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The use of indigenous cattle in terminal cross-breeding to improve beef cattle production in Sub-Saharan Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 May 2010

M.M. Scholtz  and
A. Theunissen
M.M. Scholtz*
Affiliation:
ARC-Animal Production Institute, Private Bag X2, Irene 0062, South Africa Department of Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences, UFS, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
A. Theunissen
Affiliation:
Northern Cape Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Private Bag X9, Jan Kempdorp 8550, South Africa
*
Correspondence to: M.M. Scholtz, ARC-Animal Production Institute, Private Bag X2, Irene 0062, South Africa. email: gscholtz@arc.agric.za
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Summary

The role indigenous livestock can play in Africa's Livestock Revolution is not always recognized. In many parts of Africa pure breeding with indigenous breeds is the only viable production strategy because of adverse climatic and nutritional conditions. However, there are scenarios where the higher demands of exotic breeds and their cross-breds can be met. This article discusses the possibility of improving beef production through terminal cross-breeding with two South African cattle breeds, the Nguni and the Afrikaner, with different exotic breeds. Calving difficulties were limited and birth weights were restricted to the mid-parent value or below. Cross-breeding did not have a negative effect on cow performance such as weight change and fertility, but cow productivity increased. In most cases the weaning weight of cross-bred calves was the same or exceeded that of the pure sire breed, and the feed conversion ratio was always better than either of the two parent breeds. This made the feedlot performance of the cross-breds highly desirable. These results indicate that terminal cross-breeding with indigenous African breeds deserves more attention as a means of increasing the output of beef cattle in the subtropics and tropics. An added advantage of any system of terminal cross-breeding utilizing indigenous breeds is that the conservation and utilization of the indigenous breeds of Africa is ensured, because a constant stream of purebred females will be required.

Résumé

Le rôle que les animaux d'élevage indigènes peuvent jouer dans la révolution de l'élevage en Afrique n'est pas toujours reconnu. Dans de nombreuses régions de l'Afrique, l'élevage en race pure avec les races indigènes est la seule stratégie de production viable à cause des conditions climatiques et nutritionnelles défavorables. Cependant, dans certains contextes, on peut trouver des demandes plus élevées pour les races exotiques et leurs croisés. Cet article aborde la possibilité d'améliorer la production de viande de bœuf par le biais de croisements terminaux avec deux races de bovins de l'Afrique du Sud, la race Nguni et la race Afrikaner, dans des croisements avec des races exotiques différentes. Les difficultés de vêlage ont été limitées et les poids à la naissance étaient restreints à la valeur moyenne parentale ou au-dessous de cette valeur. Les croisements n'ont pas eu d'effet négatif sur la performance des vaches comme le changement de poids et la fertilité, tandis que la productivité des vaches a augmenté. Dans la plupart des cas, le poids au sevrage des veaux croisés était le même ou supérieur par rapport au poids des pères de race pure et la capacité d'utilisation du fourrage était toujours meilleure que celle des deux races parentales, ce qui a rendu la performance de l'unité d'embouche des croisés hautement recherchée. Ces résultats indiquent que le croisement terminal avec les races indigènes africaines mérite plus d'attention en tant que moyen pour augmenter le rendement des bovins à viande dans les régions sous-tropicales et tropicales. Un autre avantage de tout système de croisement terminal qui utilise les races indigènes est que la conservation et l'utilisation des races indigènes de l'Afrique sont garanties, puisqu'un flot continu de femelles de race pure sera nécessaire.

Resumen

El papel que el ganado autóctono puede desempeñar en la Revolución Ganadera de África no es siempre reconocido. En muchas partes de África la cría de animales con razas locales es la única estrategia de producción viable, debido a las adversidades climáticas y a las condiciones nutricionales. Sin embargo, hay escenarios en los que existe demanda de razas exóticas y sus cruces. Este artículo trata acerca de la posibilidad de mejorar la producción de carne de ternera por medio de cruces terminales con dos razas bovinas sudafricanas, la Nguni y la Afrikaner, cruzadas con diferentes razas exóticas. Las dificultades durante el parto fueron limitadas y los pesos al nacimiento se limitaron al valor de los medios padres o más bajo. El cruzamiento no tuvo un efecto negativo sobre el rendimiento de las vacas, tal como el cambio de peso y la fertilidad, mientras que la productividad de la vaca aumentó. En la mayor parte de los casos el peso al destete de los terneros cruzados fue el mismo, o superior a aquellos cuyos padres eran de raza pura, y el índice de conversión fue siempre mejor que cualquiera de las dos razas padre. Bajo control de la alimentación el rendimiento altamente deseable. Estos resultados demuestran que cruces terminales con razas locales africanas merecen más atención como medio para incrementar la producción de carne de ternera en el subtrópico y trópico. Una ventaja añadida de cualquier sistema de cruces terminales es la utilización de razas locales, lo que asegura la conservación y la utilización de las razas locales de África, dado que se requerirán constantemente hembras criadas en pureza.

Keywords

Afrikanerimproved beef productionindigenous cattleNguniterminal cross-breedingbovins indigènescroisement terminalNguniAfrikaneramélioration de la production de viande de bœufbovino localcruce terminalNguniAfrikanerproducción de ternera mejorada
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Genetic Resources/Resources génétiques animales/Recursos genéticos animales , Volume 46 , April 2010 , pp. 33 - 39
Copyright
Copyright © Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 2010

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