Abstract
Sheep are assets and income sources of poor rural households and play a vital role to farmers. Yet there is limited research done regarding production system and husbandry practices of indigenous sheep breeds in Tigray. The objective of the study was to characterize the smallholder farmers’ production system, husbandry practices and production objectives of indigenous sheep breeds, specifically Abergele, Highland, Begait, and Elle, in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. The study was conducted in Tahtay Adyabo, Tahtay Michew, Ahferom, Tanqua Abergele, and Raya Azebo districts of Tigray region. A total of 180 households were randomly selected from the sheep holding farmers. Data were collected using semi‐ structured questionnaires and focus group discussions. Qualitative data obtained from questioners were described and summarized by using descriptive statistics of SPSS 20. The average flock size of sheep per household was 9.25 ± 4.93 in the study area. The major production system in the study area was mixed crop‐livestock system (98.3%). Overall, Income generation was the primary purpose of keeping sheep with an index value of 0.43 in the study area. Natural pasture and crop residues were the major feed resources to indigenous sheep breeds in all the study districts. Overall, herding (91.8%) was the common grazing management practice of sheep by household farmers in the study areas. Water sources were largely rivers (55.6%). Most households (88.9%) in the study districts constructed separate housing for sheep. Pasteurollosis (29.7%), sheep pox (20.6%), and foot and mouth disease (19.4%) were the major sheep diseases reported in the study areas. The study highlights dependence on natural pasture and crop residues for feed along with the prevalent herding according to group discussion which reflects traditional management methods. Thus, to increase sheep productivity designing and implementing sustainable sheep production improvement programs targeting at solving these constraints is crucial.