are guided by specific selection criteria where farmers prioritize animals with desirable body conformation and adaptive traits [3]. However, the sector's potential remains largely untapped due to a range of systemic constraints. The reproductive performance of Ethiopian sheep is generally sub-optimal, with late age at first lambing and low prolificacy, largely driven by nutritional limitations from a feeding system dependent on seasonal natural pastures and low-quality crop residues [4]. Furthermore, traditional housing offers inadequate protection, and while sheep fattening is a key income-generating strategy, its efficiency is often limited. Other major constraints include high disease prevalence, limited genetic improvement programs, and inefficient marketing systems [5]. Therefore, this review synthesizes existing knowledge on these key aspects including husbandry practices, phenotypic diversity, and production constraints to provide a comprehensive overview essential for designing effective strategies for the sustainable utilization, improvement, and conservation of Ethiopian sheep genetic resources.

FEED RESOURCES AND FEEDING SYSTEM OF SHEEP IN ETHIOPIA

The feeding system for sheep in Ethiopia is predominantly extensive and natural pasture-based, creating a cycle of seasonal plenty and scarcity that fundamentally constrains productivity. The primary feed resources are native grasses, forbs, and browses from communal grazing lands, which are abundant and of reasonable quality during the wet season but become severely depleted, lignified, and nutritionally deficient in the extended dry season, leading to significant weight loss and poor animal performance [4]. To bridge this seasonal gap, the most critical supplementary feeds are crop residues, primarily teff straw, barley straw and maize Stover, which are ubiquitously used by smallholder farmers despite their low protein content and digestibility, limiting their ability to meet maintenance and production requirements [6]. Other occasional resources include grazing on crop stubble after harvest and, in more commercially oriented systems, limited use of agro-industrial by-products like noug cake and wheat bran, though their cost often prohibits widespread adoption [3]. This reliance on a variable and low-quality feed base, coupled with a lack of structured strategies for feed conservation, improvement (such as urea treatment of straw), or cultivation of improved forages, results in chronic under nutrition that is the single greatest limitation to growth, reproduction, and overall flock productivity in the country's sheep sector.

HOUSING OF SHEEP IN ETHIOPIA

The housing of sheep in Ethiopia is predominantly characterized by traditional, low-input systems designed primarily for security rather than animal comfort or productivity. The most common practice involves night-time enclosure in simple, circular pens, known as kraals, constructed from locally available materials such as thorn bushes, wooden poles, and stones, which offer minimal protection from rain, wind, and extreme temperatures [2]. In many highland smallholder systems, a deeply rooted tradition involves housing sheep within the family's main dwelling, sharing the same roof to provide superior security from predators and theft, despite the associated human health risks from zoonotic diseases and poor hygiene [1]. These traditional housing methods present significant challenges, including high lamb mortality from exposure, increased prevalence of respiratory diseases, and a heavy burden of internal parasites due to damp, contaminated floors [4]. In response, improved housing models are being promoted, emphasizing key principles such as a well-drained location, a durable roof, and most critically a raised slatted floor, which dramatically improves hygiene by allowing waste to fall through, thereby reducing parasite load and keeping the animals dry [6]. The adoption of such improved shelters, though requiring an initial investment, is recognized as a fundamental step toward enhancing sheep survival, health, and overall productivity in the Ethiopian.

