Milk Prodiction of Fogera Cattle and Their Crosses with Friesian at Gonder, Northwestern Ethiopia.
1997
goshu Mekonnen and Mekonnen Haile-Mariam
The Fogera Cattle Breeding Station was established in 1974 to assess the dairy performance of Fogera cattle and their Friesian crosses at Gonder in Northwestern Ethiopia. Milk production data collected between 1975 and 1987 on Fogera cattle and their Friesian crosses at Gonder Fogera Cattle Breeding Station were used to determine the factors which influence total lactation milk yield, lactation length, lactation yield per day, dry period and annual lactation yield. The result showed that, total lactation milk yield of Fogera and their F1 and 3/4 Friesian crosses was 872, 2524 and 2472 kg, respectively. Apart from breed effect, parity of cow, period (year-group) of calving and the interaction between season of calving and breed bad significant effects on most of the milk production traits. When milk yield was expressed on annual basis, the F, crosses exceeded the Fogera by 300% and the 3/4 crosses by 14% The relatively high lactation milk yield and variability as well 'as the repeatability value (0.27 to 0.48) of milk production traits indicate that milk yield in Fogera cattle can be improved through crossbreeding and selection.
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