Growth and Reproductive Performance of Worm Cattle in the Forest Zone of Ghana

Abstract

Records on the growth and reproductive performance of a herd of N’dama cattle kept at an institutional farm were analyzed; the records covered the years 1981 to 1989 inclusive. The farm is located on latitude 06°43 'N and longitude 01°36'W The area has a bimodal rainfall pattern (March - July; September – October). The mean daily temperature for the year is 26°C (range: 18 - 35°C) while the mean annual rainfall is 1300mm. Bull calves were similar in weight to their heifer counterparts at birth (18 kg versus 17 kg respectively). N'dama heifers calved for the first time at an average age and weight of 1071 days and 206 kg respectively while the calving interval for all females averaged 500 days. Approximately 57%ofcalvings occurred in the dry season (November to February) while 43% occurred in the rainy season stretching from March to October. Total herd mortality averaged 24% with 93% of all mortalities being recorded for calves less than 6 months old Undernutrition and enteritis were the major causes of mortality. There were no significant seasonal effects (P > 0.05) on birth weight, age at first calving, calving interval and mortality. Dam parity also had no significant effect on calving intervals. The primary findings in this study were the late ages at puberty and first calving, low birth weights, low dam weight at first calving and high mortalities, especially in calves.