What indigenous dairy breed to be crossed with Holstein-Friesian sires for milk production in the Sudan

Local Sudanese dairy breeds, mainly Butana (BB) and Kenana (KK) and their Holstein-Friesian first crosses: Friesian x Butana (FB) and Friesian x Kenana (FK) were evaluated for their production and reproduction traits. The average (+ se) lactation milk yield. 210 days milk yield, milk per day of lactation, milk per day of calving interval, lactation length, calving interval, and age at first calving for BB were 2031 + 118 kg, 1528 + 82 kg, 7.3 + 0.41 kg, 5.6 + 0.51 kg, 287 + 11 days, and 47.4 + 2.5 months, respectively. The corresponding values for KK were 1647 + 67 kg, 1159 + 47 kg, 5.5 + 0.23 kg, 3.7 + 0.42 kg, 308 + 6 days, 427 + 10 days and 59.9 + 1.4 months, respectively. Butana breed was significantly (p0.01) higher than KK in total lactation milk yield, 210 days milk yield, milk per day of lactation, milk per day of calving interval and shorter (p0.05) in calving interval and calved the first time at a younger (p0.05) age. The crossbred cows showed superiority over their respective straightbreds. The average lactation milk yield 210 days milk yield, milk per day of lactation milk per day of calving interval, lactation length, calving interval, and age at first calving for FB were 4924 + 243 kg, 3120 + 166 kg, 4.9 + 0.79 kg, 9.6 + 3.99 kg, 338 + 19 days, 393 + 72 days, and 23.7 + months, respectively. The corresponding estimates for FK were 4322 + 153 kg, 2304 + 371 kg, 14.9 + 0.49 kg, 10.0 + 0.72 kg, 293 + 12 days, 414 + 15 days and 24.5 + 2.7 months, respectively. FB cows were higher (p0.01) in total lactation milk yield, 210 days milk yield, longer lactation and were shorter (p0.05) in calving interval. The heritability estimates for milk yield traits of the straightbreds ranged between 0.21 + 0.12 and 0.44 + 0.31 and for the crossbreds ranged between 0.33 + 0.25 and 0.55 + 0.42. Regardless of breed, the heritability estimates for reproduction traits were effectively zero. Butana and their Holstein crosses out-yielded Kenana and and their crosses in many production and reproduction aspects