Abera Teshome Aleli, Ebbisa Lamessa, Lalisa Jabesa, Bekele Geremu, Shitaye Alemayehu, shibire Nagash
The study was conducted in Sibu Sire Woreda East Wallega Zone, with the objective of assessing sheep fattening and marketing systems practices. Four Kebeles were selected based on agro-ecology and population densities of sheep. A total of 80 households were interviewed by using interview and questionnaire. Among the interviewed householders (85%) were males while (15 %) were females. The educational background of the respondents indicated that (56.25 %) of the householders’ members were illiterates, (32.5 %) attended primary school, (10 percent) attended secondary and the rest (1.25 %) hold diploma. The majority of the sample households have large family size. Of the total, half (51.25 %) of respondents had a family size of 4-7, while a few (33.75 %) of respondents had family size 1-3 the rest greater than 8 family size (15 %). In terms of occupation, almost all of the households (98.75%) of the respondent were predominantly engaged in subsistence farming and produce cereal crops such maize, and sorghum for their home consumption. The result showed 50%, 15% and 35 % were using river water, whale water and both well and river water respectively. Fattening sheep in feedlot system (40 percent) and grazing and stall feeding (30 percent) and grazing only 10 percent were the major fattening systems identified in the area. The high proportion of producers provided crop residues and grazing of natural grasses. Farmers market sheep at farm gates or the nearest local/primary markets