Indigenous Cattle Breeds Research Articles

EFFECT OF SEASON ON PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF THREE BREEDS OF CATTLE RAISED IN SUDAN SAVANNA ZONE

This study was conducted to test the effect of season and breed on thermoregulatory parameters of three Nigerian indigenous breeds of cattle raised in Sudan Savanna Zone. A total number of nine (9) cattle aged between 4-5 years were used for this study. Data were taken for sixteen weeks across two seasons; Cold and Hot Season from three indigenous breed of cattle. Rectal temperature was recorded using digital thermometer, pulse rate was determined using stethoscope and respiratory rate was determined by counting of the respiratory movements of flank area. Data of ambient temperature and relative humidity were recorded on daily basis and temperature humidity index was calculated. All data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance using SAS software. Seasons significantly (P < 0.05) affect all the thermoregulatory parameters of with hot seasons having the highest values. Breed influenced (p<0.05) all the parameters measured. Red Bororo had the highest rectal temperature, while Sokoto has the least rectal temperature. Higher respiratory rate was recorded in SokotoGudali. Respiratory Rate of White Fulani are statistically similar with both Red Bororo and SokotoGudali, but Respiratory Rate of Red Bororo cattle has significantly difference (P<0.05) with SokotoGudali breeds of cattle. Pulse rate differs significantly (P<0.05), SokotoGudali recorded the highest rate and the least rate was observed in White Fulani cattle. It was concluded that Season affect all the thermoregulatory parameters and all the tested parameters were higher during hot season and SokotoGudali react more to thermal stress than Red Bororo and White Fulani

Seroprevalence of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus in Local Borana Cattle Breed and Camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Ethiopia

BackgroundBovine viral diarrhea, caused by bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), has been considered a disease of cattle but is now emerging in camels. In Ethiopia it has been detected in exotic and cross-bred dairy cattle but no information is available on its occurrence in indigenous cattle breeds and camels. This study was, therefore, conducted to estimate the prevalence of BVDV infection in indigenous Borana cattle and camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Moyale and Miesso pastoral districts.MethodologySerological investigation was carried out on 219 cattle from 44 herds and 137 camels from 11 herds in contact with the selected cattle herds in Boranara zone and 348 camels from 41 herds in Shinille zone. The sera samples were tested using a competitive enzyme lnked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA) to detect antibodies against p80 protein of BVDV. In addition, all of the cattle sera were tested using antigen detection ELISA for identification of persistent infection.ResultsAmong the 219 cattle tested, 177 (80.82%; 95% CI: 74.97–85.81) were found to be positive for antibodies against BVDV in Moyale district, Borena Zone. The prevalence varied among different age groups and parity. The highest prevalence was observed in cattle aged 8 years and older (84.0%; 95% CI: 69.6–98.4) and in primiparous cattle (85.5%; 95% CI: 76.2–94.8). Two of the 219 cattle tested (0.05%; 95% CI: 0.02–0.08) were found to be positive with antigen detection ELISA. In addition, out of a total of 137 camels tested, two (1.46%; 95% CI: 0.18–5.17) were found to be positive in this district. Among the 348 camels tested, eight (2.29%; 95% CI: 0.99–4.485) were found to be positive for antibodies against BVDV. In conclusion, this study revealed a high prevalence of infection in Borana cattle. In addition, it recorded the occurrence of infection with BVDV in camel herds. None of the camels tested positive for the antigen of BVDV using antigen ELISA.

Genetic diversity and effective population sizes of thirteen Indian cattle breeds

