Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T19:46:48.207Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Genetic and environmental influences on beef cattle production in Zambia 1. Factors affecting weaner production from Angoni, Barotse and Boran dams

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

W. Thorpe ,
D. K. R. Cruickshank  and
R. Thompson
W. Thorpe
Affiliation:
Central Research Station, Mazabuka, Zambia
D. K. R. Cruickshank
Affiliation:
Central Research Station, Mazabuka, Zambia
R. Thompson
Affiliation:
ARC Unit of Statistics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JZ
Get access

Abstract

Factors influencing reproductive performance and calf and dam live weights were examined for two indigenous breeds, Angoni and Barotse, and an introduced breed, Boran, under ranching conditions in Zambia.

Over 5 years, 675 Angoni, 731 Barotse and 815 Boran records gave calving percentages of 82·5, 78·1 and 75·4 respectively. Year was an important influence on calving and weaning percentages in all breeds; age of dam had little effect and status at mating was only important in the Angoni breed, in which lactating dams produced more calves than dry dams.

Mean calf weaning weights were 147·3, 167·0 and 169·5 kg for the Angoni, Barotse and Boran dam breeds respectively. Hereford, Friesian and Boran bulls sired heavier progeny than Angoni and Barotse. Dam age and status did not influence calf weights, which were positively correlated with dam weights and negatively correlated with dam weight change during lactation.

Dam live weights at the beginning of the breeding season were 313, 357 and 348 kg for the Angoni, Barotse and Boran breeds respectively. Angoni and Boran dams reached maximum live weight at 7 years and Barotses at 9 years. Subsequent calving rate was not influenced by live weight at the beginning of the breeding season nor, in lactating dams, by live-weight change between the autumn peak and mid breeding season.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 30 , Issue 2 , April 1980 , pp. 217 - 234
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1980

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Buck, N. G., Light, D., Rutherford, A., Miller, M., Rennie, T. W., Pratchett, D., Capper, B. S. and Trail, J. C. M. 1976. Environmental factors affecting beef cow reproductive performance in Botswana. Anim. Prod. 23: 357–363.Google Scholar
Capper, B. S., Pratchett, D., Rennie, T. W., Light, D., Rutherford, A., Miller, M., Buck, N. G. and Trail, J. C. M. 1977. Effects of rumen stimulatory licks on reproductive performance and live-weight gain of beef cattle in Botswana. Anim. Prod. 24: 49–55.Google Scholar
Elliot, R. C. 1964. Some nutritional factors affecting the productivity of beef cattle in Southern Rhodesia. Ph.D. Thesis, Univ. London.Google Scholar
Lamond, D. R. 1970. The influence of undernutrition on reproduction in the cow. Anim. Breed. Abstr. 38: 359–372.Google Scholar
Lindsay, D. R. 1976. The usefulness to the animal producer of research findings in nutrition on reproduction. Proc. Aust. Soc. Anim. Prod. 11: 217–224.Google Scholar
Mason, I. L. and Maule, J. P. 1960. The Indigenous Livestock of Eastern and Southern Africa. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, Farnham Royal, Buckinghamshire.Google Scholar
Peacock, F. M., Koger, M., Crockett, J. R. and Warnick, A. C. 1977. Reproductive performance and crossbreeding Angus, Brahman and Charolais cattle. J. Anim. Sci. 44: 729–733.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peacock, F. M., Koger, M., Kirk, W. G., Hodges, E. M. and Warnick, A. C. 1971. Reproduction in Brahman, Shorthorn and crossbred cows on different pasture programs. J. Anim. Sci. 33: 458–465.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Preston, T. R. and Willis, M. B. 1974. Intensive Beef Production. 2nd ed. Pergamon, Oxford.Google Scholar
Rakha, A. M., Hale, D. and Igboeli, G. 1970. The age of puberty in local breeds of cattle in central Africa. J. Reprod. Fert. 22: 369–370.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rakha, A. M., Igboeli, G. and King, J. L. 1971. Calving interval, gestation and postpartum periods of indigenous central African cattle under a restricted system of breeding. J. Anim. Sci. 32: 507–509.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richardson, F. D., Oliver, J. and Clarke, G. P. Y. 1975. Analyses of some factors which affect the productivity of beef cows and of their calves in a marginal rainfall area of Rhodesia. 1. Factors affecting calving rate. Anim. Prod. 21: 41–49.Google Scholar
Sacker, G. D., Trail, J. C. M. and Fisher, I. L. 1971. Crossbreeding beef cattle in western Uganda. 2. Environmental influences on body weight. Anim. Prod. 13: 143–152.Google Scholar
Steenkamp, J. D. G., Van Der Horst, Conny and Andrew, M. J. A. 1975. Reconception in grade and pedigree Africander cows of different sizes: postpartum factors influencing reconception. S. Afr. J. Anim. Sci. 5: 103–110.Google Scholar
Thorpe, W., Cruickshank, D. K. R. and Thompson, R. 1979. The growth and carcass characteristics of crosses of Hereford and Friesian with Angoni, Barotse and Boran cattle in Zambia. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 93: 423–430.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Topps, J. H. 1977. The relationship between reproduction and undernutrition in beef cattle. Wld Rev. Anim. Prod. 13 (2): 43–49.Google Scholar
Trail, J. C. M., Buck, N. G., Light, D., Rennie, T. W., Rutherford, A., Miller, M., Pratchett, D. and Capper, B. S. 1977. Productivity of Africander, Tswana, Tuli and crossbred beef cattle in Botswana. Anim. Prod. 24: 57–62.Google Scholar
Trail, J. C. M., Sacker, G. D. and Fisher, I. L. 1971. Crossbreeding beef cattle in western Uganda. 1. Performance of Ankole, Boran and Zebu cows. Anim. Prod. 13: 127–141.Google Scholar
Turner, J. W., Farthing, B. R. and Robertson, G. L. 1968. Heterosis in reproductive performance of beef cows. J. Anim. Sci. 27: 336–338.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Rensburg, H. J. 1969. Legume/grass pastures in Zambia. Fmg Zambia 4: 2.Google Scholar
Ward, H. K. 1968. Supplementation of beef cows grazing on veld. Rhod. J. agric. Res. 6: 93–101.Google Scholar
Willis, M. B. and Wilson, A. 1974. Comparative reproductive performance of Brahman and Santa Gertrudis cattle in a hot humid environment. 1. Fertility and descriptive statistics. Anim. Prod. 18: 35–42.Google Scholar