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The response of creole, friesian and friesian cross cows to concentrate supplementation on village smallholdings in mauritius

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 November 2017

A.A. Boodoo ,
R. Ramjee ,
B. Hulman ,
F. Dolberg  and
J.B. Rowe
A.A. Boodoo
Affiliation:
Ministry of Agriculture, Mauritius
R. Ramjee
Affiliation:
Ministry of Agriculture, Mauritius
B. Hulman
Affiliation:
Ministry of Agriculture, Mauritius
F. Dolberg
Affiliation:
FAO, Rome
J.B. Rowe
Affiliation:
FAO, Rome
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Extract

Milk production in the villages of Mauritius can be characterised as follows: about 90% of the ‘dairy’ cows on the island are owned by villagers. Cattle-rearing is a side-line activity of the family. Most villagers own one cow With a calf. No forage is cultivated. Forage sources for the cattle include sugar cane tops from June to December (harvest season) and shrubs and mixed grasses from road sides and common lands all the year round. All forages are available free and are collected by hand. There is very little or no use of concentrate supplements.

The cattle are a mixture of the local Creole breed, Friesians and their crosses. Artificial insemination is widely used. Milk production is generally low (1200-1500 litres per lactation) when compared with European dairy cows. Lactations are normally relatively short (225-250 days) and calving intervals long (15-18 months).

Since these cattle contribute more than 90% of the national production of fresh milk it Was decided, within the context of a project financed by the United Nations Development Programme, to investigate the extent to Which their productivity could be improved.

Type
Cattle Production and Nutrition
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972) , Volume 1989 , March 1989 , pp. 143
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Production 1989

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References

Bennie, J.S.S. (1956). The Mauritius Creole breed of milch cattle. Empire Journal of Experimental Agriculture. Vol. 24, No. 95.Google Scholar
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