Day 3: Boran Cattle Research

Good afternoon everyone!

Today, I am writing from Sululta again. I really enjoy sitting in this space. I'm able to see out the windows and also be out in the open apart from a small office. Also, good news! The bank came and returned my card to me! Thank you Lord!

This morning after breakfast, Hannah and I met Dr. Tadelle here and started into the books he had given us yesterday. I have to say, I am so intrigued by the book that I read today. It is actually a research document titled, "Breeding Strategy to Improve Ethiopian Boran Cattle for Meat and Milk production", within the document there is 43 pages of pretty interesting information. All of it is on the improvement of Boran cattle (the most successful breed of cattle in Ethiopia for meat and milk production). It talks about productivity in all aspects of the cattle itself, the need for improvement and the commitment it will take for the improvement. One of the ideas in the paper that really stuck out to me was the Open Nucleus Breeding Scheme. Cattle reproduction is one of my favorite things to learn about and deal within the species. What this breeding scheme is doing is creating the best and most elite cattle for the farmers. From what I had read, several farmers are doing operating these herds jointly due to lack of money simply just the high demands for record-keeping within this scheme. The major issue from the paper I found was the need to breed for milk and meat production without sacrificing the high ability these cattle have to adapt as well as keeping the commitment of the farmers themselves and even the government. 

I finished the book this morning and plan to start on my second of three books this evening or tomorrow. My next book is, "Transhumance Cattle Production System in North Gonday, Amhara, Ethiopia: Is it sustainable?" I look forward to reading this book, taking some notes and creating some questions about the cattle industry here in Ethiopia. 

I really hope that my project deals with Boran cattle and improvement of the breed somehow. I think about a lot of the technologies that my family uses and others that are in the U.S. Especially with a good record-keeping system, I think it would help with the commitment level within the farmers to their herds. It would allow them to keep a better management plan as well as making sure they are working towards improvement. 

For Breakfast, I had a banana, some sort of muffin (although I did not finish it), and tea. This will probably become my staple breakfast while I'm here. Lunch was good and very filling. I am not really sure why but ever since we have arrived here, my appetite has gone way down. I could barely finish my piece of lasagna today. It may not look too much like lasagna but it tasted like it! Of course, it just would not beat my mothers lasagna, but it was alright being the 'Special of the Day'. 

 

(The Hydrangea and the Elephant ear plants were just so big that I had to take a picture!)