ABSTRACT
Our objective was to quantify the milk
production of N'Dama cattle kept under
village conditions as part of an epidemio-
logical study designed to identify produc-
tion constraints and to develop strategies
to improve livestock productivity of
fanners with small holdings. Milk and
component yields were monitored
monthly by measurement of milk ex-
tracted for human use (milk offtake) plus
that consumed by the calf, estimated from
body weight changes. Least squares
analyses of 668 lactations recorded over 4
yr gave mean lactation length, 420 d;
milk offtake, 404.3 kg; fat, 5.1%; protein,
3.2%; calf weaning weight, 88.1 kg; and
calving interval, 641 d. A productivity
index incorporating milk offtake, calf
weaning weight, calving rate, and viabil-
ity gave a mean annual 140.6 kg of
weaner calf plus the weight equivalent of
milk offtake per 100 kg of cow metabolic
weight. The index was higher than that
recorded for larger Zebu (Bos indicus)
cattle managed under similar production
systems elsewhere in Africa. These
results show that the trypanotolerant
N'Dama cattle appear to be more produc-
tive than previously thought and should
therefore be considered when promoting
livestock development in Africa, espe-
cially in tsetse-infested areas where other
breeds cannot survive.
Original Title
Milk Production Characteristics and Productivity of N'Dama Cattle Kept
Under Village Management In The Gambia Pi is 0022030291783227
ABSTRACT
Our objective was to quantify the milk
production of N'Dama cattle kept under
village conditions as part of an epidemio-
logical study designed to identify produc-
tion constraints and to develop strategies
to improve livestock productivity of
fanners with small holdings. Milk and
component yields were monitored
monthly by measurement of milk ex-
tracted for human use (milk offtake) plus
that consumed by the calf, estimated from
body weight changes. Least squares
analyses of 668 lactations recorded over 4
yr gave mean lactation length, 420 d;
milk offtake, 404.3 kg; fat, 5.1%; protein,
3.2%; calf weaning weight, 88.1 kg; and
calving interval, 641 d. A productivity
index incorporating milk offtake, calf
weaning weight, calving rate, and viabil-
ity gave a mean annual 140.6 kg of
weaner calf plus the weight equivalent of
milk offtake per 100 kg of cow metabolic
weight. The index was higher than that
recorded for larger Zebu (Bos indicus)
cattle managed under similar production
systems elsewhere in Africa. These
results show that the trypanotolerant
N'Dama cattle appear to be more produc-
tive than previously thought and should
therefore be considered when promoting
livestock development in Africa, espe-
cially in tsetse-infested areas where other
breeds cannot survive.
ABSTRACT
Our objective was to quantify the milk
production of N'Dama cattle kept under
village conditions as part of an epidemio-
logical study designed to identify produc-
tion constraints and to develop strategies
to improve livestock productivity of
fanners with small holdings. Milk and
component yields were monitored
monthly by measurement of milk ex-
tracted for human use (milk offtake) plus
that consumed by the calf, estimated from
body weight changes. Least squares
analyses of 668 lactations recorded over 4
yr gave mean lactation length, 420 d;
milk offtake, 404.3 kg; fat, 5.1%; protein,
3.2%; calf weaning weight, 88.1 kg; and
calving interval, 641 d. A productivity
index incorporating milk offtake, calf
weaning weight, calving rate, and viabil-
ity gave a mean annual 140.6 kg of
weaner calf plus the weight equivalent of
milk offtake per 100 kg of cow metabolic
weight. The index was higher than that
recorded for larger Zebu (Bos indicus)
cattle managed under similar production
systems elsewhere in Africa. These
results show that the trypanotolerant
N'Dama cattle appear to be more produc-
tive than previously thought and should
therefore be considered when promoting
livestock development in Africa, espe-
cially in tsetse-infested areas where other
breeds cannot survive.
