ISRAEL JOURNAL OF
VETERINARY MEDICINE
VOLUME 54 (2), 1999
OBSERVATION ON THE AGE AT FIRST CALVING IN THE
SAVANNAH BREEDS OF CATTLE IN NORTHERN NIGERIA
A. K. Sackey, B. D. Sanni, S. U, Abdullahi and T.S. Fadason
Department of Surgery and Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
Summary
A total of 35 herds of cattle from 2 institutional farms, and 6 privately-owned farms
which were semi-intensively managed, and 17 nomadic Fulani herds were studied
between January 1984 and December 1993 to evaluate the age of first calving (AFC)
in the three major indigenous breeds of the Savannah zone of Northern Nigeria: the
white-Fulani (Bunaji), Sokoto-Gudali (Bokoloji) and red Fulani (Rahaji). The AFC of
heifers at first calving ranged from 30 to 42 months (mean, 37 ± 0.57 months) with no
breed differences. The AFC of heifers from semi-intensively managed herds
(institutional and privately-owned farms) was 30 to 40 months (mean, 36 ± 1.05
months) and that from nomadic herds was 33 to 42 months (mean, 37 ± 1.31 months).
The much lower AFC range observed in this study compared to the higher values (33
- 60 months) reported by previous investigators is due to the increased awareness of
livestock owners for the need to improve feed supplemention for livestock in
particular during the dry season. The nomadic herdsmen ensure a ready supply of
cereal bran, cotton seed (meal or cake) crop residues such as groundnut and bean
hulls, corn stalks in addition to salt (mineral) licks during the harsh dry season.
Institutional and private herds are provided with legumes and grass silages and hay in
addition to cereal bran, cotton seed meal and salt licks during the dry season.
Nomadic herdowners now realise the importance of supplementary feeding and
maintenance of good herd health in the prevention of malnutrition and diseases. This
results in a consistent improvement in growth and productivity as evidenced by the
lower AFC values observed in this study.
Introduction
Temperate breeds of heifers are said to produce their first offspring much earlier than those of
tropical breeds. Roberts (1986) reported an average AFC of 30 months in the Bos taurus
temperature breeds. In comparison, several workers have reported a variable range of AFC for the
tropical zebu breeds of heifers, ranging from 30 to 96 months (Table 1). It is believed that the
most important factors influencing early AFC are genetic make-up, good year-round nutrition
coupled with good veterinary care. All these factors also favour temperate breeds of heifers. Most
of the available information on AFC in the indigenous breeds of cattle in Nigeria was obtained
from herds raised semi-intensively on both research stations and farm ranches. There has been
tremendous improvement in the management of the cattle industry in Nigeria with respect to
provision of adequate and balanced feeds as well as good health care services to the livestock,
provided especially by nomadic cattle owners.
This study undertaken to evaluate the present status of AFC in both semi-intensive and nomadic managed local breeds of cattle, namely the white Fulani (Bunaji), the red Fulani (Rahaji) and the
Sokoto - Gudali (Bokoloji) in the northern Nigeria which is grazed by about 90% of the Nigerian
cattle population.
Table 1: Summary of previously observed age at first calving (AFC) in some tropical breeds of
cattle.
Breed AFC (months)
Location
system
Management Source
Bunaji 48Northern
Semi-intensive Croix (1944)
Nigeria government ranches
Bokoloji ““““
Rahaji ““““
Banaji 42 to 60 “
“
Fricke (1964)
Bunaji 33 to 47 “
Government breeding
Wheat and Broadhurst (1968),
and improved farms
Wheat (1972)
Bokoloji 33 to 47 “
“
Wheat and Broadhurst (1972)
Rahaji 33 to 47 “
“
“
Zebu
60
“
Nomadic
Zemjanis (1984
government ranches
Zebu
40
“
“
“
Bunaji 45 to55 Southern Nigeria “Akpokodje and
Bolarinwa (1974)
Ngauda 42East Africa
Semi-intensive ranches
Mahadevan (1965)
Boran 43“““
Jiddu 47
“
“
“
Zebu
42 to 54 Botswana
“
Reed et al (1974)
Zebu
30 to 96 Sudan “
Osman (1972)
Materials and Methods
The study was carried out on institutional, private-owned and nomadic herds to
which regular visits were made to provide veterinary herd health, between
January 1984 and December 1993. The breeds of cattle included the white Fulani
(Bunaji), Sokoto-Gudali (Bokoloji) and red Fulani (Rahaji).
