{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,14]],"date-time":"2026-10-14T17:01:57Z","timestamp":1791997317954,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":51,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,11]],"date-time":"2025-12-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1765411200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,11]],"date-time":"2025-12-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1765411200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Veterinary Medicine &amp; Sci"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Livestock plays significantly role in the livelihoods of the majority of smallholder farmers in Ethiopia. Understanding breeding practices and the productive and reproductive performance of livestock is crucial for designing successful genetic improvements and ensuring the sustainability of the livestock farming system. However, there is lack of documented information on the breeding practices and productive and reproductive performance of multiple livestock species in the current study area.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The objective of this study was to assess the breeding practices and selected productive and reproductive performances of various indigenous livestock species in two agro\u2010ecological zones (AEZs) of the Majang Zone, southwest Ethiopia.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods of Data Collection<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Data were collected from 168 livestock farmers through face\u2010to\u2010 face interviews using a semi\u2010structured questionnaire. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      The results showed that approximately 89.45% of respondents used natural service (NS) for breeding cattle, 5.55% used artificial insemination (AI) and 5.0% used both AI and NS. All respondents (100%) relied on NS for breeding equines and small ruminants. Across both AEZs, about 88.7% of respondents practiced uncontrolled mating for cattle, and 100% did so for equines and small ruminants. The overall mean age at first calving (AFC), calving interval (CI), lactation length (LL), daily milk yield (DMY) and reproductive life span (RLS) of cattle were 3.02\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.023 years, 2.01\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00 years, 9.77\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.05 months, 1.79\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.05\u00a0L and 13.78\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.08 years, respectively. AFC, LL, DMY and RLS were higher (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u00a0&lt;\u00a00.05) in ML than in the LL AEZs. For sheep and goats, the average age at first lambing and kidding, lambing and kidding intervals and RLS were 1.35\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.011 and 1.26\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.01 years, 8.36\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.05 and 8.51\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.04 months and 118.71\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.74 and 104.66\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.63 months, respectively. Lambing interval, age at first kidding, kidding interval and RLS were higher (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u00a0&lt;\u00a00.05) in the ML than in LL AEZs. For female donkeys and horses, the average ages at first foaling, foaling interval and age at first packing loads were 4.33\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.14 and 3.70\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.12 years, 2.81\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.14 and 2.10\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.09 years and 3.93\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.09 and 2.90\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.09 years, respectively. Age at first foaling and foaling interval of horses were higher (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u00a0&lt;\u00a00.05) in ML than in the LL AEZs.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The performance variables of the livestock species were relatively better in the ML than in the LL AEZ. However, the performance of the various livestock species in the study area was low due to late age at first parturition and long parturition interval. Further research is needed to identify potential causes of the low performances and to implement appropriate interventions to enhance the productive and reproductive performances of livestock in the study area.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1002\/vms3.70712","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,12]],"date-time":"2025-12-12T07:08:40Z","timestamp":1765523320000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Assessment of Breeding Practices and Productive and Reproductive Performance of Multiple Livestock Species in Mixed Farming System in Majang Zone, Southwest Ethiopia"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Shimelis","family":"Assefa","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Majang Zone Agricultural Development Office Gambella National Regional State  Gambella Ethiopia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Belay","family":"Duguma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Science Jimma University College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine  Jimma Oromia Ethiopia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zemene","family":"Worku","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Science Jimma University College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine  Jimma Oromia Ethiopia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,11]]},"reference":[{"issue":"10","key":"e_1_2_12_2_1","first-page":"125","article-title":"Sheep Breeding Practices and Reproductive Performance in Lagambo District, South Wollo Zone, Amhara Region in Ethiopia","volume":"7","author":"Abebe T.","year":"2020","journal-title":"International Journal of Advanced Research in Biological Sciences"},{"issue":"3","key":"e_1_2_12_3_1","first-page":"70","article-title":"Productive and Reproductive Performance of Local Cows Under Farmer's Management in Central Tigray, Ethiopia","volume":"22","author":"Abrha B. 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