Assessment of Dairy Cattle Productive and Reproductive Performance in West Guji Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess dairy cattle productive and reproductive performance in West Guji Zone of Oromia Regional state, Ethiopia. Three districts namely Bule Hora, Karcha and Dugda Dawa were purposively selected based on dairy cattle production potential. A total of 270 respondents (95 from Karcha, 124 from Bule Hora and 51 from Dugda Dawa) were randomly selected. All the collected data were analyzed using SPSS version of 24. The overall mean of productivity and reproductive performance of dairy cattle were; daily milk yield, lactation length, and average milk yield were assessed. In addition, the overall mean reproductive performance of dairy cattle age at first services (AFS), age at first calving (AFC), calving interval (CI), number of services per conception (NSP) and days open (DO) in the study areas were assessed. The milk production performance of local cows was varying based on stages of lactation in the study areas. Accordingly, high milk was harvested at mid-stage lactation. Generally, it can be concluded that the production and reproductive performances of dairy cattle were low, indicating that the urgent need for coordinated interventions from all the stakeholders. Thus, coordinated works of all concerned bodies should be in place to boost the production and productivity and thereby enhance the livelihood of the dairy farmers in west Guji zone.