Zeitschrift für Tiergesundheit und Verhaltenswissenschaft

Reproductive Performance of Indigenous Cow Breeds of Ethiopia: A Review

Abstract

Alemitu Adisu* and Wondosen Zewdu

The aim of the review is to condense the information about reproductive performance of different indigenous dairy cattle breeds of Ethiopia on parameters viz. age at first calving (AFC), calving interval (CI), day open (DO), number of service preconception (NSPC). These parameters also affected by different factors associated with either to the management such as method of husbandry, feeding system, estrus detection, semen quality handling as well as factors related to cow’s management such as age, body condition score, post-partum problem, disease event, milk yield and genetics, feed shortage/poor nutrition with poor husbandry and herd health management are important factors that contributed to reproductive inefficiency. Appropriate feed resources and reproductive health management, a reliable AI service and an appropriate level of husbandry could be the management options to reduce/alleviate some of the prevailing problems related to reproductive efficiency. Thus the responsible body; ministry of agriculture has to be given more emphasis to reduce the influence of different factors on the reproductive performances of indigenous cattle through enhancing the skills of expertise and farmer by providing different level of training as well as by providing different inputs on appropriate time