Review Work on Productive and Reproductive Performance of Crossbreed Dairy Cattle in Ethiopia

Abstract

Ethiopia enowed with  alarge livestock population in africa as well as in the world. Dairy farming is one of the world wide practiced farming including Ethiopia. The main aim of this review is to know the overall preformance (both productive and reproductive) of crossbred dairy cattle in Ethiopia. According to inputs, agro-ecology, intensity of production dairy farming is catagoized as low land pastoralism, high land smallholder, urban and peri-urban small scale dairy farm  and intensive (specialised comercial) dairy farming systems. The feed resourse for low land pastoralism and highland small holders is mostly natural pastures and crop by products. However, for urban and peri-urban small scale and intensive farms is purchased hay, green legum and other concentrats. Ethiopia has divrrsified dairy cattle breeds and  the cross breeds have different production performance. Those differences in performance with in and between breeds could be due to management activity. There are also constraints that can influence the performance of dairy cattle like shortage of feed, poor genetic performance and poor management systems. The existing  opportunities to improve thire performance includes the presence of diversified breeds as well as introducing of artificial insemination service technology. Besides these, the productive and reoroductive performance can be improve through good management. Therefore, good forage development strategy and good breeding strategies must be under taken by the government as well as other concerned bodies.

Keywords: Productive, Reproductive, Preformanec, Dairy Cattle, Management

DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/9-6-04

Publication date:March 31^st 2019