BackgroundThe genetic structure of a diverse set of 15 Indian indigenous breeds and non-descript indigenous cattle sampled from eight states was examined, based on 777 k single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes obtained on 699 animals, with sample sizes ranging from 17 to 140 animals per breed. To date, this is the largest and most detailed assessment of the genetic diversity of Indian cattle breeds.ResultsAdmixture analyses revealed that 109 of the indigenous animals analyzed had more than 1% Bos taurus admixture of relatively recent origin. Pure indigenous animals were defined as having more than 99% Bos indicus ancestry. Assessment of the genetic diversity within and between breeds using principal component analyses, F statistics, runs of homozygosity, the genomic relationship matrix, and maximum likelihood clustering based on allele frequencies revealed a low level of genetic diversity among the indigenous breeds compared to that of Bos taurus breeds. Correlations of SNP allele frequencies between breeds indicated that the genetic variation among the Bos indicus breeds was remarkably low. In addition, the variance in allele frequencies represented less than 1.5% between the Indian indigenous breeds compared to about 40% between Bos taurus dairy breeds. Effective population sizes (Ne) increased during a period post-domestication, notably for Ongole cattle, and then declined during the last 100 generations. Although we found that most of the identified runs of homozygosity are short in the Indian indigenous breeds, indicating no recent inbreeding, the high FROH coefficients and low FIS values point towards small population sizes. Nonetheless, the Ne of the Indian indigenous breeds is currently still larger than that of Bos taurus dairy breeds.ConclusionsThe changes in the estimates of effective population size are consistent with domestication from a large native population followed by consolidation into breeds with a more limited population size. The surprisingly low genetic diversity among Indian indigenous cattle breeds might be due to their large Ne since their domestication, which started to decline only 100 generations ago, compared to approximately 250 to 500 generations for Bos taurus dairy cattle.

The implications of herd entrustment practice for the sustainable use of cattle genetic resources in the (agro)-pastoral systems of West Africa: A case study from Benin

West African (agro)-pastoralists have been increasingly using extra-household labour for the management of their cattle herds. This paper seeks to identify the factors influencing cattle owners’ decision to entrust their animals and to analyse the effects of the entrustment practice on the management and sustainable use of the animal genetic diversity within herds. Two hundred and eleven cattle farmers, including absentee-owners (n = 90) who entrusted their animals to professional herders, and owner-managers (n = 121) who look themselves after their cattle, were randomly selected and surveyed in Boukombe district in northwest Benin, the origin of the West African shorthorn Somba cattle breed. Households' socio-economic data and information on herds’ characteristics and management practices were collected using semi-structured questionnaires. The binary logistic regression technique was used to predict the adoption of entrustment by a given farmer in function of his herd’s and household's socio-economic characteristics. Effective population sizes and inbreeding rates for the communal non-entrusted and entrusted Somba populations were estimated and compared. The results revealed that the mode of acquisition of the initial stock, the total livestock units owned and the farmer’s ethnicity were the most important determinants of entrustment. The Somba indigenous cattle breed was threatened in entrusted herds by indiscriminate cross-breeding with Zebus. However, the non-entrusted population appeared to be more exposed to high inbreeding risks. While entrustment represents a good alternative for the efficient use of family labour, adequate strategies are needed to support this practice and encourage herd managers to adopt improved husbandry practices and sound breeding strategies.

Capitalizing on the Potential of South African Indigenous Beef Cattle Breeds: A Review

Cattle populations arrived in Southern Africa almost 2000 years ago, brought by farming communities migrating southwards. For centuries, cattle have been an integral component of livestock production to meet the animal protein needs of a growing population and they are also important in many cultural and religious events, as repositories of wealth and signifiers of social status. Selection within these cattle populations led to the development of breeds such as the Nguni, Afrikaner and Drakensberger that are well adapted to the local production environment. Genetic information has been generated for most of these populations, providing new insights into their ancestry and indicating moderate levels of diversity and relatively low inbreeding. Indigenous cattle breeds are present in both the well-developed commercial sector as well as the developing South African livestock sector. These breeds have been included in several research studies, mostly focusing on their production and adaptive potential. Genetic improvement of the local cattle populations and breeds, which are often more resilient to local environmental conditions, has the potential to improve the productivity of the small-scale production developing sector and contribute to the alleviation of poverty.

