Reproductive problems in indigenous cattle at the Ministry of Agriculture farms in central Ethiopia

Abstract

In the study of the reproductive performance of indigenous cattle in 1988 and 1989, calving intervals were 508.3 ± 5.7 and 623.3 ± 8.7 days at Abernossa and Gobe, Ethiopia, respectively. The respective values for days open were 229.7 ± 8.2 and 363.9 ± 9.9 days. Services per conception were 1.52 ± 0.68 and 2.19 ± 1.05 at Abernossa and Gobe, respectively. Abortions and other reproductive disorders were low at both sites. These results indicate that reproductive performances of the cattle studied were low. Hence, it is suggested that management interventions, particularly nutrition, disease control and destocking, would ameliorate reproductive problems in central Ethiopia.