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Postpartum
interval of Darfurian cows: Influences of breed, BCS, parity
and season
Mohamed Yousif Abdalla and Adil Salim
Elsheikh
Department of Reproduction and Obstetrics Faculty of
Veterinary Medicine University of Khartoum, Shambat P. O.
Box 32.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
adilelgarrai@yahoo.com
Accepted 3 July, 2008 |
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The present study was designed to determine the length of
postpartum interval (PPI) of some local Sudanese cows in
South Darfur State namely Fellata, Kenana and cross bred
cows (Kenana × Friesian). Furthermore the influence of body
condition score (BCS) and parity on PPI was also
investigated. In experiment 1 a total of 59 dairy cows that
gave birth were employed to determine the length of PPI. The
parity range of these cows was 1 to 5. Their BCS range was
2.5 to 4.The cows were grouped according to their breed into
three groups. Group I was Kenana (n = 21), group II was
Fellata (n = 17) and group III was cross-bred (n = 21).The
PPI was recorded as the time elapse from parturition to the
appearance of the first oestrous postpartum. The pure local
cows of Fellata and Kenana had a significantly (p<0.001)
longer PPI compared to cross-bred cows. The mean length of
PPI of Kenana, Fellata and cross-bred cows were 286.9 ±
35.3, 246.3 ± 26.6 and 122.0 ±14.9 days respectively. No
difference (p>0.05) in the PPI were found between Kenana and
Fellata cows. Slight negative relation (R = 0.2) between BCS
and the PPI was observed and parity did not influence PPI (R
= 0.005), Experiment II was designed to study the influences
of season on the PPI of the above mentioned cows. The PPI
was compared among three groups of cows that gave birth in
three different seasons. Group I was 18 cows that gave birth
in summer (Kenana = 7, Fellata = 4 and cross-bred =7). Group
II was 19 cows that gave birth in autumn (Kenana = 9,
Fellata = 6 and cross-bred = 4) and group III was 31 cows
gave birth in winter (Kenana = 13, Fellata = 11 and
cross-bred = 7). The BCS and parity of these cows were
similar to those of the above experiments. The results of
this experiment showed that PPI of cross-bred cows was
significantly ((p<0.001) shorter in summer. No difference
(p>0.05) in the PPI of cross-bred cows that gave birth in
autumn and winter was found. Neither the PPI of Kenana nor
that of Fellata cows were influenced by the season
(P>0.05). It is concluded that the Kenana and Fellata cows
have a similarly long PPI that would not be influenced by
season whereas the cross-bred cows have a short PPI which is
influenced by summer only. Additionally BCS has slight
influence on the PPI while parity has no effect on it.
Keywords:
Cow, postpartum, breed, BCS, parity, season.
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