Effect of liveweight and body condition on work output from draft oxen.
A trial was carried out to assess the effect of liveweight and body condition on working capacity of zebu oxen. Over a working period of 9 days, animals which started work with a mean liveweight of 360 kg and body condition score of M+ produced the highest daily work output (3.43 MJ). At an initial liveweight of 360 kg, body condition had relatively little effect on work output, and animals of condition score M- produced a daily work output of 3.19 MJ. In contrast, at a mean liveweight of 310 kg at the start of work, mean daily work output of animals of condition score M+ was significantly lower than that of animals in poorer condition (M-), at 0.81 compared with 2.50 MJ work output per day. It was concluded that body weight as indicated by body size is probably a more useful indicator of likely capacity for work than body condition under the short-season working conditions typical for oxen in the semi-arid zone of central Mali.
Bartholomew
P W
PW
International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA), Bamako, Mali.
Khibe
T
T
Little
D A
DA
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002417:Cattle / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D005082:Physical Exertion; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology