Productive and Reproductive Performance of Dairy Cows under Smallholder Production System in Western Zone of Tigray Region

The study was conducted in three districts of Western Zone of Tigray Region, Ethiopia; with the aims of assessing reproductive and productive performance, factors that affect the performance of dairy cattle and to determine milk composition of indigenous and Crossbred dairy cows. A total of 120 households; 50 for Begayit, 40 for Arado breed and 30 for Crossbred cow producers were purposely selected and interviewed with pre – tested semi structured questionnaire. Monitoring activity was employed for a period of four months with a total of 30 dairy cows (10 cows for each breed) for estimation of daily milk yield and milk composition. The data was analyzed using SPSS (Version 16.0) with probability level of 5%. Average daily milk yield as estimated by respondents at early, mid and late stage of lactation was 3.99±1.05, 3.28±0.88 & 2.54±0.81 for Begayit cattle, 1.77±0.62, 1.42±0.53 & 1.08±0.46 for Arado cattle, and 7.63±1.8, 6.6±1.62 & 5.58±1.42 liters/day for Crossbred, respectively. Daily milk yield for Begayit, Arado and Crossbred cow from monitoring data was 3.37±0.28, 1.33±0.13 and 6.55±0.37 liters/day, respectively and was higher significantly (P< 0.001) for Crossbred. The average lactation length of Begayit, Arado and Crossbred dairy cows was 250.0±26.80, 295.0±28.82 and 304.33±28.27 days, respectively and it was significantly different between indigenous cattle breed and Crossbred dairy cows. The mean lactation length of Crossbred cow was longer than Begayit and Arado cattle. The overall average Age at Puberty and Age at First Service of Begayit, Arado and Crossbred cow were 30.22±2.11 and 32.32±1.93, 33.02±2.63 and 36.15±2.5 and 26.8±2.42 and 29.8±3.33 months, respectively. Both parameters are shorter for Crossbred than for the indigenous animals (P< 0.001). Age at first service of Begayit cattle was shorter than for the Arado cattle. The average results of Age at First Calving (months), Calving Interval (month) and Days Open (day) for Begayit, Arado and Crossbred cows were 41.6±1.99, 16.16±2.24 and 90.50±16.51, 45.82±2.74, 19.97±2.1 and 128.37±21.96, and 39.46±2.25, 15.23±2.88 and 87.16±22.15, respectively. Values for these parameters were shorter for Crossbred dairy cow than for indigenous breeds. Between the indigenous breeds, Begayit cattle has shorter period than the Arado cattle. Average percent of milk protein content for Crossbred cows was higher than the indigenous cattle breeds (P< 0.005) while Begayit cattle had xv significantly higher milk protein than the Arado cattle. Average percentage of Fat, Lactose, Ash, Total solid (TS) and Solid not fat (SNF) were not varied significantly among the breeds. Major constraints of cattle production in the study area were grazing land and feed shortage, drought, diseases such as Pasturollosis, Trypanomososis, Black leg and parasite, insufficient veterinary access and shortage of water. It is therefore, conclude that the productive and reproductive performance of Begayit cattle breed is comparatively better than Arado cattle breed. Moreover, those breeds are preferable by the farmers than the other breeds in the study areas. However, poor managemental practices such as feeding, housing, health care and breeding are major factors that hinders to exploit the optimum potential in productive and reproductive performance of local breeds.