Analysis of the Productive and Reproductive Traits of Butana and Erashy Cows reared under households’ management system in Eastern Sudan

Abstract

The study was performed to assess the productive and reproductive performances of Butana and Erashy indigenous cows raised in semi-arid regions under households’ management system in Eastern Sudan. Data on (N = 477), Butana (n = 278) and Erashy (n = 199) cows were used. Field survey and structured questionnaire were used to collect data from (N = 115) households. Productive traits considered were, daily milk yield (DMY), lactation milk yield (LMY), lactation length (LL), tri-mister lactation milk yield (beginning, middle and end) (TLMY)while, reproductive traits included age at sexual maturity (ASM), age at first calving (AFC), calving interval (CI) and services per conception (SPC). General Linear Model (GLM) procedures, Univariate analysis of variance with various in-dependent effects (in-put variables) and observations on productive and reproductive traits as dependent effects (out-put variables) from the studied animals were described by the analytical mathematical linear model. The overall mean DMY, LMY, ASM, AFC, CI, and SPC were estimated to be 10.32 ± 0.16 liters, 1498.40 ± 28.65 liters, 6.75 ± 0.05 months, 3.17 ± 0.06 liters, 6.80 ± 0.11 liters, 45.05 ± 0.01 months, 49.16 ± 0.07 months, 18.18 ± 0.10 and 1.35 ± 0.01 respectively. Cattle ecotype highly significant (p ˂ 0.001) affects daily milk yield (DMY), lactation milk yield (LMY), lactation length (LL), (beginning and middle) tri-mister lactation milk yield (TLMY), age at sexual maturity (ASM), age at first calving (AFC), calving interval (CI) and services per conception (SPC).Parity number significantly (p ˂ 0.05) affects daily milk yield (DMY), lactation milk yield (LMY) and age at sexual maturity (ASM) and not significantly (p > 0.05) affects lactation length (LL), end tri-mister lactation milk yield (ETLMY), age at first calving (AFC), calving interval (CI) and services per conception (SPC).Improving production system, management factors as well as reproductive efficiency is required for optimal reproduction and lactation performance for Butana and Erashy cattle ecotype under their production conditions. From the estimates of variables, productive and reproductive traits have a good potential for selection in this study.