Comparison of dairy performance of f1 (Borana x Holstein-Friesian) crossbred heifers under on-farm and on-station management

Abstract

This study was conducted to compare the dairy performance of F1 (Borana x Holstein-Friesian) crossbred heifers reared at Holetta Agricultural Research Centre (HARC) with their contemporaries distributed to smallholders (SH) in Walmara district. The experimental animals were born during 2010 to 2013 at HARC and distributed within the same time frame. Fifty two SH (42 male and 10 female) purposively identified were involved in the on-farm study. The overall least squares mean of age at first calving (AFC) was 37.7 months while that of on-farm and on-station were 42.09 ± 1.04 and 33.55 ± 1.01 months, respectively. The AFC of crossbred heifers reared on-farm was delayed by 9 months compared to the on-station result (p<0.001). The overall daily milk yield (DMY) was 9.5, 7 and 4.5 kg at early, mid and late lactations, respectively. The average on-farm daily milk yield was 9.67 ± 0.18, 7.3 ± 0.16, and 5.49 ± 0.17 kg while that of the on-station result was 9.30 ± 0.17, 6.7± 0.15 and 4.13 ± 0.16 kg respectively, during early, mid and late lactations. The milk yield of crossbred heifers did not show significant difference between on-farm and on-station during the early stage of lactation (p = 0.1446). However, there was about 8.2% to 23.5% higher milk yield (p<0.001) under on-farm condition from mid to late lactation, which may be attributed to better management by farmers in order to maximize their benefit from milk. The initial body condition score (BC) of heifers was 3.29 which was closer to the on station value (3.49). Loss of BC after calving (2.82±0.09) is a reflection of level of management. This study showed that first calving of crossbred heifers was more delayed under the management of SH compared to those managed on-station. This results in longer periods to bring the heifers into production (calf, milk) at smallholder’s level of management. Hence, it can be inferred that sending young crossbred heifers to SHs at earlier ages (< 18 months) as technology transfer scheme is less desirable.