Milk Production Characteristics and Productivity of N'Dama Cattle Kept
Under Village Management In The Gambia
K. AGYEMANG1 Intemational Uvestock Centre for AfrIca ethiopia R. H. DWINGER, A. S. GRIEVE, and M. L. BAH International Trypanotolerance centre P.M.B. 14 BanjUl, The Gambia ABSTRACT Our objective was to quantify the milk production of N'Dama cattle kept under village conditions as part of an epidemio- logical study designed to identify produc- tion constraints and to develop strategies to improve livestock productivity of fanners with small holdings. Milk and component yields were monitored monthly by measurement of milk ex- tracted for human use (milk offtake) plus that consumed by the calf, estimated from body weight changes. Least squares analyses of 668 lactations recorded over 4 yr gave mean lactation length, 420 d; milk offtake, 404.3 kg; fat, 5.1%; protein, 3.2%; calf weaning weight, 88.1 kg; and calving interval, 641 d. A productivity index incorporating milk offtake, calf weaning weight, calving rate, and viabil- ity gave a mean annual 140.6 kg of weaner calf plus the weight equivalent of milk offtake per 100 kg of cow metabolic weight. The index was higher than that recorded for larger Zebu (Bos indicus) cattle managed under similar production systems elsewhere in Africa. These results show that the trypanotolerant N'Dama cattle appear to be more produc- tive than previously thought and should therefore be considered when promoting livestock development in Africa, espe- cially in tsetse-infested areas where other breeds cannot survive. Received March 1, 1990. Accepted July 25, 1990. lIntemational Trypanotolcrance Centre, PMB 14 Ban- jul, The Gambia. Author to whom reprint requests should be addressed. (Key words: N'Dama cattle, milk, yield) Abbreviation key: Ix =once daily, 2x =twice daily. INTRODUCTION Approximately 10 million km 2 of Africa's humid and subhumid region is infested with tsetse flies, and the trypanosomes they transmit cause trypanosomiasis in humans and livestock. These tsetse-infested areas, which also include some of the best watered and fertile lands of the region, are thus rendered largely unsuitable for livestock farming. It has been argued that a large part of these infested areas could be put to immediate use for livestock or mixed agricul- tural development if trypanosomiasis could be controlled. Previous efforts to rid the areas of trypanosomiasis have included tsetse control by the use of insecticides, clearing of large areas of tsetse habitat, and use of trypanocidal drugs to treat infected livestock. These approaches are becoming increasingly less attractive in many situations because of high failure rates, high cost, or concerns for environmental pollution or degradation. Another approach that has generated much interest recently is the use of trypanotolerant livestock in these tsetse-infested areas. Trypanotolerant livestock are known to survive and maintain reasonable production in spite of the presence of tsetse and trypanosomes (10). In order to gain a better understanding of the factors that influence the trypanotolerant trait, the International Trypanotolerance Centre was set up in The Gambia. At the Centre, multidis- ciplinary teams of scientists have been investi- gating the productivity of trypanotolerant live- stock, in particular, N'Dama cattle. The N'Dama has been and currently is used in several traditional production systems as a multipurpose breed providing milk, meat, ma- 1991 I Dairy Sci 74:1599-1608 1599 1600 AGYEMANG ET AL. nure, and traction. Much of the production data on N'Dama has been collected at government or university research stations at which almost invariably only meat production characteristics were studied. Therefore, information is not available on milking characteristics and, hence, productivity of the breed in tenns of meat and milk under traditional management systems. As part of a large-scale epidemiological study to estimate the productivity of N'Dama cattle 00- der different degrees of tsetse challenge, a milk recording scheme was initiated in selected vil- lages in The Gambia. The objective of this paper is to report on milk production character- istics and the contribution of milk extracted for human consumption to the overall productivity of the breed. MATERIALS AND METHODS The Study Area The studies were carried out in four villages in the Republic of The Gambia, latitude 1305' to 135O'N and longitude 1347' to 165O'W. The climate is Sudano-Guinean with mean an- nual rainfall of 800 to 1000 nun, decreasing from coastal to inland areas. Mean annual rain- fall recorded for 1987 and 1988 in each of the four villages were for Gunjur, Pirang, Keneba. and Nioro Jattaba 1383, 1540, 1074, and 1509 mm, respectively. Tsetse challenge in these areas varies. Gunjur and Nioro Jattaba are clas- sified as low challenge areas and Keneba and Pirang are low to seasonally medium. This classification was based on tsetse fly catches and trypanosome infection rates