FATTENING OF SHEEP IN ETHIOPIA

The fattening of sheep is a crucial income-generating strategy for smallholder farmers and specialized enterprises in Ethiopia, designed to add weight and improve carcass quality for market, particularly around festive seasons. This practice typically involves selecting young male sheep, often castrates, and subjecting them to a period of intensive feeding lasting 60 to 90 days [4]. The feeding regimen primarily relies on a basal diet of crop residues, such as teff and wheat straw, which are supplemented with energy-rich grains like maize and barley, protein sources like noug (Guizotia abyssinica) cake, and local mineral salts to balance nutrition and enhance growth rates [6]. These fattening systems range from low-input, long-term supplementation for grazing sheep to more intensive, confinement-based "finishing" systems where animals are fully stall-fed [3]. Despite its economic importance, the efficiency of sheep fattening is often constrained by the high and fluctuating cost of supplementary feeds, limited technical knowledge on optimal ration formulation, and animal health challenges. Nevertheless, as noted by [5], when properly managed, sheep fattening provides a significant return on investment by enabling farmers to capitalize on higher market prices and meet the specific demand for well-finished, fatty meat, thereby playing a vital role in improving rural livelihoods and bolstering the red meat supply in the country.

PURPOSE OF KEEPING SHEEP IN ETHIOPIA

In Ethiopia, sheep are multifunctional assets deeply embedded in the socio-economic fabric of rural livelihoods, serving purposes that extend far beyond mere meat production. The primary purpose is as a vital source of readily available cash income, functioning as a living bank that provides financial resilience for smallholder farmers; animals are routinely sold to cover urgent expenses such as school fees, agricultural inputs, and medical costs [1]. Beyond this critical economic role, sheep are a key source of household nutrition through meat consumption and provide non-cash inputs essential for crop production, most notably manure, which is a valued organic fertilizer for maintaining soil fertility [2]. Furthermore, sheep hold profound socio-cultural significance, being integral to religious festivals, social ceremonies including weddings and births, and serving as gifts to strengthen social bonds or as a form of wealth storage, particularly within pastoralist communities [7]. This intricate combination of economic safety net, subsistence provision, agricultural support, and cultural utility underscores why sheep are one of the most ubiquitous and indispensable livestock species for millions of Ethiopians, forming a cornerstone of their livelihood security and cultural identity.

SHEEP SELECTION CRITERIA IN ETHIOPIA

The selection of sheep in Ethiopia is a practice guided by a blend of traditional knowledge and economic pragmatism, with farmers and traders employing a well-defined set of phenotypic criteria to identify animals of superior value and adaptability. The most universal selection criteria focus on body conformation, where a broad chest, long back, well-sprung ribs, and well-fleshed hindquarters are prioritized as direct indicators of high meat yield and growth potential [3]. Beyond general conformation, specific morphological traits are highly significant; for instance, a large, broad fat-tail in relevant breeds is actively selected as it serves as an energy reserve and is a prized market commodity, while a shiny coat and strong legs are sought as markers of good health and mobility [6]. Farmers also exhibit strong breed and type preferences, often selecting ecotypes like the Washera or Horro that are known and adapted to their specific agro-ecology [1]. Furthermore, selection differs by sex: rams are chosen based on superior size and conformation to act as flock sires, while ewes are evaluated for traits associated with mothering ability, such as a well-developed udder and a docile temperament [2]. This traditional, experience-based selection system, while lacking formal performance records, effectively allows farmers to maintain and slowly improve flocks that are resilient, productive, and aligned with their dual objectives of generating immediate income and sustaining the genetic qualities of their herds.

REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCES OF SHEEP IN ETHIOPIA

The reproductive performance of indigenous sheep in Ethiopia is generally characterized as sub-optimal, largely constrained by environmental and management factors that limit the genetic potential of the national flock. Under the prevailing extensive management systems, key reproductive metrics such as age at first lambing are typically late, ranging from 12 to 18 months, while lambing intervals are prolonged, often exceeding 12 months, primarily due to nutritional stresses and seasonal breeding patterns [1]. Furthermore, the vast majority of indigenous breeds are non-prolific, with litter sizes consistently reported at or near single births, rarely exceeding 1.10 lambs per ewe per lambing, which results in a low annual lamb output and a lambing rate of approximately 100% under traditional management [3,6]. This low reproductive efficiency is predominantly driven by chronic under nutrition, which delays puberty, extends the post-partum anoestrous period, and increases embryonic mortality [4]. While some variation exists, with mid-altitude breeds like the Washera and Horro often showing slightly better performance than highland or arid lowland ecotypes, the overarching challenge of poor nutrition, compounded by disease pressures and a lack of strategic breeding management, remains the fundamental barrier to improving reproductive outcomes and enhancing the overall productivity of sheep in Ethiopia.

