THE REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF SANTA GERTRUDIS BEEF CATTLE IMPORTED INTO NIGERIA

Abstract

An analysis of some reproductive perfor­mance traits was carried out for the period 1983 to 1985, in a herd of 168 Santa Gertrudis beef cattle imported from Okla­homa, U.S.A. in 1981 into lkyogen cattle ranch in Nigeria. Three calf crops were obtained during the period. Mean pregnancy rate and calving percentage were 63.24 and 55.72% respectively; with pregnancy rate increasing from 54.23 to 70,41% while calving percentage increased from 48.42 to 61.11% during the period. Mean calf mortality rate of 40.83% was high and increased from 36.34 to 45.15%. Mean adult mortality rate was 5.68% of which 16.99% was recorded in the first year of introduction but this declined sharply to 0O2% in the next two years. Mean weaning rate was 50.08% and this declined from 55.71 to 44.32% during the period under study. Mean birth weight, weaning weight and calving interval were 27.8 t 0.29 kg, 174 ± 4.6kg and 451 days respectively It was concluded that with the exception of weaning weight, the reproductive traits of the imported Santta Gertrudis cattle reported in this study were not superior to those of the predominant indigenous cattle breeds of Nigeria. The implications of these results in the beef cattle industry of Nigeria are discussed.