Milk production and lactation length in Ankole cattle and Ankole crossbreds in Rwanda
| Autor: | Erling Strandberg, Claire d'Andre Hirwa, Maximillian Manzi, Martin Ntawubizi, Callixte Karege, Lotta Rydhmer |
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| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
040301 veterinary sciences
Ice calving Biology Breeding 0403 veterinary science Animal science Milk yield Food Animals Pregnancy Lactation medicine Animals Ankole cattle Sire 0402 animal and dairy science Rwanda 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences Milk production 040201 dairy & animal science Breed medicine.anatomical_structure Milk Breed groups. Crossbreeding Milk yield Animal Science and Zoology Cattle Female Purebred Regular Articles |
| Zdroj: | Tropical Animal Health and Production |
| ISSN: | 1573-7438 |
| Popis: | This study assessed daily milk yield (DMY), 100-day (MY100), and 305-day (MY305) milk yield, and lactation length (LL) in purebred Ankole cattle and Ankole crossbreds, and the influence of environmental factors on these traits. Milk yield data were obtained for 865 cows and 1234 lactations and analyzed using a mixed linear model. The overall least squares mean of DMY, MY100, and MY305 across breed groups was 2.7 L (N = 1234, SD = 1.7), 262 L (N = 959, SD = 176), and 759 L (N = 448, SD = 439), respectively, while the average lactation length was 256 days (N = 960, SD = 122). All factors included (breed group, season and year of calving, and parity) were significant for yield traits, except season of calving for MY305. First-parity cows had the lowest milk production, and fourth-parity cows the highest. For all traits, pure Ankole cows had the lowest milk yield. Among the crossbreds, there was no significant difference between Ankole × Friesian, Ankole-Jersey mother × Sahiwal sire, and Ankole-Sahiwal mother × Jersey sire, or between Ankole × Sahiwal and Ankole-Sahiwal mother × Sahiwal sire. It was concluded that Ankole crosses with Friesian or Jersey can be beneficial, even under a management system of limited nutrition as in Rwanda. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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