Abstract
The objective of the study was to assess the production and reproduction performance of up country dairy cattle breeds in Sri Lanka. A total of 200 dairy cows were selected for the study from 4 breeds (Friesian, Ayrshire, Jersey and Crossbred). The traits studied were age at 1 st service, age at 1 st calving, birth weight, mean milk production per lactation, average milk production per day, post partum heat, and calving interval for 6 lactation periods. It was revealed that the age at 1 st service (679 day) and age at 1 st calving (998 days) of Friesian were lower (p st service and age at 1 st calving, highest birth weight and milk production were reported from Friesian, whereas, the lowest mean post partum heat and calving interval were recorded from Jersey. Differences in reproductive and productive performances were mainly attributed to breed and different feeding and management systems used in different farms. Tropical Agricultural Research Vol. 23 (4): 319-326 (2012) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/tar.v23i4.4867
Highlights
Many factors influence the distribution of cattle farming in Sri Lanka such as, the agroecological zones, proximity to markets and feed resources
Based on the rainfall pattern and altitude, the country is divided into three main agro-ecological zones namely, low country, mid country and the up-country and, the low and mid country regions again being divided into wet zone, intermediate zone and a dry zone
The lowest (P
Summary
Many factors influence the distribution of cattle farming in Sri Lanka such as, the agroecological zones, proximity to markets and feed resources. Based on the rainfall pattern and altitude, the country is divided into three main agro-ecological zones namely, low country, mid country and the up-country and, the low and mid country regions again being divided into wet zone, intermediate zone and a dry zone. The wet mid- and up-country areas are often perceived as the main dairy producing areas of Sri Lanka (Census of Agriculture, 2002). Up-country region receives >2000mm mean annual rainfall and temperature ranges from 10oC to 32oC which is a suitable climatic and topographical environment for European breeds (Ibrahim et al, 1999). The government and private sectors have large cattle farms of European breeds, primarily the Ayrshire, Jersey and Friesian in the up-country areas that have a high dairy potential
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