Assessment on Milk Yield and Reproductive Performances of Crossbred Dairy Cattle in Selected Dairy Production Systems of Central Highlands of Ethiopia.
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Abebe, Kiros; Demissie, Tilaye
- Source
- Asian Journal of Dairy & Food Research. Sep2021, Vol. 40 Issue 3, p290-294. 5p.
- Subject
- *MILK yield
*DAIRY cattle
*DAIRY farms
*UPLANDS
*VETERINARY services
*RAW milk
*MILKFAT
- Language
- ISSN
- 0971-4456
Background: Productive and reproductive performances are the most important parameters in the Ehiopian dairy sector. The objective of the current study was to assess milk yield, reproductive performances of crossbred dairy cattle and occurrence of reproductive health problems and veterinary services provider/s. Methods: A cross-sectional study using semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information from 160 randomly selected dairy farm owners found in urban and peri-urban areas of Assela, Bishoftu, Holetta and Sululta of the central highlands of Ethiopia. Result: The higher average daily milk yields were 11.7 and 11.2 litres in urban and peri-urban Bishoftu. The average age at first service of crossbred dairy heifers was 18.8 months in urban and 19.1 months in peri-urban Bishoftu, respectively. The average age at first calving of crossbred dairy heifers was 27.8 months in urban Bishoftu and 28.1 months in peri-urban Bishoftu areas. The longest average age at first service (29.3 months) and age at first calving (38.3 months) were in peri-urban Assela. The number of services per conception was 1.4 in urban Assela and 1.3 in peri-urban Assela and these were shorter than the 1.65 from urban Bishoftu and the 1.85 of peri-urban Bishoftu areas. The average 168.0 days calving to conception interval from peri-urban Assela was the longest calving to conception interval in this study. The average calving intervals 14.9 and 13.9 months of peri-urban Assela and Sululta were relatively longer than the respective urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]