Abstract:
The aim of the study was to assess productive and reproductive performance of indigenous
and their crossbred of different exotic blood level of dairy cows and factors affecting their
performance in Rural, peri-urban and urban, farming system of West Shoa Zone, Oromia
State, Ethiopia. A total of 180 small-scale dairy cows owners were purposively selected and
interviewed with pre-tested structured questionnaire to obtain information. For Monitoring
study from 180 farmers 40 Dairy farmers who have lactating cow by identifying exotic blood
level of each crossbred animal (0%, <50%, 50-75% and >75% were purposively selected.
Monitoring study was also conducted to obtain milk production based on, lactation stages
production system and exotic blood level and parity of cows. The results of the study showed
that from the follow-up study, the average daily milk yield for local, <50%, 50-75% and >
75% caws was 2.31L, 7.51L, 15.74L and 18.57L respectively. Daily milk yield of the cows
found in monitoring study was support milk yield found in survey study. From the survey
results, the overall average lactation length for indigenes and their crossbred of < 50%, 50-
75% and > 75% was 8.23, 8.76, 10 and10.3 month respectively and average mean for
crossbred was 9.69 months. The mean age at first service (Months) for local and their
crossbred of < 50%, 50-75% and >75% was 43.44, 37.98, 21.88, 20.64 respectively and
average for crossbred was 26.83, age at first calving (Months), for local and their crossbred
of < 50%, 50-75% and > 75% was 52.35, 46.79, 31.27 and 29.56 respectively and the
average for all crossbred was 35.87, Days open till conception (Days) for local and their
crossbred of < 50%, 50-75% and > 75% was 216.9, 187.2, 90.82, 89.3 respectively and
average for all crossbred was 122.4, Calving interval (Days) for local and their crossbred of
<50%, 50-75% and >75% was 738.8, 466.8, 429.23 and 417.07 respectively and average
for all crossbred was 417.8, and number of services per conception for local and their
crossbred of < 50%, 50-75% and > 75% was 3.3, 3.13,1.8 and1.5 respectively and average
for all crossbred was 2.14 , Longevity/replacement (year) for local and their crossbred of <
50%, 50-75% and >75% was 13.33, 11.96, 10.43 and 9.17 respectively and average for all
crossbred was 10.52. There was observed that all exotic blood level of crossbredand
indigenous animals are good performed under urban than peri-urban and rural setting. The
present study showed that even if productive and reproductive performance of crossbred cows
owned by rural, peri-urban and urban dairy producers in study area was comparatively good,
it need to advance breeding strategy to assign right exotic blood level at right production
system and also supply of improved genotypes and dairy inputs like (feed, health care and
artificial insemination), proper breeding management in the study area suggested.
