Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T20:58:18.107Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Studies on the effects of milking on calf growth and viability and on cow reproductive performance in traditionally managed N'Dama herds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

K. Agyemang
Affiliation:
International Livestock Centre for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia International Trypanotolerance Centre, PMB 14, Banjul, The Gambia
R. H. Dwinger
Affiliation:
International Trypanotolerance Centre, PMB 14, Banjul, The Gambia
A. S. Grieve
Affiliation:
International Trypanotolerance Centre, PMB 14, Banjul, The Gambia
D. A. Little
Affiliation:
International Livestock Centre for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia International Trypanotolerance Centre, PMB 14, Banjul, The Gambia
Get access

Abstract

The effects of milking on the overall productivity of N'Dama cattle kept under village conditions were studied using three groups of cows during a 27-month period. One group of 46 cows in 16 herds in Nioro Jattaba village was not milked for human consumption and their calves had access to all of their milk (group 1). Another group of 46 cows in the same herds was partially milked for human use once a day while the calves had access to the residual milk (group 2), the normal husbandry practice in this village. A third group of 70 cows in six herds, managed similarly in a similar production environment in the nearby village of Keneba, was milked twice daily with the residual milk for their calves, the normal husbandry in this village. A mean extraction of 296 (s.d. 110·7) kg milk per cow occurred in group 2 during a lactation period of 517 days while the figure for group 3 was 450 (s.d. 177·7) kg per cow over 430 days. At the end of the observation period, calf mortality to 12 months averaged 6% and was similar in all groups. Calf weights at 12 months in group 1 (98·1 kg) exceeded that of groups 2 and 3 by proportionately 0·26 and 0·38 (P < 0·001) respectively. Mean calving rate was 53% in groups 1 and 2, and 72% in group 3. Post-partum body-weight losses were most severe in group 1, followed in order by groups 2 and 3. A herd productivity index (incorporating calf weight, live weight equivalent of milk extracted for human use, cow and calf viability and calving rate) was 100·7 kg calf weight per 100 kg metabolic weight of cow per year for group 1, 110·2 for group 2 and 166·1 kg for group 3. These values suggest that recommendations to small-holder farmers for enhancing livestock productivity should include strategies to improve milk yields in general rather than advocating no milk extraction or changing the milking regime currently practised.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Agyemang, K., Jeannin, P., Grieve, A. S., Bah, M. L. and Dwinger, R. H. 1988. Milk extraction for human consumption from N'Dama cattle under village management conditions in The Gambia. In Livestock Production in Tsetse affected areas of Africa. Proceedings of International Livestock Centre for Africa/International Labotatory for Research on Animal Diseases meeting, Nairobi, Kenya, 1987, pp. 231245.Google Scholar
Carter, M. C., Dierschke, D. J., Rutledge, J. J. and Hauser, E. R. 1980. Effects of GnRH and calf removal on pituitary ovarian function and reproductive performance in postpartum beef cows. Journal of Animal Science 51: 903910.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Centro International Agricultura Tropical. 1974. Beef production programme. Annual Report 1974, pp. 151. CIAT. Apartado Aereo, Cali, Columbia.Google Scholar
Drewry, K. J., Brown, C. J. and Hornea R. S. 1959. Relationships among factors associated with mothering ability in beef cattle. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 18: 938946.Google Scholar
Fall, A., Diop, M., Sandford, J., Wissocq, Y. J., Durkin, J. and Trail, J. C. M. 1982. Evaluation of the production of Djallonke sheep and N'Dama cattle at the Centre de Recherchez Zootechniques, Kolda, Senegal. International Livestock Centre for Africa, Research Report No. 3, pp. 170.Google Scholar
Hale, D. H. 1975. Nutrition, hormones and fertility. Rhodesia Agricultural Journal 72: 69.Google Scholar
Harvey, W. R. 1977. Users' Guide for Least-Squares and Maximum Likelihood Computer Program, Ohio State University, Columbus.Google Scholar
Jeannin, P., Dwinger, R. H., Agyemang, K. and Grieve, A. S. 1988. Epidemiological investigation in Gambian cattle with emphasis on trypanosomiasis. Nineteenth meeting of the International Scientific Council for Trypanosomiasis Research and Control, Lome, Togo, 1987 Organization of African Unity/Scientific, Technical and Research Commission, Publication No. 114, pp. 222233.Google Scholar
Kerven, C. 1987. Some research and development implications for pastoral dairy production in Africa. International Livestock Centre for Africa, Bulletin 26, pp. 2935.Google Scholar
Laster, D. B., Glimp, H. A. and Gregory, K. E. 1973. Effects of early weaning on postpartum reproduction of cows. Journal of Animal Science 36: 734740.Google Scholar
Morrow, D. A., Roberts, S. J. and McEntee, K. 1969. Postpartum ovarian activity and involution of the uterus and cervix in dairy cattle. I. Ovarian activity. Cornell Veterinarian 59: 173199.Google Scholar
Njie, A. and Agyemang, K. 1991. Performance of a station-managed N'Dama herd in The Gambia. Tropical Animal Health and Production 23: 4554.Google Scholar
Spicer, L. J. and Echternkamp, S. E. 1986. Ovarian follicular growth, function and turnover in cattle: a review. journal of Animal Science 62: 428451.Google Scholar
Stevenson, J. S. and Britt, J. H. 1980. Models for prediction of days to first ovulation based on changes in endocrine and non-endocrine traits during first two weeks postpartum in Holstein cows. Journal of Animal Science 50: 103112.Google Scholar
Touray, B. N., Fofana, D., Clifford, D. J., Loum, B. and Sanyang, B. 1988. The performance of herd of N'Dama cattle kept under improved management in a medium tsetse challenge area. Livestock Development Project Report to the Fourth 1988, International Trypanotolerance Centre, Bajul, pp. 110.Google Scholar
Trail, J. C. M. and Gregory, K. E. 1982. Production characters of the Sahiwal and Ayrshire breeds and their crosses in Kenya. Tropical Animal Health and Production 14: 4557.Google Scholar
Ward, H. K. 1968. Supplementation of beef cows grazing on veld. Rhodesian Journal of Agricultural Research 6: 93101.Google Scholar
Wiggans, G. R. and Grossman, M. 1980. Computing lactation records from sample-dairy production. Dairy Herd Improvement Letter 56: (4) 16.Google Scholar