Physical characteristics, productive and reproductive performances of comparatively high yielding Deshi Cattle of West Bengal, India

摘要

Thepresentstudyconsistedofthedataoftotal186dairycattlecollectedduringthemonthsofearlyMarchtolateJune2003fromthreedifferentagro-climaticzonesofWestBengalfromwherereportsabouttheexistenceofcomparativelyhighproductivenon-descript(Deshi)cattlehavebeenreceived.Coatcoloursofthecattlehavebeenfoundnamelyblack,brown,greyandwhite.Almostalltheanimalswerefoundtohavingblackmuzzle,blackeyelid,blacktograyishhoofandblack,browntowhitecolourtail.Theanimalshavemediumandsmallsizehump,dewlapandnavalflapwithdociletomoderatebasictemperament.Theaveragechestgirth,bodylengthandheightatwitheroftheanimalsstudiedinaround51,66and43inchesrespectivelywithoutanysignificantvariation.Reproductiveperformanceoftheanimalsstudiedwasmeasuredasaverageageatfirstoestrousandwas988days,averageageatfirstservice1027days,averageageatfirstcalvingwas1365daysandaveragecalvingintervalwas453dayswithoutsignificantvariationamongdifferentagroclimaticzones.Theanimalsinthestudyhadanaveragedailymilkyieldandpeakmilkyieldintherangeof3.59kgand4.44kgrespectivelywithanaverageoflactationlengthfrom238daysandrecordsfromthedifferentzonesweresimilar.Thepresentstudyrevealedthatthevariationinbodyconformation,coatcolourandotherphysicalcharacteristicsinthreeagroclimaticzoneswerealmostnonsignificantwhichseemstoindicategeneticrelation.