Genome-wide diversity analysis for signatures of selection of Bos indicus adaptability under extreme agro-climatic conditions of temperate and tropical ecosystems

Indigenous cattle breeds (Bos indicus) inhabited under diverse agroclimatic conditions may serve as a broad reservoir of genetic pool for identifying genes selected for local adaptation. The present study aimed at deciphering genomic diversity and identifying adaptation signatures of cattle breeds belonging to contrasting agro-climatic conditions: Siri and Ladakhi from cold hilly region; and Kankrej and Hallikar from hot arid and semi-arid regions, respectively. A total of 46 samples were genotyped using 777 K Illumina BovineHD BeadChip. The Principal Component Analysis brought together Hallikar and Kankrej, while Siri and Ladakhi formed a separate cluster. In contrast to the tropical cattle breeds, genetic variation was higher for temperate type. Linkage disequilibrium decay (r2 < 0.2) in hot semi-arid/arid adapted (71–103 kb) and temperate-adapted (218–222 kb) breeds revealed that BovineHD BeadChip can be used in predicting their genomic breeding values. Runs of homozygosity and FST based selection signatures were also identified in these cattle breeds. Novel hypoxia-related genes viz. egl-9 family hypoxia inducible factor, hypoxia inducible factor 1 subunit alpha inhibitor and heme oxygenase 1 were detected in temperate adapted breeds, while heat stress (heat shock protein family H (Hsp110) member 1 and BAG cochaperone 2 and immunity (TANK binding kinase 1) related genes were identified in selection sweeps of tropical breeds. Gene ontology analysis identified several enriched terms for the genes in both hot semi-arid/arid and temperate adapted cattle breeds in ROH islands. The relevant adaptation signals found in the present study will help to establish new breeding opportunities with recognition of core genes.

Physiological, Biochemical, and Growth Parameters of Fogera Cattle Calves to Heat Stress during Different Seasons in Sub-Humid Part of Ethiopia.

Simple SummaryEvaluation of Fogera cattle breed during the different seasons would help to determine their response to heat stress. This would assist in designing intervention strategies for the anticipated climate change. Therefore, this study aimed to determine physiological, hematological, biochemical, and growth parameters of Fogera cattle calves to heat stress in different seasons. We observed that the heart rate and respiration rate were increased by six beats per minute and four breaths per minute when the temperature-humidity index increased from 66 to 78, respectively. The positive relationship between the temperature–humidity index and physiological parameters further confirms that calves were good at thermoregulation at a temperature–humidity index value of 66. Thus, the temperature-humidity index value of 66 can be considered as optimum for high weight gain and normal physiological response to heat stress in Fogera cattle calves under their current production system. However, some more amelioration strategies such as better nutrition, availability of shade, and routine health management practice will further strengthen the resilience of the breed to heat stress in the future.Fogera cattle are among indigenous breeds of cattle in the northern part of Ethiopia. However, their response to heat stress (HS) under different seasonal variations has not been well investigated. This study was aimed to determine physiological, hematological, biochemical, and growth parameters of Fogera cattle calves to HS during dry season, short rainy, and long rainy. A total of 72 calves (24 for each season) that were 6 months of age with an equal number of males and females were evaluated for physiological, hematological, biochemical, and growth parameters. Daily ambient temperature (AT) and relative humidity (RH) were recorded two times per day during the study periods from which the daily average temperature–humidity index (THI) was calculated. The study revealed higher AT and THI during dry and short seasons while higher RH was observed during the long rainy season. Physiological parameters except rectal temperature were affected by the seasons. Hematological parameters were also affected by season except for packed cell volume. Biochemical and growth parameters were also significantly affected by the seasons. THI was positively related with physiological but negatively with growth parameters. Thus, the THI value of 66 can be considered as optimum for high weight gain and normal physiological response to HS in Fogera cattle calves under their current production system.

Cost of conservation of indigenous dairy cattle breed—A case of Sahiwal in India

Conservation of indigenous cattle breeds is now getting much needed attention from the Government. Understanding the perception of dairy farmers and estimation of conservation cost is very important for designing effective conservation policies. Present study attempts to address the same with specific reference to Sahiwal breed. Primary data was collected from 168 dairy farmers spread over prominent breeding tract of Sahiwal in India. Relevant secondary information was collected from ABRC, NDRI and from companies dealing with reproduction technologies. Garrett’s ranking, dichotomous choice CVM and cost analysis were used for analyzing the collected data. Subsidy on purchase price, higher price for milk and ensured availability of pure breed figured out as the most essential requirement for rearing Sahiwal cattle. WTA estimates were lowest for Sri Ganganagar indicating that if in situ conservation is done in this area it will cost comparatively less to the Government. Cost per insemination and cost per conception in Sahiwal worked out to be ₹ 95.97 and ₹191.94, respectively.