Table 1. Reproductive Performance of Major Ethiopian Sheep Breeds

The productivity and commercialization of sheep production in Ethiopia are severely constrained by a multitude of interconnected challenges that perpetuate a cycle of low output and subsistence-level farming. The most critical limitation is the chronic scarcity and poor quality of feed, characterized by a heavy reliance on natural pastures that become inadequate during the long dry seasons, leading to nutritional stress, poor body condition, and diminished reproductive performance [4]. This nutritional deficit is compounded by a high prevalence of diseases and parasites, such as sheep pox and internal worms, which cause significant morbidity and mortality, with limited access to effective veterinary services exacerbating these losses and hindering health management [1]. Beyond health and feed, the genetic potential of indigenous sheep for traits like growth rate and litter size remains underutilized due to the absence of structured, nation-wide breeding programs, leading to slow genetic progress [3]. Furthermore, inefficient marketing systems and poor market infrastructure often prevent farmers from securing fair prices, as they are forced into distress sales with minimal bargaining power and lack access to favourable market channels [5]. These biophysical and economic constraints are further reinforced by broader institutional weaknesses, including inadequate extension services and a lack of credit facilities, which collectively stifle the adoption of improved technologies and management practices, ultimately hindering the transformation of the sector from a traditional subsistence activity to a viable commercial enterprise.

PHENOTYPIC CHARACTERIZATION OF SHEEP IN ETHIOPIA

Phenotypic characterization of indigenous sheep in Ethiopia has revealed a remarkable diversity, documenting distinct physical traits shaped by adaptation to the country's varied agro-ecologies and human selection pressures. Studies systematically describe populations based on qualitative traits, with tail type serving as the primary classification into fat-tailed, fat-rumped, and thin-tailed breeds, while also documenting variation in coat color, horn presence, and ear carriage [2,3]. Quantitative morphometric analyses further highlight this diversity, showing significant variation in body measurements such as live weight, wither height, and chest girth, with breeds like the Washera and Bonga in mid-altitude areas exhibiting larger body frames compared to the smaller-sized highland Menz sheep [1,6]. Research consistently identifies strong positive correlations, particularly between chest girth and live body weight, enabling the development of practical prediction equations for farmers and researchers [9]. This comprehensive phenotypic information is not merely descriptive; it provides the essential baseline for understanding genetic diversity, defining breed standards, and identifying unique adaptive traits, thereby forming the critical first step towards designing effective conservation strategies and targeted breeding programs for sustainable utilization [1].

Table 2. Qualitative Characteristics of Major Ethiopian Sheep Breeds

In conclusion, sheep production in Ethiopia is a multifaceted and indispensable component of the agricultural sector, deeply embedded in the socio-economic fabric of rural communities. The diverse indigenous sheep populations, characterized by distinct phenotypic traits, represent a valuable genetic reservoir shaped by adaptation to local environments and traditional selection criteria. However, the sector's potential is constrained by significant challenges. Sub-optimal reproductive performance, driven largely by nutritional limitations from seasonal feed scarcity and heavy reliance on crop residues, fundamentally limits productivity. Traditional housing systems provide inadequate protection, and while fattening is a key economic strategy, its effectiveness is often hampered by these underlying constraints. To realize the full potential of sheep production, a holistic and integrated approach is imperative. This must address the critical issues of feed resource development, healthcare access, genetic improvement, and market infrastructure. By building upon the existing traditional knowledge and the inherent diversity of the sheep populations, targeted interventions can enhance productivity, improve rural livelihoods, and ensure the sustainable conservation and utilization of these vital animal genetic resources for future generations [10].

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

The authors have not declared any conflict of interests.

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