in flies (W. F. Snow, personal communication) and cattle in these villages. Herd Management N'Dama are descendants of taurine Hamitic longhorns, which arrived in the Nile Delta from the Near East some 7000 yr ago (6, 17). Under the village management systems in The Gam- bia, animals are tethered overnight on grounds close to the homestead. Breeding is open with one or more bulls running with the herd throughout the year. Calvings occur throughout the year, but more than 80% occur from July to December with peak calving occurring in Au- gust and September (11). Extraction of milk for lomnal of Dairy Science Vol. 74, No.5, 1991 human use begins 1 to 2 wk after calving. Milking is done once daily (Ix) in Nioro Jat- taba and twice daily (2x) in Gunjur, Pirang, and Keneba. Morning milking starts at approxi- mately 0600 h and evening milking between 1800 and 2200 h, depending on the season of the year. Cows are hand-milked with the calf at foot. Milk ejection is initiated by pennitting the dam to suckle the calf briefly. The cow is partially milked with some residual milk left for the calf. FIeld RecordIng and Laboratory Analytical Procedures Approximate year of birth was assigned to each animal at the time of initial identification based on dentition and breeding history pro- vided by herd owners and herds persons. The assigned year of birth was incorporated into the identification number. For breeding females, the number of calves produced by the time of initial registration was recorded. Animals sub- sequently born or bought into the herds were ear-tagged by veterinary or milk recording as- sistants based in the villages. Quantities of milk extracted for human use (milk offtake) over and above that consumed by the calf was measured in a calibrated cylinder for individual cows during evening and the subsequent moming milkings, once a month at an interval of 25 to 35 d. Milk recording started 1 to 2 wk after calving. A 2Q-ml sample from the moming milking was collected to determine fat percent- age using the Gerber method and protein per- centage using a formaldehyde titration method. Milk fat and protein testing were started 8 and 12 mo after milk recording began. Therefore, fewer records were available for statistical analysis. The cow and suckling calf were weighed at the time of milk measurement using portable electronic scales (Barlo, Australia). Animals were also bled every month, and the blood was examined for trypanosomes using the dar.k ground method (14). The extent of parasitaemia was quantified by a scoring sys- tem (16). Data Preparation and StatlsUcal Analyses All measurements were stored on microcom- puter files for each cow-calf pair for each month. Evening and morning milk were added MILK. PRODUCTION OF VILLAGE-RAISED N'DAMA CATILE TABLE 1. Frequency distribution of milking termination codes for village N'Dama cattle berds. Termination Number of Percentage Code Reason n::cords of total 1 Normal termination with weaned calf 657 73.2 2 Dead or lost calf 158 17.7 3 Protracted sickness of cow 10 1.1 4 Cow sold 29 3.2 5 Death of cow 43 4.8 Total 897 100.0 1601 to obtain a daily offtake value. These monthly daily offtake values were summed to obtain the cwnulative lactation offtake for each cow by the use of the modified test interval method (28). One liter of milk. was asswned to weigh I kg. Fat and protein yields from the milk ex- tracted were calculated as the product of the fat or protein percentage and the milk offtake. A total of 897 completed or terminated lactations from cows were recorded from October 1985 to September 1989. Distribution of the data set by reason of termination of lactation is given in Table 1. Of this total, 116 records were ex- cluded from the data on the grounds of incom- plete blood sampling information. The final data set used for analyses was obtained from records meeting one of the following condi- tions: 1) a normally terminated lactation record, 2) abruptly terminated lactations that lasted for 180 d or more, and 3) abruptly terminated lactations independent of duration if the dam was found to have been infected with trypano- somes any time during the lactation. This resulted in 668 records for analyses of lactation length and lactation milk. offtake, 531 for fat, 333 for protein, 668 for calf birth weight, 582 for calf weaning weight, 642 for average post- partum weight of cow, 326 for calving interval, and 348 for productivity indices. Milk offtake, calf weaning weight, average postpartum cow weight, calving interval, and indicators of calf viability were combined to calculate three mea- sures of productivity indices. These indices were calculated as index 1 = kilograms Iiveweight of weaner calf produced plus liveweight equivalent of milk offtake for hu- man use per cow maintained per year = [(liveweight of calf at weaning + lactation milk offtake/9) x 365]/subsequent calving interval. The factor of 9 as a divisor of lactation milk offtake is based on reports of Drewry et at. (5) that showed