Abstract

Ethiopia is believed to have the largest livestock population in Africa. This livestock sector has been contributing considerable portion to the economy of the country, and still promising to rally round the economic development of the country. It is eminent that livestock products and by-products in the form of meat, milk, honey, eggs, cheese, and butter supply provide mainly the needed animal protein that contributes to the improvement of the nutritional status of the people (CSA, 2009). Even though Ethiopia is the most populous country in cattle than any African country; the per capita milk consumption was 16 kg, which was lower than other countries in the region (Asfaw, 1997). This is partly due to the low genetic milk production potential of the indigenous zebu cattle. To increase milk production cross breeding of indigenous zebu with exotic breeds particularly with Holstein Friesian is widely practiced which resulted in a larger portion of the dairy cattle population especially in urban areas to be with a high level of exotic blood. However, this market oriented dairy production, a rapidly growing system in many African countries, is subjected to diseases of intensification including mastitis and reproductive disorders (Lemma et al., 2001).