Bovine TMEM95 gene: Polymorphisms detecting in five Chinese indigenous cattle breeds and their association with growth traits

Background: Transmembrane protein 95 ( TMEM95 ) plays a role in male fertility. Previous studies showed that genes with a significant impact on reproductive traits can also affect the growth traits of livestock. Thus, we speculated that the genetic variation of TMEM95 gene may have effects on growth traits of cattle. Results: Two SNPs were genotyped. The rs136174626 and rs41904693 were in the intron 4 and 3′-untranslated region, respectively. The linkage disequilibrium analysis illustrated that these two loci were not linked. The rs136174626 was associated with six growth traits of Nanyang cattle, four traits of Luxi cattle, and three traits of Ji’an cattle. For rs41904693 locus, the GG individuals had greater body height and abdominal girth in Ji’ an cattle than TT and TG individuals. In Jinnan cattle, GG and TT individuals had greater body height, height at hip cross, body length, and heart girth than TG individuals. The potential splice site prediction results suggest that the rs136174626 may influence the splicing efficiency of TMEM95, and the miRNA binding site prediction results showed that the rs41904693 may influence the expression of TMEM95 by affecting the binding efficiency of Bta-miR-1584 and TMEM95 3′-UTR. Conclusions: The findings of the study suggested that the two SNPs in TMEM95 could be a reliable basis for molecular breeding in cattle. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:Tabla normal; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:107%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri,sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Times New Roman; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}

Single nucleotide polymorphisms of leptin gene in five Ethiopian indigenous cattle breeds and the Korean Hanwoo breed.

Considering the escalating number of scientific reports on the association between the leptin gene and diverse physiological traits and performance of cattle populations, this study was directed towards identifying SNPs in the leptin gene among five indigenous cattle breeds of Ethiopia. DNA samples were extracted from the nasal swabs of the Ethiopian indigenous cattle breeds: Arsi (n = 18), Horro (n = 20), Begait (n = 21), Boran (n = 19), and Fogera (n = 17) and the Korean Hanwoo (a representative taurine breed) (n = 20), followed by PCR amplification of exon 2 and exon 3 regions of the leptin gene and sequence analysis of the PCR products. Five SNPs, two (generating missense mutations) on exon 2 and three (generating silent mutations) on exon 3 regions, were explicated in this study. Allele frequency and genotype frequency distribution pertaining to the SNPs were recorded for the studied cattle breeds besides the minor allele frequency and deviation from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Positive FIS index values were recorded for all the markers except SNP2, illustrative of heterozygote deficiency. MEGA X software-based evolutionary divergence analysis of the phylogenetic tree based on the SNP data revealed that the large-sized breeds, Hanwoo, Begait, Boran, and Fogera, were more closely clustered compared to the small-sized Arsi breed. Among the seven haplotypes documented from the various breeds, sequence analysis was suggestive of haplotypes 1 and 2 to be ancestral haplotypes for the leptin gene. This study is envisaged to accelerate molecular breeding programs for the genetic improvement of the Ethiopian cattle breeds.

SNPs with intermediate minor allele frequencies facilitate accurate breed assignment of Indian Tharparkar cattle.

Tharparkar cattle breed is widely known for its superior milch quality and hardiness attributes. This study aimed to develop an ultra-low density breed-specific single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotype panel to accurately quantify Tharparkar populations in biological samples. In this study, we selected and genotyped 72 Tharparkar animals randomly from Cattle & Buffalo Farm of IVRI, India. This Bovine SNP50 BeadChip genotypic datum was merged with the online data from six indigenous cattle breeds and five taurine breeds. Here, we used a combination of pre-selection statistics and the MAF-LD method developed in our laboratory to analyze the genotypic data obtained from 317 individuals of 12 distinct breeds to identify breed-informative SNPs for the selection of Tharparkar cattle. This methodology identified 63 unique Tharparkar-specific SNPs near intermediate gene frequencies. We report several informative SNPs in genes/QTL regions affecting phenotypes or production traits that might differentiate the Tharparkar breed.

