Crossbreeding cattle for dairy production in the tropics: effects of genetic and environmental factors on the performance of improved genotypes on the Cameroon highlands

Abstract

Three hundred and thirty (330) records from 363 lactations and 104 cows born between 1979 and 1991 from crossbreeding Holstein-Friesian (H) bulls with H, Ngaoundere Gudali (G) and Holstein × Gudali F1 (H1G1) cows, Montbeliard (M) bulls with G and Montbeliard × Gudali Fl (M1G1) cows and M1G1 bulls with M1G1 cows and raised in the Dairy Herd Unit of the Wakwa Animal and Veterinary Research Station in the sub-humid highlands of Cameroon were analysed to investigate the effects of genotype and environment on lactation and reproductive traits. Fixed effects of genotype season and year of calving parity and age of cow at calving were studied. Lactation milk yield (LMY), lactation length (LL), annualized milk production (AMP), calving interval (C1), dry period (DP) and age at first calving (AFC) were amongst the traits analysed. F1 crosses (H1G1, M1G1), backcrosses (¾ Holstein — ¼ Gudali; ¾ Montbeliard — ¼ Gudali) (H3G1, M3G1) and F2 crosses (MGF2) were compared. Results showed that H1G1 cows were proportionately 0·49 and 0·23 better than their corresponding backcross in LMY and AMP, respectively, while M1G1 cows were proportionately 0·12 and 0·24 inferior to M3G1 in these traits. M1G1 were proportionately superior to MGF2 in LMY (0·05), AMP (-0·04) and AFC (-0·14). M3G1 were superior (0·18 to 0·19) to MGF2 in LMY and AMP. H1G1 were consistently superior to M1G1 for most traits, suggesting that H1G1 may be better than M1G1 for dairy production.

Estimates of genetic parameters for Boran, Friesian and crosses of Friesian and Jersey with the Boran cattle in the tropical highlands of Ethiopia: reproduction traits

“…In general, the estimates of reproductive performances obtained for the different crossbreds were within the range of reported estimates for Friesian and Jersey crosses with indigenous tropical cattle elsewhere (e.g. Kiwuwa et al 1983;Madalena et al 1990;Haile-Mariam et al 1993; Thorpe et al 1993; de Alba and Kennedy 1994;Rege et al 1994;Tibbo et al 1994;Negussie et al 1998;Tawah et al 1999;Kahi et al 2000). In a review of performance on purebred Jersey, Friesian, indigenous breeds and their crosses in the tropics, Tibbo et al (1994) estimated an average of 62 and 341 days early AFC, 21 and 55 days shorter CI for the Jersey crosses relative to the Friesian crosses and the indigenous breeds, respectively.…”

“…Kiwuwa et al 1983;Galina and Arthur 1989a,b;Syrstad 1989Syrstad , 1990Madalena et al 1990;Sharma and Pirchner 1991;Haile-Mariam et al 1993; Thorpe et al 1993;Rege et al 1994;Mackinnon et al 1996;Negussie et al 1998;Rege 1998;Tawah et al 1999;Kahi et al 2000). Kiwuwa et al 1983;Galina and Arthur 1989a,b;Syrstad 1989Syrstad , 1990Madalena et al 1990;Sharma and Pirchner 1991;Haile-Mariam et al 1993; Thorpe et al 1993;Rege et al 1994;Mackinnon et al 1996;Negussie et al 1998;Rege 1998;Tawah et al 1999;Kahi et al 2000).…”

“…Breed and crossbred differences in reproductive efficiency have been reported for several Bos taurus breeds and their crosses with B. indicus breeds in the tropics (e.g. Kiwuwa et al 1983;Galina and Arthur 1989a,b;Syrstad 1989Syrstad , 1990Madalena et al 1990;Sharma and Pirchner 1991;Haile-Mariam et al 1993; Thorpe et al 1993;Rege et al 1994;Mackinnon et al 1996;Negussie et al 1998;Rege 1998;Tawah et al 1999;Kahi et al 2000). However, only a few studies have attempted to partition these differences into its various genetic components (e.g.…”

Crossbreeding of Cattle in Africa

“…The rapid onset of independence for African countries in the 1960s did little to deter the former colonial powers from attempting to maintain their vested interests and the status quo ante. In 1967 Brown Swiss heifers were again imported to Cameroon for crossbreeding with N'Dama (Njwe, 1984) and Montbéliard semen was imported in 1975 for crossbreeding with Gudali (Bos indicus) females in the northern part of the country (Tawah et al, 1999). Montbéliard semen was still being used in Senegal in 1999-2000(Alhassan, 2003 as was that of the Abondance, another French breed (Madalena et al, 2002).…”

“…In Cameroon the American approach was somewhat different and was via Heifer Project International and its "Heifer in Trust" programme which imported Jersey and Holstein Friesian cattle and semen (HPI, 1999;Bayemi et al, 2005). Even little Ireland climbed on the waggon and exported Holstein Friesians to Cameroon from 1994 (Tawah et al, 1999).…”