Background: The productivity and profitability of dairy cattle depend largely on reproductive performance. Thus, this study was intended to evaluate the reproductive performance of Jersey cattle raised under semi-intensive management system.Methods: A retrospective analysis consisted of data collected for the last 33 years was conducted. The fixed effects fitted were birth period, calving period, service period, birth season, calving season, service season, parity and genetic group. The general linear model procedure of SAS was used for the statistical analysis of data. Result: The overall least-square means for age at first service (AFS), age at first calving (AFC), calving interval (CI), days open (DO) and the number of services per conception (NSPC) were 22.93±0.22 months, 32.95±0.22 months, 494.16±3.68 days, 221.09±3.73 days and 1.99±0.03, respectively. Year, season and parity had a significant effect on most of the investigated reproductive traits. Imported Jersey cows had an extended CI and DO than farm-bred cows. Besides, the inconsistency of management and variability of climatic variables across year and season seems to have a considerable influence on the reproductive efficiency of cows. Therefore, the improvement in the level of management and selection of parents based on their breeding value would be improve the reproductive performance of Jersey cows.
Performance evaluations for economically important milk production traits are the bases for genetic evaluation, planning breeding program and selection for dairy cows. This study was intended to evaluate milk production traits of pure Jersey dairy cows at Adea-Berga Dairy research center. The data collected from 1986 to 2019 from a herd maintained at Adea-Berga dairy research center was used to estimate milk production traits (lactation milk yield (LMY), daily milk yield (DMY) and lactation length (LL)). A general linear model procedure of the Statistical Analysis System (SAS, version 9.0) was used to analyse the milk performance data. The result of fixed-effect analysis revealed that the influence of year and parity caused significant (p<0.0001) variation in all milk production traits. However, season of calving does not significantly affect milk production traits. Knowledge on the effect of these non-genetic factors for milk production would help in making management decisions for improvement of the herds. The overall least squares mean (LSM±SE) for LMY, DMY and LL were 2166.10±26.71 Litres, 6.37±0.05 Litres and 344.89±3.81 days, respectively. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that the improvement of milk production traits of the pure Jersey cattle population at Adea-Berga dairy research center is possible through improving the level of feeding, breeding and health management than through genetic selection.
The study was conducted to investigate the effects of non-genetic factors on Milk production traits of pure Jersey dairy cattle semi-intensively managed at on station. A total of 2912 records from pure Jersey dairy cattle were collected from 1986 to 2019 and analysed by (SAS, version 9.0). The overall least squares mean (LSM±SE) for lactation milk yield (LMY), daily milk yield (DMY) and lactation length (LL) were 2166.10±26.71 Litres, 6.37±0.05 Litres and 344.89±3.81 days, respectively. Lactation milk yield (LMY), daily milk yield (DMY) and lactation length (LL) were influenced by non-genetic factors such as animal group, year and parity. But, milk production traits were not affected by calving season. Knowledge on the effect of these non-genetic factors on milk production traits would help in making management decisions for improvement of the herds.
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