Molecular characterization of coat color gene in Sahiwal versus Karan Fries bovine

BackgroundMelanocortin-1-receptor gene (MC1R) plays a significant role in signaling cascade of melanin production. In cattle, the coat colors, such as red and black, are an outcome of eumelanin and pheomelanin pigments, respectively. The coat colors have become critical factors in the animal selection process. This study is therefore aimed at the molecular characterization of reddish-brown coat-colored Sahiwal cattle in comparison to the black and white-colored Karan Fries. ResultsThe Sequence length of the MC1R gene was 954 base pairs in Sahiwal cattle. The sequences were examined and submitted to GenBank Acc.No. MG373575 to MG373605. Alignment of both (Sahiwal and Karan Fries) protein sequences by applying ClustalO multiple sequence alignment programs revealed 99.8–96.8% sequence similarity within the bovine. MC1R gene phylogenetic studies were analyzed by MEGA X. The gene MC1R tree, protein confines, and hereditary difference of cattle were derived from Ensemble Asia Cow Genome Browser 97. One unique single-nucleotide polymorphism (c.844C>A) (SNP) was distinguished. Single amino acid changes were detected in the seventh transmembrane structural helix region, with SNP at p.281 T>N of MC1R gene in Karan Fries cattle. ConclusionsIn this current research, we first distinguished the genomic sequence of the MC1R gene regions that showed evidence of coat variation between Indian indigenous Sahiwal cattle breed correlated with crossbreed Karan Fries. These variations were found in the Melanocortin 1 receptor coding regions of the diverse SNPs. The conclusions of this research provide new insights into understanding the coat color variation in crossbreed compared to the Indian Sahiwal cattle. Graphical abstract▪

Influence of earthworm cast on manure from cattle, sheep and goats and its effects on maize growth

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of earthworm activities on manure from indigenous breeds of cattle, sheep and goats of Nigeria. Three treatment groups of manure from cattle, sheep and goat were inoculated with earthworms in prepared worm beds and worm casts derived were evaluated after 8 weeks. The results showed that earthworms had a great impact on the chemical constituents' transformations in the manure. The percentage of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in worm cast was found to increase. Nitrogen totals from worm casts were 1.65, 1.72 and 1.96% for cattle, sheep and goats, respectively compared to 0.95, 1.21 and 1.31%, obtained from manure. Within the species, the manure and worm casts derived from goats were superior to that from sheep and cattle. Weights of maize plant grown with worm cast were almost twice that of the fresh manure across the treatments. It was concluded that earthworm casts from cattle, sheep and goat manure were nutritionally superior to manure from which they were derived. Such improved manure can serve as a ready source of high quality fertilizer for the resource poor farmers in Nigeria.

STUDIES ON EXPERIMENTAL MODELS USED FOR NUTRITIONAL AND BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH: A TECHNIQUE OF PERMANENT INSTALLATION OF RUMEN CANNULAE IN THE NIGERIAN CATTLE

The procedure found suitable for cannulating the rumen of some indigenous breeds of cattle in Nigeria for nutritional analysis and bioassays has been described. The viability of the technique relative to others suggested for exotic ruminants, is reviewed. The anatomical location for a successful implantation in order to reduce complications to the barest minimum has been suggested. The maintenance of the implanted cannula for the purpose of keeping the modified experimental model in perfect health is discussed.

THE REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF SANTA GERTRUDIS BEEF CATTLE IMPORTED INTO NIGERIA

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.

Raza y efectos sexuales en los parámetros morfométricos de cuatro reses autóctonas en Nigeria

Se llevaron a cabo experimentos para evaluar los rasgos morfométricos en cuatro razas de ganado autóctonas (n = 300); Keteku, Muturu, N’dama y White Fulani, para determinar los efectos de la raza y el sexo en las mediciones del cuerpo en el ganado y la predicción de la relación corporal lineal entre los parámetros corporales usando funciones lineales, cuadráticas y cúbicas, resultados de los rasgos morfométricos los análisis de datos mostraron que las razas y el sexo de raza fueron fuentes importantes de variación y significativamente (P 0.05), la correlación de los coeficientes dio lo mejor y más alto La relación entre HW y HC en N’dama con un valor de 0.94 y la correlación de los coeficientes en Muturu fueron generalmente más bajas en comparación con otras razas.

