Performance Evaluation of First Lactation Reproductive Traits of Jersey Breed at Adea-Berga Dairy Research Farm:

Nibo Beneberu; Hailegabriel Ajema; Kefale  Getahun

Nibo Beneberu Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Holetta Agricultural Research Center. P.O. Box 2003 Addis Ababa or 31 Holetta, Ethiopia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9626-7049
Hailegabriel Ajema Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Holetta Agricultural Research Center, Addis Ababa, Holetta, Ethiopia
Kefale Getahun Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Holetta Agricultural Research Center, Addis Ababa, Holetta, Ethiopia

Keywords: First Lactation, Pure Jersey Cows, Reproductive Traits

Abstract

Performance evaluation for economically important first lactation reproductive traits is the bases for genetic evaluation, planning breeding programs, and selection for dairy cows. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the first lactation reproductive traits of the Jersey breed at the Adea-Berga dairy research farm. The data collected from 1986 to 2020 from a herd maintained at Adea-Berga dairy research farm was used to evaluate performance for first lactation reproductive traits (age at first service (AFS), age at first calving (AFC), first calving interval (FCI), first days open (FDO), and first number of services per conception (FNSPC)). A general linear model procedure of the Statistical Analysis System (SAS, version 9.0) was used to analyse the first reproductive performance data. The result of the fixed-effect analysis revealed that the influence of year caused significant (p<0.0001) variation in all first reproductive traits. The overall least squares mean (LSM±SE) for AFS, AFC, FCI, FDO, and FNSPC were 23.08±0.22 months, 32.70±0.19 months, 466.84±15.60 days, 182.25±16.34 days, and 1.67±0.12, respectively. In conclusion, the results of this paper suggest that the improvement of first lactation reproductive traits of the pure Jersey cattle population at Adea-Berga dairy research farm is possible through improving the level of feeding, breeding, and health management than through genetic selection.

Keywords: first lactation, pure Jersey cows, reproductive traits

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Author Biography

Nibo Beneberu, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Holetta Agricultural Research Center. P.O. Box 2003 Addis Ababa or 31 Holetta, Ethiopia

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Performance Evaluation of First Lactation Reproductive Traits of Jersey Breed at Adea-Berga Dairy Research Farm