Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T20:33:39.507Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The reproductive performance, mothering ability, and productivity of crossbred and Tswana beef cows in Botswana

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

D. Light ,
N. G. Buck  and
L. L. Lethola
D. Light
Affiliation:
Animal Production Research Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
N. G. Buck
Affiliation:
Animal Production Research Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
L. L. Lethola
Affiliation:
Animal Production Research Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
Get access

Abstract

The calving rates, survival and growth of calves of Brahman (344), Bonsmara (454), Simmental (601) and Tuli (276) crossbred cows, and pure Tswana (405), were collected for a 7-year period, 1974–80. Calving and survival rates for calves were 0·90, 0·88, 0·87, 0·87 and 0·82; and 0·94, 0·93, 0·96, 0·94 and 0·93, for Simmental, Tuli, Brahman and Bonsmara crossbreds, and pure Tswana, respectively. These differences were not significant (P<0·05).

Calves produced by Simmental ♂ and Bonsmara ♂ crossbred cows were significantly heavier than those from Brahman ♂ and Tuli ♂ crossbred cows (P<0·01), but not from Tswana-sired calves. At weaning, calves from Simmental-cross cows weighed 214 kg, significantly heavier than those produced by any other cow type (P<0·01). Bonsmara- and Brahman-cross cows produced calves weighing 203 and 198kg respectively at weaning, which were also significantly heavier than the calves of Tswana and Tuli crossbred cows (P<0·01), which weighed 187 and 184 kg respectively.

Productivity estimates combining these three traits, and expressed as weight of calf weaned per cow per year, per kg cow weight and per kg metabolic weight of cow, demonstrate the advantages of three of the crossbred cow types over the pure Tswana. Recommendations for the further development of crossbreeding systems in Botswana are made on the basis of this finding.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 35 , Issue 3 , December 1982 , pp. 421 - 426
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1982

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

Animal Production Research Unit. 1981. Ten years of animal production and range research in Botswana, 1980. Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone (Mimeograph).Google Scholar
Cartwright, T. C. 1973. Comparison of F1, cows with purebreds and other crosses. In Crossbreeding of Beef Cattle, Ser. 2. University of Florida Press, Gainesville, Fla.Google Scholar
Harvey, W. R. 1960. Least squares analysis of data with unequal subclass numbers. U.S. Dep. Agric, ARS–20–8 (Mimeograph).Google Scholar
Mason, I. L. 1966. Hybrid vigour in beef cattle. Anim. Breed. Abstr. 34: 453–473.Google Scholar
Mason, I. L. and Maule, J. P. 1960. The Indigenous Livestock of Eastern and Southern Africa. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, Farnham Royal, Buckingamshire.Google Scholar
Preston, T. R. and Willis, M. B. 1970. Intensive Beef Production. 2nd ed. Pergammon Press, Oxford.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. and Rennie, T. W. 1975. Botswana: performance testing of beef cattle. Wld Anim. Rev. 14: 37–41.Google Scholar
Tyson, P. D. 1978. Southern African rainfall: past, present and future. In Proc. Botswana Drought Symp., Botswana Soc, Gaborone, pp. 45–52.Google Scholar