Economic Benefits of Supplementing Tsara (Pterocarpus lucens) and Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan) Leaves Relative to a Concentrate Mixture in Hay-based Diets for Begait Sheep in Tselemti District, Tigray, Ethiopia

The objective of the study was to determine if supplementing Tsara (Pterocarpus lucens) and Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) leaves would be more cost-effective compared to a concentrate mixture when fed to Begait sheep in the Tselemti District of the North Western zone of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, alongside a basal diet of hay. The experiment involved twenty-five yearling male Begait sheep. Five dietary treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD): Tsara leaves alone (T2), Pigeon pea leaves alone (T3), a combination of Tsara and Pigeon pea leaves (T4), and concentrate mixture (T5). The control group received only hay (T1). The study evaluated net income and marginal rate of return (MRR) of different feed supplementation strategies using partial budget analysis. Results from the partial budget analysis indicated that the supplementing with concentrate mixture (T5) yielded the highest net income per head, followed by Tsara leaves (T2), Pigeon pea leaves (T3), the combination of Tsara and Pigeon pea leaves (T4), and the non-supplemented group (T1). Specifically, the net income from the concentrate mixture was 1879.95 Ethiopian Birr (ETB), while Tsara leaves, Pigeon pea leaves, and the Tsara-Pigeon pea mixture generated 1541.50, 1183.60, and 1232.95 ETB, respectively. Hay alone resulted in a net income of 991.50 ETB. Furthermore, the study assessed the marginal rate of return (MRR), revealing that the concentrate mixture (109%), pigeon pea leaves (92%), and the Tsara-Pigeon pea leaves mixture (67%) had the highest MRRs, with Tsara leaves achieving the highest MRR of 110%. Based on the findings, it is recommended that sheep farmers in the Tselemti District consider supplementing with Tsara leaves and the concentrate mixture to achieve financially viable returns. In areas where access to concentrate mixture is limited, Pigeon pea leaves and a combination of Tsara and Pigeon pea leaves can serve as viable alternative feed sources. To validate these results and optimize the utilization of these feed resources in local settings, further studies and on-farm trials are recommended.