an additional unit of calf gain for every 9 units of additional milk. conswned. Calculations based on data of Montsma (13) indicate that for N'Dama cattle this value is about 8. The divisor 9 was used to allow com- parison with others (Wagenaar et aI. (27; in- dex 2 =kilograms liveweight of weaner calf produced plus liveweight equivalent of milk offtake for human use per 100 kg of cow maintained per year =(index l/average postpar- tum weight of cow) x 100; and index 3 = kilograms liveweight of weaner calf produced plus liveweight equivalent of milk offtake for human use per 100 kg of metabolic weight of cow maintained per year =(index l/cow aver- age postpartum weight .73) x 100. Because subsequent calving interval is needed for cal- culating productivity indices, only cows with multiple parturitions were considered; and be- cause most cows calve every other year (11), for the present purpose, calvings initiated after June 1987 were excluded from the analyses. For cows calving prior to July 1987 (7.6%) and still in the herds but with no subsequent calving by the time of analysis in October 1989, an arbitrary calving interval of 1095 d (3 yr) was assigned based on the expectation that they would have calved by June 1990. Exclu- sion of such cows from the data would have biased the mean interval downward In order to calculate indices for each cow, the following rules were adopted: indices were set to zero if the cow died during or after lactation since there was no opportunity to have a subsequent interval; for cows with calves that died before weaning, the liveweight of weaner calf was set to zero, and milk offtake from such cows up to the time of death of calf was the sole portion of production considered The inclusion of records of cows that died and zero weights for dead calves accounted for cow and calf mortality in Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 74, No. S, 1991 1602 AGYEMANG ET AL. TABLE 2. Unadjusted means, standard deviations. 8Dd range for production parameters. Parameters Lactation length, d Milk offtake, kg Fat percentage, % Protein percentage, % Fat yield, kg Protein yield, kg Calf birth weight, kg Calf weaning weight, kg Avg. postpartum cow weight, kg Calving intel'Val, d Productivity index I, kg Productivity index 2, kg Productivity index 3, kg Number of records 668 668 531 333 531 333 668 582 642 326 348 348 348 Mean 420 404.3 5.1 3.2 18.8 11.6 17.5 88.1 225.7 641 73.5 32.6 140.6 SD 138.6 183.1 1.0 .3 10.5 5.9 2.7 27.3 28.2 200.8 33.7 14.4 62.2 Range 7G-I018
2.3-4.1 l.l-<iO.8 .5-33.3 8-24 26-203
G-153.0 G-64.2 G-269.7 the indices. All analyses were carried out by using least squares procedures (8). The general model assumed was Y=XB+e where Y is a vector of observations of the dependent variables listed in Table 2, X is a known fixed design matrix for the trait lDlder consideration, B is an unknown vector of fixed effects, and e is an lDlobservable vector of random errors, identically and independently distributed with mean zero and variance-covari- ance matrix Ia;. The fixed effects included the following factors: system of milking manage-- ment (lx, 2x milking), parity of cow (first, two to four combined, and all parities greater than four combined), trypanosome infection status in cow during lactation (uninfected, infected), sex of suckling calf (male, female), year-season of calving [1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 in combina- tion with wet season (July through October) and dry season (November through June)], and herd nested within system of milking (8 in Ix and 16 in 2x milking systems). Herds within the 2x milking system were situated in three localities, two of them near the coast and the third further inland A statistically significant effect due to herds could reflect the differences in annual amOlDlts of precipitation and hence feed resources in these localities. Large differ- ences among herds in a given locality could indicate differences in herd management such as choice of grazing sites, frequency of water- Journal of Dairy Science VoL 74, No.5, 1991 ing animals, and changing of holding grounds to avoid build up of intemal parasites. Similarly for herds within the Ix system, all of which were situated in one locality, a statistically significant difference could be ascribed to herd management. Interaction effects were dropped from the model as preliminary analyses indicated non- significance (P > .60). The identities of service sires were not known; therefore, sire effects were not considered in the analyses. Least squares means for each value of an effect were obtained from solutions to the least squares equations. These means are individu- ally adjusted for other effects in the model; hence, they may differ from the raw or unad- justed means. Repeatabilities were estimated from intra- cow correlations using the mixed model Y = XB + Zu = e, where Y is a vector of observations for the traits listed in Table 2 where adequate numbers of cows with multiple measurements existed, X is a known fixed design matrix, B is a known design matrix representing herd, year-season, and parity of cow, Z is a known design matrix, u is an lDlobservable vector of random cow effects nested within herds with mean zero and variance-covariance matrix and e is an unobservable random vector of errors with a mean zero and variance-covariance matrix Ia;. Variance components for cows and errors were MILK. PRODUCTION OF VILLAGE-RAISED N'DAMA CATILE 1603 calculated, and repeatability was computed as ~ ~ ~ with estimates obtained from mixed model options of Harvey's least squares program (8). