Characterization of Kenana cattle at Um Banein, Sudan

Table of Contents

A.M. Saeed¹ P.N. Ward¹, D. Light², J.W. Durkin² and R.T. Wilson²

¹ Um Banein Livestock Research Station, Animal Production Research Administration, P.O. Box 74, Singa, Sudan

² International Livestock Centre for Africa, P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

ILCA Research Report No. 16

International Livestock Centre for Africa

May 1987

ILCA PUBLICATIONS

The International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA) is an autonomous, non-profit making research and information centre with a mandate to improve livestock production throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The activities and publications of the centre are financed by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). The CGIAR members which have funded ILCA to date are the International Development Research Centre, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank, and the governments of Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, Finland, France, Iran, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

Responsibility for ILCA publications rests solely with the centre and with such other parties as may be cited as joint authors. Until 1982, the centre's two main series of scientific publications were Systems Studies and Monographs. These two series have now been superceded by the present series of Research Reports.

Correct citation: Saeed A M, Ward P N, Light D, Durkin J W and Wilson R T. 1987. Characterisation of Kenana cattle at Um Banein, Sudan. ILCA Research Report No. 16. ILCA, Addis Ababa.

ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

This electronic document has been scanned using optical character recognition (OCR) software and careful manual recorrection. Even if the quality of digitalisation is high, the FAO declines all responsibility for any discrepancies that may exist between the present document and its original printed version.

Table of Contents

Abstract

Résume

Acknowledgments

1. Introduction

2. Materials and methods

Um Banein livestock research station
Climate

Rainfall
Temperature
Humidity

Soils and vegetation
Kenana cattle
The station herd
Data collection and initial preparation
Data analysis

3. Herd management

General organisation
Nutrition and feeding
Milking regime
Calf management
Breeding
Disease control
General management

4. Reproductive performance

Introduction
Seasonality
Age at first calving
Calving interval
Length of reproductive life
Number of services per conception
Gestation length

5. Weight and growth

Introduction
Birth weight
Weights from birth to weaning

Calf weaning weights
Calf body weights from birth to 180 days
Calf growth rate from birth to 180 days
Phenotypic correlations at different ages for body weight and growth rate

Breeding cow weights

6. Milk production

Introduction
Production traits

7. Mortality and offtake

Introduction
General pattern and reasons for exits
Mortality

Age-specific mortality
Causes of death

Culling
Discussion

8. Conclusions and recommendations

Introduction
Future management of the station

Herd size and structure
Culling policy
Calf rearing
Heifer rearing to first calving
Dairy cow management

Research

Two-month weaning
Post-weaning growth (weaning to 1 year)
Heifer rearing
Genetic potential of the kenana
Supplementary feeding
Reproduction

References and bibliography

Appendix A - Earlier experimental work on growth and weight

Effects of dietary protein levels on early growth of calves

Materials and methods
Results
Discussion and conclusions

Improving growth of pre-pubertal heifers

Trials at Um Banein
Trials at Khartoum university

Growth from weaning to maturity

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research