| 1. |
- Maximillian, Manzi, et al.
(författare)
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Growth traits of crossbreds of Ankole with Brown Swiss, Holstein Friesian, Jersey, and Sahiwal cattle in Rwanda
- 2018
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Ingår i: Tropical Animal Health and Production. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0049-4747 .- 1573-7438. ; 50, s. 825-830
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The objective of the study was to compare body weights and growth from birth to 18 months of age of various groups of crossbred cattle born from 1999 to 2007, being crossbreds of Ankole (A) with Brown Swiss (B), Holstein Friesian (F), Jersey (J), and Sahiwal (S). Average weights were 26.5 kg at birth, 161 kg at weaning, and 226 kg at 18 months. Both season and sex significantly affected birth weight (BW), weight at 8 and 18 months (W8 and W18), and average daily gain from weaning to 18 months (ADG18) and, unlike season, sex significantly affected average daily gain to 8 months and weaning age. The general trend was that average daily gain attained a maximum before weaning and thereafter decreased until 18 months. Least square means for AB and AF calves were comparable and significantly differed only for W18 and ADG18. AJ had the lowest BW but was comparable with AS, AJxS, and ASxJ for W8, age-adjusted weaning weight, and W18. Generally, AF was heavier than other breed groups, but the difference was smaller than expected probably because environmental conditions did not allow full expression of genetic potential for growth.
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| 2. |
- Maximillian, Manzi, et al.
(författare)
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Milk production and lactation length in Ankole cattle and Ankole crossbreds in Rwanda
- 2020
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Ingår i: Tropical Animal Health and Production. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0049-4747 .- 1573-7438. ; 52, s. 2937-2943
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study assessed daily milk yield (DMY), 100-day (MY100), and 305-day (MY305) milk yield, and lactation length (LL) in purebred Ankole cattle and Ankole crossbreds, and the influence of environmental factors on these traits. Milk yield data were obtained for 865 cows and 1234 lactations and analyzed using a mixed linear model. The overall least squares mean of DMY, MY100, and MY305 across breed groups was 2.7 L (N = 1234, SD = 1.7), 262 L (N = 959, SD = 176), and 759 L (N = 448, SD = 439), respectively, while the average lactation length was 256 days (N = 960, SD = 122). All factors included (breed group, season and year of calving, and parity) were significant for yield traits, except season of calving for MY305. First-parity cows had the lowest milk production, and fourth-parity cows the highest. For all traits, pure Ankole cows had the lowest milk yield. Among the crossbreds, there was no significant difference between Ankole x Friesian, Ankole-Jersey mother x Sahiwal sire, and Ankole-Sahiwal mother x Jersey sire, or between Ankole x Sahiwal and Ankole-Sahiwal mother x Sahiwal sire. It was concluded that Ankole crosses with Friesian or Jersey can be beneficial, even under a management system of limited nutrition as in Rwanda.
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| 3. |
- Maximillian, Manzi, et al.
(författare)
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Milk production performance of Ankole crossbreds and Holstein Friesian cattle in different production environments of Rwanda
- 2022
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Ingår i: Tropical Animal Health and Production. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0049-4747 .- 1573-7438. ; 54
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of the study was to assess the productive performance of dairy cattle in three different agro-ecological zones of Rwanda: Congo-Nile/Western (WAZ), Central plateau/Central (CAZ), and Eastern plateau/East Agro-ecological Zones (EAZ). A single-visit multi-subject survey was conducted to obtain information on the dairy cattle performance from 51 farms. The breed groups were classified as Ankole x Holstein Friesian (AF), other Ankole crossbreds (AX), and pure Holstein Friesian (F). The F had higher (p < 0.001) milk yield than AF in all zones except EAZ and AF had higher (p < 0.0001) milk yield than AX in all zones. Across all zones, F produced 9 L more than AX and 6 L more than AF per day. Cows from EAZ had the highest average milk yield; however, it was not significantly different from CAZ. The difference that was observed between AF in EAZ and AF in the other two zones indicates that agro-ecological zones should not only be the target in livestock development activities rather additional factors such as feed availability at farm level, social economic, and market infrastructure should be considered in Rwanda.
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| 4. |
- Maximillian, Manzi
(författare)
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Performance of Ankole and crossbred cattle in Rwanda
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The general aim of this thesis was to evaluate how effective crossbreeding could be for increasing productivity in meat and milk production in Rwanda. This was done by assessing performance of Ankole (A) and its crossbreds with exotic breeds: Brown Swiss (B), Holstein Friesian (F), Jersey (J) and Sahiwal (S). Paper I-III were generated from records collected on growth, reproduction and milk yield of cattle genotypes from research stations and paper IV was based on survey data from farms in three agroecological zones. Birth weight for Ankole-Jersey calves were significantly lower (25.8 kg) than for the other crossbreds, which did not differ from each other (27.5-28.4 kg). Ankole-Friesian calves (AF) were heavier than all other crossbreds at weaning (182 kg vs 152-168 kg) (Paper I). In Paper II, the breed group had a significant effect on intervals from calving to first or last inseminations (CFI, CLI), calving interval (CI), and conception rate (CR). The cross AF had higher CR than the purebred Ankole and AS (78% vs 71% and 67%), and AS had lower CR than AJxS and AJ (67% vs 75% and 73%). Pure-bred Ankole (AA) had longer CFI and CLI than all crossbreds except AF and hade 54 days longer CI than all crossbreds (498 vs 445 days). In the study on milk yield (Papers III-IV), AA had the lowest average daily milk yield (2.0 L); AA also tended to have longer lactation length. Among the crossbreds, there was no significant difference in milk yield between AF, AJxS, and ASxJ (4.4-4.7 L), nor between AS and ASxS (3.3 L). Paper IV revealed significant breed effects on the average milk yield, with AF producing less milk per day (8.6 L) compared with purebred Holstein Friesian (14 L). Among zones, Eastern agroeco-logical zone recorded the highest daily milk yield, which was estimated at 14.9 L compared to 9.4, 9.2, and 8.5 L in Birunga, Central and Western agroecological zones, respectively. Generally, a crossbred of Ankole and Holstein Friesian (AF) had good growth, good conception rate, and high production, but still as long calv-ing to first insemination and calving to last insemination intervals as Ankole.
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| 5. |
- Maximillian, Manzi, et al.
(författare)
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Reproductive performance of Ankole cattle and its crossbreds in Rwanda
- 2019
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Ingår i: Tropical Animal Health and Production. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0049-4747 .- 1573-7438. ; 51, s. 49-54
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to assess the reproductive performance of Ankole cattle and its crossbreds with Friesian (F), Jersey (J), and Sahiwal (S). The traits (number of records) studied were calving to first insemination, CFI (797); calving to last insemination, CLI (797); conception rate, CR (4354); number of inseminations, NINS (936); and calving interval, CI (259). The overall means of intervals CFI, CLI and CI, CR, and NINS were 192, 198 and 480days, 67%, and 1.23 respectively. Breed group was significant (P<0.05) for all traits except NINS, while season of calving was significant for CFI, CLI, and CI, and season of insemination was significant for CR. The breed group AF had better CR than the purebred Ankole and AS, and AS had lower CR than AJxS and AJ. On the other hand, Ankole (and to some extent AF) had longer CFI and CLI than AJ, AS, and FF. Ankole had 54days longer CI than all crossbreds taken together. The prolonged intervals CFI, CLI, and CI observed in this study call for proper postpartum anestrus management both in terms of nutrition and calf suckling management.
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