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Published work on long-term studies of N'Dama production in traditional systems and on milk offtake in particular in villages is scarce. The few reports available on milk pro- duction were carried out at research stations (9, 13) over short periods of lactation, and milk composition was not included. Therefore, com- parison of results with others under similar management conditions is not possible. Where applicable, results obtained on herds maintained at research stations will be used to highlight the differences between station and village produc- tion systems, and to demonstrate the trade-offs between milk and beef production. Similarly, productivities of Zebu cattle will be discussed to compare trypanotolerant N'Dama and trypanosensitive cattle kept under similar man- agement systems. Frequencies, means, standard deviation, and ranges of the traits studied are in Table 2. About 18% of all lactations were terminated due to the death or disappearance of suckling calves. The most common cause of calf mortality was black leg (clostridial infec- tions). lactation Length and lactation Milk O:ftake Effect of milking management system was significant for lactation length (P < .01) and milk offtake (P < .001). Cows were milked on average 51 d longer in the Ix than in 2x milking system (Table 3). Despite the shorter lactation length for 2x milking, 66% more milk (158 kg/cow) was extracted than in the Ix (Table 3), which was as expected (18). Herd effect was significant (P < .001) for milk offtake in 2x milking but not in Ix sys- tem. Ranges in herd milk offtake in the 2x system was wider (280 to 539 kg) than in Ix (176 to 301 kg). Among herds in a given locality there was a tendency for smaller herds to extract more milk per cow per day of lacta- tion. Year-season of calving effect was signifi- cant (P < .001) for both Iactation length and milk. offtake, mainly due to shorter lactation length associated with lactations initiated in 1988. Cows with longer lactations were still in milk and were not included in the analyses. Within years, except for 1988, cows that calved in the wet season tended to have a higher milk offtake and longer lactation length than those calving in the dry season. Milk offtake per day of lactation showed little effect of wet and dry season calvings. The better than expected per- formance of cows calving in the dry season could be explained by the increase (50 to 75%) in daily milk production that occurred 3 to 5 mo after dry season calving due to the onset of rains in July. For cows calving in the wet season, daily milk offtake declined at a slower rate, but in this case, the nutritional boost fol- lowing the next rain did not occur until 9 to 12 mo postcalving (2). It appears that inadequate nutrition in lactating females is a limiting factor in milk yields under village management. The positive effect of feed supplementation to lac- tating cows on milk yield was demonstrated by Riley el at (19). Parity effect was significant (P < .01) on milk offtake but not on lactation length; highest milk offtake was from cows in second to fourth lactations, followed in decreasing order by pri- miparous cows and cows in lactation greater than four. The pattern of peak milk production occurring in midcareer cows has been found both in Bos indicus and Bos taurus in tropical environments (25, 29). Results of lactation milk. offtake of the past were mostly based on field observations or farmer interviews and gave un- adjusted means of 60 to 100 kg for a lactation length of 1 yr (10, 23). The mean of 404 kg over a lactation length of approximately 14 mo observed in the current study was four to six times previous estimates. The lactation length achieved may be related to herd management and cultural practices geared towards maximum milk extraction, but it also shows that the short Iactation lengths usually associated with tropical indigenous cattle breeds may not be a production constraint for the N'Dama. This observation, coupled with annual milk offtake of 600 kg for individual cows, gives an indication of the potential to develop the N'Dama as a dual purpose breed. Milk offtake from cows uninfected with trypanosomes during the lactation period was 24 kg more than those infected at least once during lactation (Table 3), although the differ- Jomnal of Dairy Science Vol. 74, No.5, 