Performance of artificial insemination in smallholder dairies of Nharira-Lancashire in Zimbabwe

摘要

ThestudywasconductedduringtheperiodFebruarytoAugust2002toassesstheefficacyofartificialinseminationby"traineefarmers"fromNharira(communalfarmingarea)andLancashire(smallscalecommercialfarmingarea)inZimbabwe.Priortotheinceptionofthestudy,twofarmerswereselectedfortraininginAIafterwhich,theyembarkedontheartificialinseminationofatotalof754cows/heifersinNharira-LancashireusingFriesiansemen(0.5mlstraws).Duringthestudy,thefollowingdatawerecollected/recorded:conception(determinedthroughrectalpalpation30to60daysfollowinginsemination),inseminatoridentity,cowidentity,monthofinsemination,farmingarea,cattlebreed,parityandbodyconditionscore.Mean(#177;SE)numberofinseminations/cowforsuccessfulconceptionwas1.74#177;0.43forNhariraand1.65#177;0.43forLancashire.Thetotalnumberofcattlecoveredwas238inNhariraand441inLancashire.Theproportionofcowsthatsuccessfullyconceiveddidnotdiffer(P0.05)betweenthetwofarmingsystems(57vs.60%,forNhariraandLancashire,respectively).However,overallconceptionvariedwithparityandbreedofcattle(P0.05),withindigenouscattle(Sangacows)recordinglowerconceptionthanthecrossbredandexoticcattle.Therewasatendencyofenhancedconceptionwithanincreaseinbodycondition,althoughtheeffectwasnotsignificant(P0/05).Itisinferredthatthetwotraineefarmerssuccessfullyinseminated59%ofthecows/heifersandtheresultmightbeconsideredasuccess.Theresultsprovideevidencethatoverallconceptionrateandthenumberofinseminationsforsuccessfulconceptionweresignificantlydifferent(P0.05)amongbreedswithindigenousbreedsrecordinglowerconceptioncomparedtoexoticsandcrossbredcows.