Performance and heterosis from crossing local cattle in the Sudan.
Local Sudanese breeds were crossbred at Ghazala Gawazat Research Station in western Sudan to utilise the advantage of heterosis. The breeds involved were Kenana (KK), Butana (BB), and Western (WW). Lactation milk yields were 277.7 and 252 kg/210 days from two teats for BB and WW respectively. Offspring from BB and KK sires bred to WW dams had 8.5% and 25% higher lactation milk yield respectively, than straightbred WW cows. The percentage heterosis for total milk yield was 3.3. The reproductive effectiveness of all breed types was below 100%; indicating that most cows did not calve at regular intervals of 365 days. The local crosses (Butana x Western [BW]) had an earlier age at first calving and shorter calving interval, by 46 and 17% respectively below their respective straightbreds. Weaning weights (205-day) were 66.4, 58.5, 69.5 and 64.8 kg for BB, WW, BW and KW, respectively. The estimated heterosis for weaning weight was 10.1 per cent.
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Western Sudan Agricultural Research Project (WSARP), Khartoum North.
D000818:Animals; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000235:genetics; D001947:Breeding; D002417:Cattle / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D005260:Female; D006823:Hybrid Vigor; D007774:Lactation / Q000235:genetics*; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008297:Male; D012098:Reproduction / Q000235:genetics*; D012621:Seasons; D013397:Sudan; D014886:Weaning; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000235:genetics