1991 1604 AGYEMANG ET AL. TABLE 3. Least squ.area means for milk: offtake and component traits. Least squ.area means Lactation Milk lellg1h offtake Fat Fat Protein Protein Factors (n) (d) (kg) (n) (%) (kg) (n) (%) (kg) Overall mean 668 411 317.5 531 4.9 14.1 333 3.2 8.6 System of milkingl 70 3.2 6.2 Ix 138 437 238.6 127 4.7 9.5 2x 530 386 396.4 404 5.2 18.7 263 3.2 10,9 Average SE 16.6 19.3 .13 1.2 .OS .8 Parity of cow 9.0 1 204 428 314.7 164 5.0 14.0 110 3.3 2-4 352 414 344.6 277 4.9 15.3 166 3.2 9.2 >4 112 393 293.1 90 4.9 13.0 57 3.2 7.6 Average SE 16.5 19.1 .12 .12 .OS .9 Infection status Infected 45 413 305.7 29 5.0 13.8 17 3.3 8.8 Unmfected 623 410 329.3 502 4.9 14.4 316 3.1 8.4 Average SE 17.1 13.2 .12 1.3 .05 .9 Sex of calf Male 342 416 323.6 267 4.9 14.3 173 3.2 8.2 Female 326 4m 311.3 264 4.9 14.0 160 3.2 9.0 Average SE 15.2 17.7 .12 1.1 .OS .8 Year-season of calving 1985, Wet 13 473 332.6 1985, Dry 39 444 331.6 1986, Wet 168 454 393.0 110 5.2 19.2 1986, Dry 95 434 352.4 68 4.9 17.2 1987, Wet 176 449 353.1 176 4.8 15.9 176 3.2 10.9 1987, Dry 118 418 332.9 118 4.7 14.7 98 3.2 10.3 1988, Wet 18 266 170.0 18 5.2 6.4 18 3.2 4.7 1988. Dry 41 354 274.2 41 4.7 1l.2 41 3.2 8.4 Average SE 23.8 27.6 .16 1.5 .06 1.0 lMillcing occurred ooce (IX) or twice (2x) daily. ence was not significant (P =.34). Agyemang et al. (l) estimated a larger difference in milk offtake between uninfected and infected N'Dama cows during the first 6 mo after infec- tion. The smaller difference in milk offtake between infected and uninfected observed in this study could be partly because over an extended lactation period climatic conditions that lead to increased feed availability tend to reduce the negative impact of trypanosome in- fections on productivity (1). Milk Composition System of milking management, year-season of calving, and herd within 2x milking system all had significant effects (P < .01) on fat percentage, and the effects of parity and herd were significant on protein percentage. Fat per- centage recorded for cows milked 2x was .5 Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 74, No.5, 1991 unit (11%) higher than for Ix (Table 3). Cows that initiated lactations during the wet season produced about .3 unit (6%) higher percentage of fat than those that initiated lactation in the dry season (Table 3). This difference could be explained by the fact that a greater proportion of the milk: offtake from cows calving in the dry season is extracted during the subsequent wet season. when the lowest fat concentrations are observed (2). The mean fat percentage of 5.1 was obtained from milk extracted in the morning. The actual milk fat percentage based on a composite of evening and morning milk could be even higher as fat percentage from evening milk is generally higher than that of the morning milking (22). It is also thought that the portion of the milk consumed by the calf after milk offtake may be higher in fat percent- age than the estimated value as milk stripping MILK PRODUCTION OF vnLAGE-RAISED N'DAMA CATILE 1605 has been reported to be high in fat. Because the milk consumed by the calf prior to handmilking would be lower in fat percentage than that of the residual, fat percentages based on the morn- ing milk should be about average for the N'Da- mao Nevertheless, the mean recorded was higher than for crosses between Friesian and Zebu cattle (12) and similar to that of an Fl cross between N'Dama and Jersey cattle in a tropical environment (20). The mean protein percentage of 3.2 was similar to values reported for other breeds of cattle. The high fat percent- age of N'Dama cattle, kept under a manage- ment system in which calf nutrition is likely to be inadequate in the dry season, is desirable for calf growth. Milk Component YIelds Factors that significantly influenced milk offtake also affected fat and protein yields. L1veweight Traits System of milking, parity, year-season, sex of calf, and herd within system of milking had significant effects on calf birth weight. Birth weight of calves born in 2x milking system (17.3 kg) was 1.5 kg (10%) heavier than calves in the Ix milking system. Mean calf birth weight was lowest for primiparous cows. Calves born during the wet season in a given year were .3 to 1.0 kg heavier than those born in the dry season. Males averaged 1.3 kg (8%) heavier than females at birth. Birth weight was 1 to 2 kg heavier for herds at the coastal than that found in the interior locations. The mean birth weight of 17.5 kg in the village herds was similar to that of N'Dama cattle in station- managed herds (7, 26) and 17% heavier than that reported by Carew et al. (4) for a station herd in Sierra Leone. Weaning weight was influenced by system of milking and year-season of birth (P < .001), sex of calf (P < .05), and herds. Weaning weight was 22 kg (29%) heavier in the Ix than in the 2x milking system. Year-season effects were mainly due to lighter weaning weights associated with shorter weaning period for calvings