Abstract
The study was conducted to estimate calf growth, reproductive performance and milk yield of Ethiopia Sheko cattle and to assess non-genetic factors affecting their performance in their home tract as a step towards designing sustainable cattle conservation and improvement strategy. All the growth traits considered in the study were significantly affected by all non-genetic factors considered except for the fixed effects of Agro ecological zones (AEZs) and season of birth which were not significant for post weaning daily gain. Calving interval (CI) and days open (DO) were significantly influenced by AEZs, season and dam parity. Cows that calved in lowland had shorter CI and DO than cows which calved in midland. Cows that calved in short rainy season had Short CI and DO than those calved during dry season or long rainy season. Cows which calved for the first time had the longest CI and DO from the other parities whereas cows on their fifth parity had the shortest CI and DO. AEZ significantly affected lactation milk yield (LMY) and lactation length (LL), but not significant on daily milk yield (DMY) and 305 days yield (305DY). Season was significant on all milk traits considered except DMY. Parity effect was significant on LMY and 305DY, whereas DMY and LL were not affected. The non-genetic factors had significant effects for all of the reproductive; and many of the growth and milk performance traits considered and hence will need to be considered in cattle breed improvement program.
Highlights
Cattle have a very important role in the economies of the farmers and the country at large, population of some of the valuable breeds is either declined or extinct (Dadi et al 2008)
Effects of non‐genetic factors Growth performance The overall least squares means and standard errors observed for birth weight (BW), 6-months weight (6 MW), weaning weight (WW), yearling weight (YW) and 18-months weight (18 MW) were 16.12 ± 0.22, 58.84 ± 0.51, 76.29 ± 0.45, 85.07 ± 0.50 and 111.62 ± 0.74 kg, respectively and the values for pre weaning daily weight gain (PrWDG) and post weaning daily weight gain (PoWDG) were 222.02 ± 1.56 and 129.44 ± 1.78 gm/day, respectively
Agro ecological zones (AEZs) has an effect at most live weight, in all reproductive traits and for two milk yield traits considered, indicating differences in agro–climate adaptation, production system, grazing area, management practice and availability of true phenotype of Sheko in the environments to which the breed is raised
Summary
Cattle have a very important role in the economies of the farmers and the country at large, population of some of the valuable breeds is either declined or extinct (Dadi et al 2008). Sheko cattle are the last remnants of the original Hump less shorthorn (Bos taurus) cattle in East Africa This breed is among the cattle breeds of Ethiopia that have been traditionally kept by small number of local farmers in the humid Sheko and Bench districts under mixed crop-livestock farming systems of Southwest Ethiopia. Despite the fact that the superior performance of Sheko breed is widely recognized by Sheko keepers, local authorities and by Sheko breeders outside the area, Sheko cattle face a number of different threats to their survival. This calls for urgent breed conservation and improvement program
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