Abstract
The investigation was directed to portray the breeding practices and selection criteria for selecting a breeding bull, dairy cows
and cattle for fattening. A total of 180 structured questionnaires were utilized to gather information from households in the
study areas. Under breeding practices, 92.5% and 7.5% of the households were engaged in uncontrolled and controlled mating
system in Bedele District, respectively. Alternatively, about 40% and 60% of respondents performed uncontrolled and
controlled mating system in Bedele Town, respectively. Generally, the breeding and farming practices were statistically
different across the two study areas at p<0.05. The households in Bedele town kept their cattle mainly for milk, cash and
investment, whereas milk, draught and cash were identified as the primary purpose of keeping cattle in Bedele District. Based
on indigenous knowledge; teat length, the structure of udder and body cavity & pelvic width are used as major selection criteria
of dairy cows. For selecting a breeding bull; scrotum size, penis size & neck structure and good temperament traits are used in
the study areas. In terms of fattening; flat backbone, body length & muscularity and fit & straighten legs were observed as the
major selection criteria. Our results indicated that combination of indigenous knowledge with modern science is important for
genetic improvement in the study areas. The study suggests that the purpose of rearing, breeding practices and selection criteria
should be considered as basic elements for genetic improvement scheme while creating awareness of the negative impact of
uncontrolled mating system.
Keywords: Bedele, breeding, cattle, indigenous Knowledge, selection criteria.
Gelaye Gebisa Bulcha. (2022) Breeding practices and selection criteria of cattle in Bedele Administrative Town and Bedele District, Ethiopia: implications for designing genetic improvement program, Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Volume 59, Issue 3.
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