Epidemiology and Seasonal Variation of Ixodid Ticks in Dairy Cattle of Gangetic Plains of Uttar Pradesh, India

Background: The Gangetic plain of Uttar Pradesh is fertile land inhabited by second highest cattle population in India. A study was undertaken from May 2016 to March 2018 on the distribution and abundance of ticks in cattle. Methods: Data was collected from 3 organized farms, 5 Gaushalas and from local farmers. Studied animals were divided into three categories indigenous breeds (n=450), exotic (n=60) and crosses of exotic and local breeds (n=140). The prevalence of tick infestation was studied in the host cattle in the different seasons. Result: Total eight species of ticks were identified. Among the Ixodid ticks, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus was the predominant species (85.28 %) in all seasons. Significantly (p less than 0.05) higher prevalence was recorded in monsoon season as compared to other seasons. Animals aged 1 year of age (50.87%). Sex-wise, the males had higher infestation rate than the females. In the villages, Gaushalas and in unorganized dairy farms tick infestation prevalence was (45%) as compared to minimal prevalence 4% recorded from organized sector. Infestation in exotic cattle was high in fields as compared to crossbred and indigenous cattle breed. Most of the animals under farm management system were infected with single tick species. While multi species tick infestation was observed in the fields. This could be due to the management practices and timely tick treatment adopted by farms.

AGE AND BODY WEIGHT AT PUBERTY IN MUTURU HEIFERS UNDER DIFFERENT FEEDING REGIMES

Age and body weight at puberty were studied in two groups of Mutun helfen aged 4 to 7 months and comprising 13 heifers in each group. Group 1 heifers received nutritional supplementation et lating of a mixture of dry brewer's spent porin and palm kernel cake in a ratio of 1:1 addition to normal grazing. Group 1 theifers were grazed without any supplementation. From the age of 10 months and tasting for a period of 6 months, blood samples were collected twice weekly from each heifer via the jugular vein into heparinized Vacutabner tubes. Samples were centrifuged within 30 minutes of collection and the plasma stored frozen until assayed for progesterone using coat-2-count solid phase 125, radioimmunoassay kits. Body weights of all heifers were also recorded bi-weekly during the experimental period. Puberty was assumed to have occurred in any heifer when plasma progesterone values reached/exceeded i mg/ml. Results showed that Group 1 heifers were significantly younger (P&lt; 0.01) at puberty than Group II heifers (12.25 + 0.20 months vs. 14.60+1.67 months) but their body weights did not differ significantly (90.50+ 1.82 kg &amp; 85.20+ 0.87 kg for Groups I and II heifers, respectively). These results show that under improved feeding, puberty in Muturu heifers could be attained relatively at an early age. the first oestrus in the young female, is due to ovarian changes which are in turn controlled by complex endocrinological events. In the Mutury bull, Ezekwe (1992) observed that under improved husbandry and nutritional conditions, puberty was attained at an early age of 11 months and a body weight of 87 kg. The study also revealed that Muturu bulls could be used for breeding from the age of 15 months. Studies on female reproduction of indigenous Nigerian Cattle breed have concentrated largely on zebu (Bos indicus) cattle (Johnson and Gambo, 1979, Zakari et al., 1981; Oyedipe et al., 1982; Dawuda et al., 1989). There is thus a dearth of inforination on the reproductive characteristics such as puberty of indigenous Nigerian non-zebu cattle like the Muturu. The Muturu, which is the most widely distributed indigenous non-zebu cattle in the southeastern states of Nigeria, has a population of 42,000 out of an estimated total national population of 177,000. The Mutunu is highly tolerant to trypanosomiasis and is also well adapted to the hot humid conditions prevalent in the southern rainforest areas. Despite these obvious advantages, the Muturu is considered an endangered breed because of its rapidly declining numbers (Adeniyi, 1984). The need to document important aspects of its reproductive characteristics is therefore impelling. This study was thus undertaken to determine the age and body weight at which Muturu heifers attain puberty under improved husbandry and management conditions.

