Some factors affecting the reproductive performance of White Fulani (Bunaji) cattle

An analysis of reproductive data on White Fulani (Bunaji) Zebu cattl of Northern Nigeria was carried out. The season and year of birth had no effect on age at first calving (P>0.1). The mean age at first calving was 40.4± 0.7 months. The distribution of heifers, classified according to age at first calving, appeared to be normal. Subsequent calving intervals for heifers that had their first calf in the dry and wet seasons were 458 and 540 days, respectively. The difference was highly significant (

The economic implication of foetal wastage in cattle, sheep and goat in Makurdi abattoirs, Benue State, Nigeria

No AbstractKeywords: cattle, economic implication, foetal wastage, goat, shee

Effect of protein intake on the onset of puberty in Bunaji and Friesian x Bunaji crossbred bulls in Nigeria

The effect of two levels of protein intake on age, body weight, chest girth, withers height and condition score at puberty in Bunaji and Bunaji x Friesian bulls were examined. Scrotal circumference, volume and motility of semen from the bulls were also evaluated to determine onset of puberty in Bunaji and the crossbreds

The effect of some environmental and disease factors on testicular and epididymal functions of zebu bulls and their friesian crosses. The influence of season on ejaculate characteristic on A.I. bulls

The study was conducted to determine the influence of season on ejaculate characteristics and semen quality of artificial insemination bulls at NAPRI i.e bulls made up of charolis, Bunaji, Sokoto Gudali, Friesian and FRx Bunaji bulls, over a 2 year period. Semen was collected twice weekly and evaluated for volume, colour, PH concentration, motility, presence or absence of foreign materials, live-dead counts and sperm abnormalities. While there were no significant seasonal differences in percentage sperm motility (P>0.05), semen volume, sperm concentrations, morphological sperm defects and sperm live-dead counts were significantly influenced by season (

Fertility in Zebu cattle (Bos indicus) after prostaglandin administration and artificial insemination

A total of 137 cycling Zebu cows, each receiving a single dose of prostaglandin PGF 2a were used in an oestrus synchronization programme on three different farms. Of the cows on the three farms, 60.6 and 90.5 percent showed over oestrus and luteolysis, respectively. Pregnancy rate to fixed time inseminations following single injection of PGF 2a was 61.4 percent for farm 1, significantly higher than the values of 45.7 and 46.9 percent for farms 2 and 3, respectively. The pregnancy rates to second service of rebred cows were 53.3, 50.0 and 50.0 percent for the three farms, respectively, with no significant differences between each. Fertility classification of the cows based on progesterone (P4) concentration showed that 6.6 percent of cows on the three farms were incorrectly diagnosed as having corpora lutea; 2.9 percent of them had incomplete luteolysis and 5.1 percent may have lost their embryos between days 21 and 45 post-insemination. The pregnancy rate was 10 percent higher in the rainy season than in the dry season. Cows with body condition scores of 3 and 4 had a higher overall pregnancy rates than those with a body condition score of 2. The findings of this study further confirm the luteolytic efficacy of prostaglandin in inducing oestrus in Zebu cattle and indicate that the nutritional status of the cows must be satisfactory before embarking on oestrus synchronization programmes

Optimal utilization of fodder banks for the reproductive efficiency of Bunaji cattle: Effect of dry season forage legume supplementation on weight and reproductive performance

This study arose from the need to develop strategies that optimize the use of available feed resources from natural range fallow and crop residues in combination with the fodder bank innovation. The paper discusses the interactive effects of feeding both forage legume and urea molasses supplements. Since rumen flora can use non protein nitrogen (NPN) to satisfy its nitrogen (N) requirement. It was hypothesized that feeding urea molasses would raise the efficiency of utilization of natural pasture and would have a positive interactive effect with forage legume supplementation. Five treatment groups were therefore formed so that animals were either solely grazed on natural range or 2) supplemented by having access to conserved natural pasture, or 3) molasses urea blocks or 4) leguminous fodder banks and molasses urea blocks or 5) leguminous fodder banks