Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-nmvwc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-20T17:50:10.518Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Productivity of Africander, Tswana, Tuli and crossbred beef cattle in Botswana

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

J. C. M. Trail ,
N. G. Buck ,
D. Light ,
T. W. Rennie ,
A. Rutherford ,
M. Miller ,
D. Pratchett  and
B. S. Capper
J. C. M. Trail
Affiliation:
Animal Production Research Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
N. G. Buck
Affiliation:
Animal Production Research Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
D. Light
Affiliation:
Animal Production Research Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
T. W. Rennie
Affiliation:
Animal Production Research Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
A. Rutherford
Affiliation:
Animal Production Research Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
M. Miller
Affiliation:
Animal Production Research Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
D. Pratchett
Affiliation:
Animal Production Research Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
B. S. Capper
Affiliation:
Animal Production Research Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
Get access

Summary

The three indigenous beef cattle breeds in Botswana, the Tswana, Africander and Tuli, were evaluated for reproductive performance, viability and growth. Over 3 yr the calving percentages of 1389 Africander cows, 305 Tswanas and 357 Tulis were 64·5, 70·6 and 85 respectively. These differences were significant (P<0·05). Mortality of the Africander calves was higher to 2 yr of age, being 11% compared with 7-5% for Tswana calves and 7·4% for Tulis. The 18 mo weight of 219 Tuli cattle was 284 kg, and of 454 Tswanas 279 kg, both superior to the 270 kg for the 786 Africanders. Productivity estimates combining these three traits demonstrate the value of the Tuli breed for Botswana conditions.

Comparisons of the crossbreds produced by the use of Simmental, Brahman, Bonsmara and Tuli sires on Tswana cows showed an advantage in growth to 18 mo through crossbreeding. The 18 mo weights of Simmental and Brahman crosses at 324 and 304 kg respectively were significantly different, and superior to the weight of pure Tswana at 279 kg. Bonsmara and Tuli crosses at 294 and 290 kg also showed a significant increase over the pure Tswana. The use of the Simmental is now recommended for better management conditions, with Brahman crossbreeding on a wider scale.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 24 , Issue 1 , February 1977 , pp. 57 - 62
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1977

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Anon. 1967. The improvement of the Manguni breed of cattle. Rhodesia agric. J. 64: 3.Google Scholar
Bonsma, J. C. and Skinner, J. D. 1969. Factors influencing birth date, birth weight and preweaning growth rate of Afrikaner, Bonsmara and Hereford cattle in the subtropics. Proc. S. Afr. Soc. Anim. Prod. 8: 161–163.Google Scholar
Borstlap, C. W. R. Z. 1964. A comparative study of the growth potential, slaughter weight, carcass measurements and economic value of 10 breeds of cattle at the Omatjenne Experimental Station. Dept. Agric. S. W. Africa. (Mimeograph).Google Scholar
Borstlap, C. W. R. Z. 1969. A comparative study of growth potentiality, slaughter weight, carcass measurements and economic value of 10 breeds of cattle on Omatjenne Experimental Farm. Proc. 2nd Wld Conf. Anim. Prod., College Park, Md, 1968, pp. 303–304.Google Scholar
Goodwin, C. P. D. 1962. The Tuli cattle breed of Southern Rhodesia. Tuli Cattle Society. (Mimeograph).Google Scholar
Harvey, W. R. 1960. Least squares analysis of data with unequal subclass numbers. United States Department of Agriculture, ARS-20-8 (Mimeograph).Google Scholar
McNamara, L. M., Light, D., Rennie, T. W. and Trail, J. C. M. 1974. A computerised system for the rapid handling, analysis and use of beef cattle performance records. Animal Production Research Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana.Google Scholar
Maule, J. P. 1973. The role of the indigenous breeds for beef production in southern Africa. S. Afr. J. Anim. Sci. 3: 111–130.Google Scholar
Rennie, T. W., Light, D., Rutherford, A., Miller, M., Fisher, I. L., Pratchett, D., Capper, B. S., Buck, N. G. and Trail, J. C. M. 1976. Beef cattle productivity under traditional and improved management in Botswana. Trop. Anim. Hlth Prod. In press.Google Scholar
Vorster, T. H. 1964. Factors influencing the growth, production and reproduction of different breeds of beef cattle under range conditions in Southern Rhodesia. S. Rhod. agric. Res. Bull, No. 1.Google Scholar
Walker, C. A. 1964. The growth and development of the beef qualities of Angoni cattle (East African zebu). J. agric. Sci., Camb. 63: 135–172.CrossRefGoogle Scholar