~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Second FAO Electronic Conference on Tropical Feeds
Livestock Feed Resources within Integrated Farming Systems
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Abstract of twentieth paper, from E. Zerbini and B. Shapiro.

Questions that might stimulate discussion on this topic
include:

1. Is multipurpose use of cattle common in your country?

2. What are the implications on feeding systems?

3. Do you think it is a valuable recommendation to use milking
cows for draught power?

4. What are the constraints preventing the utilization of cows
for draught power?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FEEDING DRAUGHT MILKING COWS IN INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEMS IN
THE TROPICS - ETHIOPIAN HIGHLANDS CASE STUDY

E. Zerbini(1) and B. Shapiro(2)

1. International Livestock Research Institute, ICRISAT Asia
Center, Patancheru 502 324, Andra Pradesh, India
E-mail: E.zerbini@cgnet.com

2. International Livestock Research Institute, PO Box 5689,
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
E-mail: B.SHAPIRO@cgnet.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ABSTRACT

The evaluation of multipurpose cattle (milk, meat and work) is
of importance in many tropical regions because of its direct
and indirect effects on livestock and crop production. 

The costs and utilisation of dietary nutrients are major
determinants in the evaluation of the biological efficiency of
multipurpose cows. Work can lead to a competition for energy
precursors which may affect milk production and reproductive
efficiency. 

This paper deals with studies on work output, feed utilisation
and lactation of crossbred (F1 Friesian and Simmental x Boran)
dairy cows used for draught in the Ethiopian Highlands. Over a
period of three years, work output of dairy cows averaged more
than 200 MJ per cow per year of net energy which was greater
than that required by farmers for land cultivation. The diet
fed to cows contained 18 g/kg of N, 613 g/kg NDF (composed of
75% natural pasture hay and 25% concentrate). Work increased
dry matter intake of roughage and in vivo dry matter
digestibility by 10.7 and 6%, respectively. Digestion kinetics
could explain only partially the possible mechanisms
responsible for greater roughage intake and digestibility in
working cows. How work could affect either rumen fermentation
processes or digestion in the lower digestive tract, as well
as other processes involved in intake regulation of roughage
diets, is uncertain. 

Milk yield of two consecutive lactations was not significantly
different for non-working and working cows. On-farm milk
production of cows over a period of two years was similar for
working and non-working cows (2,620 v. 2,980 kg,
respectively). 

Supplementation of working cows reduced liveweight loss by 73%
and doubled the number of conceptions and parturitions
compared to non-supplemented cows. Working cows that lost more
than 15% of calving weight conceived when they had recovered
55% of their weight and 106% of their body condition loss,
respectively. Even after extended periods of underfeeding,
acyclic and anoestrous cows resumed ovarian cyclic activity in
an average of 46 days and conceived in 75 days when fed about
twice their maintenance energy requirements. 

The economic analysis indicated that the value of work more
than compensated for the small reduction in milk production
and longer calving interval found in working cows when
supplementation took place to ensure adequate nutrition. 

In conjunction with the technical factors, systematic
consideration needs to be given to the effects at the
micro-level of socio-economic factors, including institutional
and structural factors. The successful introduction of
crossbred cows for milk and traction not only requires new
feed production, feeding and management systems on-farm, but
also would induce substantial changes in present mixed farming
system practices. Therefore, there is a need to identify those
technical and socio-economic factors which might affect such
changes and hinder or promote these technologies.

KEY WORDS: Draught animal power, multipurpose, cow, milk,
feed, Ethiopia

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FAO ELECTRONIC CONFERENCE:
LIVESTOCK FEED RESOURCES WITHIN INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEMS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DISCLAIMER: Neither the conference organizers nor FAO accept
any legal responsibility for either the contents of this
message or any copyright laws that the person sending this
electronic message may have violated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TO COMMENT: Unless you want to reply only to the person
sending this information, please send your comments to the
address: TFCONF2-L@MAILSERV.FAO.ORG
or TFCONF2-ABS-L@MAILSERV.FAO.ORG
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~