initiated in 1988. Male calves were weaned at a heavier weight than females (88.7 vs. 84.7 kg). Liveweight at 14 mo in this study was only 75 to 85% of that achieved at 8 to 9 mo at research stations in Senegal (7) and in The Gambia (15). Effects of system of milking management, parity, and herds on 2x milking were all signif- icant (P < .01) for postpartum cow weight. Cows averaged 9.6 kg heavier in 2x milking herds. Primiparous cows were lightest, fol- lowed in descending order by cows with two to four parities and those of parities greater than four. Cows tended to be heavier at the coastal than inland localities. Weight of village cows was 20% less than that of cows kept at research stations in The Gambia (15) and in Senegal (7) but 12% heavier than for cattle kept at a station in Sierra Leone (4). Calving Interval The mean calving interval for 301 records obtained from cows with last parturition occur- ring before July 1987 was 604 160 d. The inclusion of 25 cows with intervals projected to 1095 gave a longer mean of 641 200 d. Although parity of previous calving was not significant on calving interval, the mean inter- val (630 d) for cows with parities greater than four was 42 d shorter than for primiparous cows. Interval for cows in midcareer (parities 2 to 4) was intermediate between the primiparous and older cows. This trend agrees with previous reports (25). Effect of previous year-season of calving was not significant (P > .05) on calving interval. Calving interval for cows infected with trypanosomes was 56 d longer than for unin- fected cows. Interval for cows suckling male calves was 27 d longer than for cows with female calves. Herd effects on 2x milking were important (P < .05). The mean calving interval of 641 in this study was longer than values recorded for N'Dama at research stations in Sierra Leone (4, 24), Senegal (7), and Ghana (26), but the interval was more similar to the 634 recorded at the Yundum station in The Gambia (15). Calving rates ranging from 45 to 54% (i.e., intervals of 675 to 800 d) have been reported for indigenous Zebu breeds under tra- ditional management systems in Africa (27, 30). Thus, the long interval in this study may not be a breed characteristic but is more likely related .to long lactation periods as a positive correlation (P < .01) of .69 was obtained be- tween the two traits. CorrelaUons Lactation length was moderately correlated (P < .01) with yield traits (.56 to .58), fat Journal of DaiJy Science Vol. 74, No. S, 1991 1606 AGYEMANG BT AL. TABLE 4. Least squares means for productivity indices l Factors No. Index 1 Index 3 ------- (kg) ------- 129.7 122.4 9.65 124.8 127.2 10.78 120.2 131.9 10.35 131.8 125.7 120.6 10.49 126.0 30.2 28.6 2.22 29.4 29.1 29.7 2.49 31.3 29.2 27.7 2.40 28.3 30.5 2.38 60.4 69.4 5.66 64.9 64.3 65.5 5.89 64.4 65.4 64.9 5.n 67.1 62.7 5.30 65 283 348 27 321 174 174 99 188 61 Overall mean System ~ Ix 2x Average SE Parity of cow 1 2-4 >4 Average SE Infection status Infected Uninfected Average SE Sex of calf Male Female Average SE Year-season of calving 1985, Wet 13 71.9 32.9 140.5 1985, Dry 38 57.8 25.2 109.1 1986, Wet 166 74.3 33.8 144.8 1986, Dry 95 67.4 30.0 129.2 1987, Dry 36 53.2 25.2 106.6 Average SE 7.04 2.97 12.89 lBased on a weaner calf (14 mo of age) and Iiveweigbt equivalent of milk offtake for human use. 2Milldng OCCUlTed once (IX) or twice (2x) daily. percentage (.42), and protein percentage (.29). Milk offtake was highly correlated with fat yield (.94), protein yield (.97), and protein per- centage (.21). These correlations are within the range reported for other breeds. Productivity Indices Body weight of a weaned calf (approxi- mately 14 mo) plus the liveweight equivalent of milk offtake for human use (index 1) based on 348 parturitions was 73.5 33.7 kg. Means for indices 2 and 3 were 32.6 14.4 kg and 140.6 62.2 kg (Table 2). The slightly more records (348) used for productivity indices than for calving interval (326) were due to the inclusion in the former case of dead cows with no subse- quent interval to account for cow mortality. Least squares means are given in Table 4. System of milking effects were not signifi- cant for any index, although the means for indices 1, 2, and 3 in the 2x milking system were 9.0, 2.2, and 11.6 kg heavier than those in the Ix system (Table 4). The combined effects of 60% higher milk offtake in the 2x milking system, coupled with a similar calf mortality and calving intervals in both systems, resulted in slightly higher indices, notwithstanding the superior calf growth in the 1x milking system. Parity of calving was not significant for any of the three indices, although the trend was toward reduced productivity for older cows. The effect of year-season of calving was important (P < .01), with highest indices being achieved for parturitions occurring in the wet season of 1986. Within a given year, indices for cows calving in the wet season were about 20% greater than for those calving in the dry season (Table 4). Effects of sex of suckling calf and trypanosome infection status on productivity indices were not significant. Herd effects in 1x milking system approached significance (P = .08) but not in the 2x system. When the pro- ductivity indices in this study were compared Journal of Dairy Science VoL 74, No.5, 1991 MII...K PRODUcnON OF VILLAGE-RAISED N'DAMA CATILE TABLE S. Comparison of productivity indices of N'Dama IIIId Zebu 1 eattIe of various production systems. Cow productivity indices 1607 Cattle breed System Location Source Index 1 1ndelt 2 Index 3 N'Dama Zebu Vtllage Gambia Cum:ot stndy Station Gambia (IS) Station Sc:ocgal (7) Station Sierra Leone (4) Transbnman Mali (1.7) Agropastoral Mali (30) Settled Fulani,INigeria Cited in (1.7) TraditioDal Bot.swaM Otcd in (1.7) 73.5 82.6 70.1 35.5 372 45.7 47.5 612 32.6 140.6 30.5 1382 29.1 127.0 19.7 80.0 17.3 73.7 2 18.9 83.1 2 17.7 802 2 18.8 89.8 2 1Figures for Zebu's adapted from Wagenaar et aI. (27). 2caIculated usinB figures for Index 1 IIIId adult cow weight. with those achieved by the same breed kept at research stations (Table 5) at which milk was not extracted, the value achieved at the village was superior on indices 2 and 3. Station animals in most cases were and received better health care. Thus, the higher production in the village system indicates that a substantial pan of the production on station does not appear as har- vested output. The milk produced by cows is presumably not utilized fully by the suckling calves. It would appear reasonable that at least some of the "swplus" milk be extracted for human use as long as the extraction does not jeopardize the welfare of the calf. The similar productivity achieved in Ix and 2x milking systems (Table 4) supports this viewpoint. A comparison of N'Dama and Zebu cattle (Table 5) managed under similar conditions and milked for human consumption shows that the productivity of the N'Dama was superior to that of Zebu in all situations. Repeatablllties Repeatability estimates based on 198 records of 104 cows were .54 .01 for lactation milk offtake and .15 .01 lactation length. These values are within the ranges reported for other cattle breeds (21, 29), some of which are described as possessing better "dairy" teristics than the N'Dama. The moderately high repeatability estimate for milk offtake and the high persistency of milk yield during the first 6 to 7 mo of lactation (3) suggest that it may be possible to enhance the milking characteristics of N'Dama cattle through genetic selection. CONCLUSION The results show that the N'Dama cattle, hitherto ignored as a provider of animal protein foe buman diets, presumably because of its small size, appears to have, on a metabolic weight basis, an overall performance superior to the larger Zebu cattle. The better than ex- pected performance of the N'Dama in villages compared with performance of N'Dama kept at research stations was due to milk offtake in village herds. The major constraints to higher productivity in the village systems appear to be calf mortality and nutrition of dams. Although the major cause of calf mortality in the current study was infectious diseases, the interaction between diseases and preweaning nutritional status of the calf may be important and needs to the studied. Improvements in productivity through long- term genetic selection appears viable, but more information on heritabilities and genetic lations among milk and other traits will be needed in order to develop the most appropriate selection policy. Milking aspects of N'Dama are currently not a part of most research station programs. Because fanners with small holdings consider milk a priority output, it would appear reasonable to incoJpOrate the study of this trait among the objectives in research aimed at ex- ploiting the productivity of the N'Dama breed. ACKNOWlEDGMENTS The authors wish to thank the director of the International Trypanotolerance Centre for sup- port and facilities. The inputs of M. Alberro and P. Jeannin during the early phase of the Joarnal of Dairy Scicocc Vol. 74, No.5, 1991 1608 AGYEMANG ET AL. project are kindly acknowledged. The useful comments on the manuscript by R. E. McDow- ell, North Carolina State University, L. D. Van Vleck, University of Nebraska, and R. T. Wil- son and D. A. Little, the International Live- stock Centre for Africa are appreciated. The senior author is currently employed by Interna- tional Livestock Centre for Africa This study was supported by funds from the European Development Fund and executed jointly by ILCA and the International Laboratory for Re- search on Animal Diseases. REFERENCES 1 Agyemang, K., R. H. Dwinger, P. Ieanoin, A. S. Grieve, M. L. Bah, and D. A. Little. 1990. Biological and economic impact of trypanosome infections on milk production in N'Dama cattle managed under vil- lage conditions in The Gambia. Anim. Prod. 50:383. 2 Agyemang, K., P. Ieanoin, A. S. Grieve, M. L. Bah, and R. H. Dwinger. 1988. 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