Abstract
Daily weight gain of crossbred calves was studied in relation to seasonal changes in pasture quality and quantity, and management routines. A total of 171 and 56 calves were monitored up to the ages of 6 and 9 months, respectively, on ten farms in a semi-arid region of Uganda. Daily weight gains of calves were 288, 315 and 442 g/day at ages 0–2, 2–6 and 6–9 months, respectively. Average live weights of calves at ages 6 and 9 months were around 90 and 120 kg, respectively. Daily weight gain of calves at ages 6–9 months increased by 81 g for each additional percentage of crude protein in pasture (p < 0.05). At ages 0–2 (p < 0.05) and 0–6 (p < 0.05) months, crosses with >75 % Holstein-Friesian (HF) had 30 and 60 g lower daily weight gain, respectively, than crosses with 75 % HF and 25 % Ankole. Birth month (August–January) and the number of days with low pasture quantity (<800 kg dry matter (DM)/ha) had no significant effect on calf weight gain. A significantly higher weight gain was obtained for calves with the opportunity to suckle twice daily, compared with once. This indicates that suckling is beneficial for calves in semi-arid environments where seasonal pasture shortage regularly occurs.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
AOAC (1990).Official Methods of Analysis15. ed. Virginia, USA: Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Inc.
FAO (2013). Tropical Livestock Units (TLU). [online] http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/programmes/en/lead/toolbox/Mixed1/TLU.htm. Accessed 6 Mar 2013
Grimaud, P., Mpairwe, D., Chalimbaud, J., Messad, S. and Faye, B. (2007). The place of Sanga cattle in dairy production in Uganda. Tropical Animal Health and Production 39, 217–227.
Lindgren, E. (1979). Nutrient content of forages determined in vivo and by different laboratory methods [Vallfodrets näringsvärde bestämt in vivo och med olika laboratoriemetoder]. Report No. 45. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden (Swedish with English summary).
Mulindwa, H., Galukande, E., Wurzinger, M., Ojango, J., Okeyo, A.M. and Sölkner, J. (2011). Stochastic simulation model of Ankole pastoral production system: Model development and evaluation. Ecological Modelling 222(20–22), 3692–3700.
Okello, S., Sabiiti, E.N. and Schwartz, H.J. (2005). Analysis of factors affecting milk yield of Ankole cows grazed on natural range pastures in Uganda. African Journal of Range & Forage Science 22, 149–156.
Petersen, P.H., Ndumu, D.B., Kiwuwa, G.H., Kyomo, M.L., Semambo, D.K.N., Rowlands, G.J., Nagda, S.N. and Nakimbugwe, H. (2003). Characteristics of Ankole Longhorn cattle and their production environments in South Western Uganda: milk offtake and body measurements. Animal Genetic Resources Information, FAO. 34, 1–9
Rugadya, M., Obaikol, E. and Herbert, K. (2005). Critical pastoral issues and policy statements for the national land policy in Uganda. Associates for Development, Land Research Series 5.
SAS (2008). SAS Institute Inc. Cary NC, USA.
Traoré, M. (1989). Dairy production in the semi-arid rangelands of West Africa. In: A. Speedy and R. Sansoucy (eds), Proceedings of the FAO Expert Consultation held in Bangkok, Thailand, 1989. Feeding dairy cows in the tropics.[online] http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/t0413e/T0413E00.htm#TOC. Accessed 9 Apr 2013 [2013-04-09].
Wurzinger, M., Okeyo, A.M., Semambo, D. and Soelkner, J. (2009). The sedentarisation process of the Bahima in Uganda: An emic view. African Journal of Agricultural Research 4, 1154–1158.
Acknowledgments
The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is gratefully acknowledged for financial support and Sylvester Katomurunda and Mary Tibezinda at Makerere University for their help and support during the field work.
Ethical standards
This study was performed with the consent of all farmers in the study. All handling of animals in connection with registrations and management was performed, taking animal welfare into consideration.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Johansson, C., Wredle, E., Mpairwe, D. et al. Effects of calving month, pasture conditions and management on the growth of Holstein-Friesian × Ankole crossbred calves in a semi-arid rangeland. Trop Anim Health Prod 47, 783–786 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-015-0786-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-015-0786-7