Heifers were observed from birth to their first calf, other heifers which were not
observed from birth were based on information from herdsmen or farm records or
by dentition using teeth eruption of the permanent incisor teeth. Animals were
identified by ear tags in institutional and private herds, while in the nomadic
herds the owners identified their animals with individual marking.
The feeding regimen in the institutional and private farms consisted of grazing on
sown pastures made up of grasses and legumes as well as on outlying grazing
lands during the rainy seasons (June to October), and on silage or hay in addition
to crop residues from ground nuts and beans, corn stubs, cotton seed meal or
cake, cereal bran, brewers mash and mineral and vitamin licks during the dry
season (November to May). Nomadic herds subsisted on grazing lands around
them during the rainy season and then migrated to areas with green pastures
especially near streams, dams and fadamas, counpled with cotton-seed meals,
cereal bran, crop residues especially from groundnut and beans and mineral or
vitamin licks during the dry season. The nomadic herds in this study were visited
regularly for evaluation and provision of health care during the dry season
migration.
All herds had routine herd health services, such as vaccination against the
endemic deseases - rinderpest, blackquarter, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia
(CBPP), and were routinely dewormed and treated against ectoparasites.
The mating procedure in all the evaluated herds was by natural breeding. Most of
the heifers returning to heat after the 6th consecutive breeding were examined
and those which did not respond were culled and sold to meat-processing plants.
The study included 25 herds made up of two institutional, 6 private and 17
nomadic herds.
Statistical analysis of the variable data were by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)
using Duncan’s multiple range. Test for variables means of the various AFC from
the different breeds and herd management systems were compared and those with
probabilities of 0.05 or less were regarded as significantly different.
Results
A total of 160 heifers consisting of 120 from nomadic herds, 25 from private
herds and 15 from institutional herds were observed. One hundred heifers (60
from nomadic herds, 17 from institutional herds and 23 from private herds) were
observed from birth, while the remaining 60 heifers were observed from two
months to one year of age. Eighty (50%) heifers were Bunaji, 30 (18.7%) were
Bokoloji, 20 (12.5%) were Rahaji, 20 (12.5%) were crosses between Bunaji and
Bokoloji and 10 (6.3%) were crosses between Bunaji and Rahaji.
The age at first calving in the nomadic herds was found to be 33 to 42 months
(mean 37 ± 1.31 months) and 30 to 40 months (mean of 36 ± 1.05 months) in the
institutional and private-owned herds respectively. There were no significant
breed differences (P>0.05) in either the nomadic or the semi-intensively managed
institutional and private-owned herds with regard to age at first calving nor
between the various management systems and AFC.
Discussion
The study revealed an early age at first calving in the indigenous breeds of cattle
in the Northern part of Nigeria in contrast to the later age reported by others. The
age of first calving of 30-40 months, observed in semi-intensively arenaged
herds, was much lower than 33 - 47 months reported by Wheat and Broadhurst
(1968), and Wheat (1972), and 45 months for government herds observed by
Knudsen and Sohael (1970).
The age at first calving for nomadic herds which ranged from 33 to 42 months in
this study is in marked contrast with those of earlier investigators. Croix (1944)
reported an age of 4 years (48 months) while Fricke (1964) reported 42-60
months for Bunaji heifers and Akpokoje and Bolarinwa (1974) reported 46-55
months.
The earlier age at first calving observed in this study could be due to improved
husbandry practices operated by the owners. There has been a considerable
reduction in the dry season long trekking, much of which is now within the
Northern Savanna area instead of the previous long trips to the southern forest
area. Animals are provided with feed supplements and proper veterinary care and
as such, some of the factors inhibiting proper growth and early attainment of
maturity in the animals like malnutrition and diseases are being gradually
overcome. Another finding in this study is that the nomadic herds on average
appeared better than the institution and private herds due to the greater concern
the nomads have for proper feeding of their animals. While visiting the nomadic
herd camps during the dry season we observed bags of supplementary feeds like
cereal bran, cotton seed (meal or cake), dry groundnut hulm and leaves and salt
lick.
Conclusion
It can therefore be summarized from the results of this study that the indigenous
breeds of cattle in northern Nigeria have the same potential for early calving as
their temperate counterparts, if they are property taken care of with regard to
disease control and good feeding during the long lean dry season. This will
definitely have a great impact on production of milk and meat which may meet
the F.A.O.’s animal protein consumption of 250 grams per head per day for
humans.
References
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