Assessment of Breeding Performance and Practices in Dairy Cattle in Anseba Zone Eritrea

Abstract

Livestock husbandry, particularly dairy farming, plays a significant role in the livelihoods of the Eritrean population. However, the dairy sector in Eritrea faces challenges such as low productivity due to poor husbandry practices, animal diseases, lack of capital, shortage of feed, and poor breeding practices. Breeding practices, such as artificial insemination, plays an important role in enhancing the genetic potential of dairy cattle. This study aims at assessing the breeding performance and practices in dairy cattle in the Anseba zone of Eritrea. This region has a large potential for smallholder dairy farming. Data for this study was collected through a survey conducted in five representative subzones of the Anseba zone. A structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data from ninety-five households selected randomly using a stratified random sampling technique. The ninety-five households selected at random had experience with different dairy management practices. The collected qualitative data included information on management practices, reproductive practices, and artificial insemination service efficiency and its constraints. The qualitative data collected was analysed using SPSS software version 26, and descriptive statistics such as means and percentages were used to summarize the results. The results obtained from this study area indicate that the majority of the respondents were male which accounted for about 95.8%, with an average age of 57 years. The study revealed that the average land holding/ household was 0.47 hectares. The results of this study area showed that dairy cattle were kept mainly to generate income which accounted for about 40.2% and for milk consumption (26.3%). The major feed resources in this study area were crop residue (mainly sorghum and millet stalk, maize cane), concentrate, improved forage, cut grass and browse (such as Rhodes grass and Buffle grass), and grazing lands. The cut and carry which accounted for about 83.5% was the most effective feeding method practiced by the respondents. The average

milk production per cow/day in this study area was 11.55 liters. Natural mating (56.8%) was the dominant breeding practice followed by AI (18.9%) and mixed natural mating and AI (24.2%). The average age at first service, age at first calving, calving interval, and lactation length in months were reported to be 19.81, 28, 12.96, and 7.62 respectively. The selection criteria for selecting dairy cows in this study area were mainly based on milk yield which accounted for about 43.5%, age at first maturity (service) (15.5%), and udder size (11.0%). The main reasons for the presence of less satisfaction with the AI service mentioned by the respondents were the heat detection problem which accounted for 41.0% followed by the absence of AI technicians (24.7%), distance from the AI Centre (8.3%) and the efficiency of the AI technicians (7.6%). This study provided valuable insights into the breeding practices and artificial insemination service efficiency in the Anseba zone of Eritrea. The findings will contribute to the development of effective genetic improvement programs and the promotion of sustainable dairy farming practices in this region