Yifat D., Kelay B., Bekana M., Lobago F., Gustafsson H., Kindahl H.
Hawassa University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hawassa, Ethiopia; Addis Ababa University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 34, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Clinical Sciences, Box 7039, SE-75007, Uppsala, Sweden
Yifat, D., Hawassa University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hawassa, Ethiopia; Kelay, B., Addis Ababa University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 34, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia; Bekana, M., Addis Ababa University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 34, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia; Lobago, F., Addis Ababa University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 34, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia; Gustafsson, H., Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Clinical Sciences, Box 7039, SE-75007, Uppsala, Sweden; Kindahl, H., Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Clinical Sciences, Box 7039, SE-75007, Uppsala, Sweden
A study was conducted to assess the reproductive performance of crossbred dairy cows in urban and rural smallholder dairy farms in Zeway Ethiopia and its surrounding. A total of 287 (141 rural and 146 urban) smallholder dairy farms that owned 2-5 crossbred dairy cows were visited and reproductive performance of 503 (244 rural and 259 urban) crossbred dairy cows were studied. The overall mean values (n=503) for age at first calving (AFC), calving interval (CI), days open (DO), gestation length (GL) and number of services per conception (NSPC) were 32.1 months, 412 days, 135 days, 278 days and 1.67, respectively. The mean values of CI and DO were significantly shorter in the urban than in the rural area. Parity number significantly influenced DO and NSPC. While, season of previous calving had significant effect on CI, DO and NSPC of smallholder crossbred dairy cows. In general, the smallholder crossbred dairy cows in the urban area had better reproductive performance than in the rural area. The overall observed reproductive performance of smallholder crossbred dairy cattle in this study was good. Thus, the ongoing activities to improve and expand crossbred dairy cattle production at smallholder level in the region should be encouraged.