Blood protein polymorphism and differentiation of selected indigenous cattle breeds in Nigeria

Genetic variation is the basis of effective improvement in farm animals. Population differentiation is used for objective choice of parental genotypes that constitutes new hybrids in crossbreeding. In Nigeria, population characteristics of selected indigenous cattle breeds have not been fully documented. Therefore, blood protein electrophoretic patterns of selected indigenous cattle breeds in Nigeria were assessed. Blood samples (5mL) were taken underneath the tail by venipuncture from 40 cattle randomly selected from each of the five breeds. The samples were subjected to cellulose acetate electrophoresis to determine the genetic variants of haemoglobin (Hb), carbonic anhydrase (CA) and transferrin (Tf) following standard procedure. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, cluster analysis and Euclidean genetic distance. Allele frequencies ranged between 0.10 (Hb ) and 0.90 (Hb ), 0.11 (CA ) and 0.89 (CA ) and 0.02 (Tf ) and 0.49 (Tf ) across the breed.Two main clusters from the dendrogram were observed for each of Hb, CA and Tf. Euclidean genetic distance at the blood protein polymorphism level between WF and SG, WF and RB, WF and BK, WF and Muturu were 29, 30, 80 and 93, respectively. Genetic variants of transferring were largest within breed which indicated potential for selection

Livestock value chain: Prediction of live weight and cut yield of three indigenous breeds of cattle in Nigeria

Problems associated with prediction of saleable meat yield, price haggling and monetary worth of cattle purchased due to difficulties in accurately relating visual appearance of animals and the weight with their price have always been in existence. This study was carried out to determine the accuracy in the use of heart girth tape as an alternative to the use of weighing bridge and crush, dressing percentage and expected cut yield from three indigenous breeds of cattle in Nigeria using linear body measurement. Thus, a total number of 51 healthy and mature White Fulani (n=17), Sokoto Gudali (n=17) and Red Bororo (n=17) cattle breeds were randomly purchased from Ilesha Baruba cattle market Kwara State, Kotangora cattle market, Niger State and Akinyele cattle market, Ibadan, Oyo state and were subjected to heart girth measurements. The study lasted for 32 weeks. Live weights of animals were determined at the point of purchase using a specialized measuring tape (girth tape) calibrated in kilogram (kg) and centimeter (cm).The live weights were recorded in kilogram which was used in price negotiation at the market. The live weight of the cattle ranged from 164 – 463 kg. The mean girth tape values were White Fulani (286.53 51.06)kg, Sokoto Gudali (293.35+77.51)kg and Red Bororo 261.88+60.65)kg respectively. Post slaughtering data collected were dressing percentage, weight of head(kg),neck(kg), shanks(kg), forearm(kg), thigh(kg),skin(kg),liver(kg),heart(kg), intestine(kg)and kidney(g).The study revealed that heart girth measurement had high correlation coefficient with live weight (r=0.99, p&lt;0.001). This implies that the use of heart girth tape in weight prediction is accurate and reliable. There were significant (p&lt;0.05) differences in the dressing percentage among the breeds (43.55-46.52) %. Significant (p&lt;0.05) differences were observed in the cut yield percentage between Red Bororo (33.16 4.12) and other breeds but none between White Fulani (37.14 4.50)% and Sokoto Gudali (34.53 5.26)%.There were significant (p&lt;0.05) differences in the head (13.52-13.42)kg, Neck (14.70-18.07)kg, left thigh (27.92-29.41)kg, right forearm (22.91-27.24)kg, left forearm (24.84-27.57)kg, liver (3.60 – 3.84)kg, skin (15.03 -15.39), shank (2.20-2.41)kg, tail (5.23-5.92)kg but none for right thigh, kidney and lungs among the breeds. The variations in the yield may be as a result of genetic, management, weight and age of the animals. It can be concluded that heart girth tape may be used where weighing crush is not available because of its accuracy and reliability. The study also revealed that White Fulani has higher meat yield than Sokoto Gudali and Red Bororo and will therefore be more profitable to cattle sellers, abattoir centers, slaughter houses andmeat shops.