Milk Production, Reproduction and Calf Growth Performance Evaluation of Indigenous Afar Cattle Breed Maintained at Dubti Pastoral and Agro Pastoral Research Center: Preliminary Result

The study was conducted at Dubti Pastoral and Agro Pastoral Research Center to evaluate the productivity performance of indigenous Afar cattle breeds and suggest optimum management practices. The overall mean and (standard deviation) of birth weight, ۳-month weight, ۶-month weight, ۹-month weight, ۱۲-month weight, ۱۸-month weight, and ۲۴-month weight of Afar calves were ۲۲.۳ (۱.۶), ۴۹.۳ (۳.۵), ۷۷.۷ (۱۰.۴), ۱۰۷.۸ (۳.۴), ۱۱۶.۳ (۶.۷), ۱۳۹.۷ (۸.۱), and ۱۶۵.۵ (۸.۶) kg, respectively. The mean birth weight was ۲۳.۷ kg for males and ۲۱.۴ kg for females, and the average weaning weight at ۳ months was ۵۲.۳ kg for males and ۴۷.۵ kg for females. Mean weaning weights at ۶ months and ۹ months were ۷۷.۲ kg and ۱۱۰.۸ kg for males; and ۷۸.۱ kg and ۱۰۶.۰ kg for females, respectively. The mean yearling weight (۱۲-month weight) for males and females was ۱۱۸.۶ kg; and ۱۱۵.۰ kg, respectively. Furthermore, the ۱۸-month and ۲۴-month live body weight was ۱۴۰.۸ kg and ۱۶۹.۴ kg for males and ۱۳۹.۱ kg and ۱۶۲.۲ kg for females, respectively. The overall means ± SD for DMY, LMY, and LL were recorded to be ۴.۰±۱.۰۵ litter per cow per day, ۹۱۷±۲۰۷ litter per lactation, and ۲۳۶.۰±۳۸.۰۰ days, respectively. The overall average AFS, AFC, and CI of indigenous Afar cattle were ۴۰.۲±۴.۲۱ months, ۵۰.۴±۷.۴ months, and ۱۵.۶±۲.۷ months, respectively. The result indicated that promising growth, milk production, and reproductive performances of the Afar cattle breed in its local environment are favorably comparable in the literature to other indigenous cattle breeds evaluated in other parts of Ethiopia. However, due to limited number of parent stocks in the existing research farms, limited infrastructure, shortage of grazing pastureland at a research site, and unsuitable irrigation canal for the production of improved animal forage were major constraints during animal performance evaluation and less productivity of the animals were recorded in the study. Therefore, solving and improving the limited constraints mentioned above are paramount suggestions to evaluate the production, the productivity of the indigenous afar cattle breed can be completely improved and the research could be studied more comprehensively.The study was conducted at Dubti Pastoral and Agro Pastoral Research Center to evaluate the productivity performance of indigenous Afar cattle breeds and suggest optimum management practices. The overall mean and (standard deviation) of birth weight, ۳-month weight, ۶-month weight, ۹-month weight, ۱۲-month weight, ۱۸-month weight, and ۲۴-month weight of Afar calves were ۲۲.۳ (۱.۶), ۴۹.۳ (۳.۵), ۷۷.۷ (۱۰.۴), ۱۰۷.۸ (۳.۴), ۱۱۶.۳ (۶.۷), ۱۳۹.۷ (۸.۱), and ۱۶۵.۵ (۸.۶) kg, respectively. The mean birth weight was ۲۳.۷ kg for males and ۲۱.۴ kg for females, and the average weaning weight at ۳ months was ۵۲.۳ kg for males and ۴۷.۵ kg for females. Mean weaning weights at ۶ months and ۹ months were ۷۷.۲ kg and ۱۱۰.۸ kg for males; and ۷۸.۱ kg and ۱۰۶.۰ kg for females, respectively. The mean yearling weight (۱۲-month weight) for males and females was ۱۱۸.۶ kg; and ۱۱۵.۰ kg, respectively. Furthermore, the ۱۸-month and ۲۴-month live body weight was ۱۴۰.۸ kg and ۱۶۹.۴ kg for males and ۱۳۹.۱ kg and ۱۶۲.۲ kg for females, respectively. The overall means ± SD for DMY, LMY, and LL were recorded to be ۴.۰±۱.۰۵ litter per cow per day, ۹۱۷±۲۰۷ litter per lactation, and ۲۳۶.۰±۳۸.۰۰ days, respectively. The overall average AFS, AFC, and CI of indigenous Afar cattle were ۴۰.۲±۴.۲۱ months, ۵۰.۴±۷.۴ months, and ۱۵.۶±۲.۷ months, respectively. The result indicated that promising growth, milk production, and reproductive performances of the Afar cattle breed in its local environment are favorably comparable in the literature to other indigenous cattle breeds evaluated in other parts of Ethiopia. However, due to limited number of parent stocks in the existing research farms, limited infrastructure, shortage of grazing pastureland at a research site, and unsuitable irrigation canal for the production of improved animal forage were major constraints during animal performance evaluation and less productivity of the animals were recorded in the study. Therefore, solving and improving the limited constraints mentioned above are paramount suggestions to evaluate the production, the productivity of the indigenous afar cattle breed can be completely improved and the research could be studied more comprehensively.

Keywords:

Afar cattle , Growth , Performance , Milk production , Reproduction