Abstract
The study was conducted in Guto gida, Diga and Sibu sire districts of East Wollega, Bako tibe and Ilu galan district of West Shaw zones and on station in Bako agricultural research center with the objectives to assess constraints associated with hormonal assisting artificial insemination and to evaluate the response of Horro cattle (Bos indicus) cows after estrous synchronization. In this study, structured questioner was used and a total of 204 respondents (180 small holder dairy farmers, 8 animal health workers, 8 animal production professionals and 8 AI technicians were interviewed. Retrospective data from specified districts were also included to identify constraints associated with hormonal assisting artificial insemination in the study areas. The study indicated that most of the respondents (93.33%) were got information/ took training on the issue of mass estrous synchronization and AI services before the commencement of the program. However, most of the respondents (57.78%) had moderate knowledge on heat detection and only few (27.22%) of them can keep the record of their synchronized cows/heifers. The main restraints for the low success rate of on farm hormone assisted artificial insemination (estrus synchronization) were identified as failure of conception (42.22%), using poorly managed cows/heifers (15%), difficulty in heat detection by the farmers (13.89%), skill gap and unavailability of artificial insemination technicians (AITs) (12.78%) and poor hormonal responses (11.11%) and the assessment made on farm in comparison with observational test made on station indicated that there were minimum or very few problems with estrus synchronization since majority of cows hormonally treated were conceived as that of normally cycling animals. Therefore, to enhance the genetic potential of indigenous dairy cows through cross breeding scheme, revising of the existing hormone assisted estrus synchronization, artificial insemination delivery system, improving the ability of farmers and experts on the handling of frozen semen and management of dairy cows/heifers before and after hormonal synchronization should be due in place. Moreover, awareness creation should be done to change the attitude of farmers on hormone assisted estrus synchronization.
Highlights
Artificial insemination (AI) is a proven bio-technique, which is used globally to improve the genetic makeup of the cattle and thereby improve their production and reproduction traits [12]
Parity of the cows were not considered as criteria, farmers brought their own cows within 72 hrs of onset of estrus signs and the cooling facilities that the AI technicians used for AI service is not enough
The other drawbacks obtained from group discussion on issue of mass estrus synchronization were; poor heat detection by farmers, low participation of farmers, poor selection of participating animals, poor managements of hormone treated animals/cows, less attention or poor attitude of farmers for the work and other related issues
Summary
Artificial insemination (AI) is a proven bio-technique, which is used globally to improve the genetic makeup of the cattle and thereby improve their production and reproduction traits [12]. There have been efforts to improve the productivity of native breeds through the introduction of AI program with improved exotic dairy [2]. Crossbreeding work in Ethiopia has been initiated in the Animal and Veterinary Sciences 2021; 9(4): 93-98 early 1950s when Ethiopia received the first batch of exotic (Friesian and Brown Swiss) dairy cattle from the United Nation Relief and Rehabilitation Administration [4]. AI program always demands to keep records of non-return rate, conception rate, service per conception and calving rate in order to properly evaluate the reproductive efficiency of cows, skill-ness of the inseminators, fertility and semen quality of bulls. Optimum economic fertility could be achieved with a pregnancy rate of 80% after the first insemination, a maximum of 1.3 services per conception and an average interval of 85 days between parturition and conception [7]. There are many genetic and non-genetic factors, viz. genotypes of cow, genotype of bull, age and parity of cow, semen quality and season
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