Performance and farmers preferred traits of Jersey × local cows in the tropics: the case of Angolelana Tera district, North Shewa zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to assess the productive and reproductive performances, and crossbred Jersey farmers preferences traits in Angolelana Tera district, Amhara region, Ethiopia. A total of 158 smallholders holding Jersey crossbreed recruited from seven Kebeles were interviewed face to face using a semi structured questionnaire. Index for traits preferences and one-way analysis of variance for reproductive and productive performances differences of dairy cattle breeds were employed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 25. Milk yield, growth and traction in Holstein-Friesian crossbred, while milk fat, fertility and growth in Jersey crossbred, and disease’s resistant ability, traction power and adaptation to local climates in indigenous breed were the most valued traits by farmers in the study district. The overall mean of the most reproductive and productive performance parameters of Jersey crossbred namely age at first calving (30.56 months), lactation length (241.32 days), calving interval (441.79 days), number of services per conception (1.55) and longevity (16.53 years) were significantly better than its counterpart Holstein-Friesian crossbreed with the corresponding values of 32.91 months, 227.28 days, 447.59 days, 1.86 and 15.03 years, respectively. However, no significant variations were observed between the two crossbreeds of Holstein-Friesian and Jersey on age at first service and days open in the present study. Generally, indigenous breeds significantly lower productive and reproductive performances than crossbred cattle. In conclusion, although some parameters are antagonistic with the standards recommended for modern dairy farming, Jersey crossbreed performed well in the district. These indicates that the project looks targeted on the right breed in the right place with necessary training approaches on caring of crossbred Jersey breed and milk processing. Therefore, the wide use of Jersey crossbreed must be promoted in the district together with necessary improved management packages.

KEYWORD:

• Jersey

REVIEWING EDITOR:

• Michael Hardman, University of Salford, UK

SUBJECTS:

• Agriculture
• Agriculture and Food
• Animal Ecology
• Animal Physiology
• Reproduction

Introduction

It is home to about 70 million heads of cattle, with the female population accounting for about 56% (CSA, 2021). Ethiopia has the largest cattle inventory among Africa. Livestock contributes to 16.5 and 40% of the national and agricultural Gross Domestic Product, respectively. The population of dairy cows is estimated to be about 7.5 million (CSA, 2021). According to the same source, in 2020/21, the country produced an estimated 4.69 billion liters of milk from cows.

Increasing human population growth coupled with increasing income, changes in nutritional and dietary needs and desires, and increasing urbanization are the most potent drivers of increasing demand for livestock products in Ethiopia, including milk and milk products. The country’s dairy sector is dominated by indigenous cattle breeds (97.4%) such as Boran, Fogera, Arsi and Begait breeds, which is why overall milk production is low. The country produced on average 1.48 liters per day per cow (CSA, 2021), which is more than 10 times below the levels routinely achieved in developed countries. Breed improvement generally serves as an entry point to increase the productivity of cattle populations. Exotic dairy cattle breeds namely Holstein-Friesian and Jersey breeds can perform at much higher levels but often do not express their full genetic potential in African production systems, including Ethiopia, due to shortage of quality feeds, poor breeding and fertility management, high prevalence of pests and diseases, and poor housing conditions (Shiferaw et al., 2003).

Crossbreeding of indigenous cattle breeds with a high productive exotic dairy cattle breeds combined with improved management systems has been the primary intervention to improve milk production and enhance other performance traits of economic importance in Ethiopia. With the support from several international development partners, since the past many decades, the Ethiopian government has been implementing several initiatives intended to improve the productivity of the dairy cattle under on-farm and research conditions. Consequently, promising results on the productive and reproductive performance of crossbred dairy cattle have been recorded under the existing smallholder management conditions, which has also brought about positive outcomes on the livelihoods of poor farmers. Despite the efforts the country is pursuing to boost milk production mainly through crossbreeding of indigenous cattle breeds with Holstein-Friesian, the country still has to work hard to satisfy its demand for milk and milk products with domestic production.

To increase milk production sustainably and effectively respond to the increasing demand for animal source foods in general, and milk and milk products in particular, it is important that crossbreeding programs focus on dairy cattle breeds suitable for specific agroecological zones, culture, and production systems. The Jersey breed, for instance, is more economically efficient due to its higher milk solid content, which generates more return per kg of milk, higher fertility rate, and feed efficiency, which increases income over feed cost (∼30%) compared with Holstein-Friesian (Kasbergen, 2013). The Jersey breed is better adapted to African systems, where low feed availability due to lighter body weight requires less feed to maintain herself and produce more milk, high pest and disease prevalence, heat stress, and suboptimal husbandry practices compared with Holstein-Friesian (Opoola et al., 2022). Despite the comparative advantages of Jersey cattle and certain multiplication and distribution initiatives, mainly those of Areka Research Center in the Wolaita zone and Ada Berga Breeding Center of the Holetta Agricultural Research Center, the breed is not adequately promoted or widely used.

Considering the comparative advantages of the Jersey dairy cattle breed, Project Mercy, a non-profit charity organization based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and operating in several areas in the country, has been crossbreeding three local cattle breeds, namely Borana, Fogera, and Begait, with Jersey at Chacha, Angolelana Tera district of the North Shewa zone. Project Mercy produces F1 local Jersey heifers, breeds them with pure Jersey, and distributes 50% of Jersey cross pregnant heifers to the surrounding resource-poor farmers. Thus far, Project Mercy has distributed over 160 pregnant heifers to the surrounding farmers that are expected to give birth to 75% of Jersey blood crossbred calves. However, data on the on-farm production and reproductive performance of these Jersey crossbred cows under the smallholder farmers’ management system are not available, which is essential for determining the productivity and profitability of their dairy operations. This study was therefore conducted to evaluate the reproductive and productive performance of farmers-owned and managed Jersey crossbred cows along their preferred traits by farmers in comparison with those of indigenous breeds and Holstein-Friesian crossbred dairy cows under smallholder farmers’ management conditions. Such efforts should be encouraged as they provide important information that helps to decide which breed/crossbred cattle can be introduced and scaled for a specific agroecology as well as production system and objective.

Materials and methods

Description of the study area

This study was conducted in Angolelana Tera district of the North Shewa administrative zone of the Amhara region. Chacha is the major town and administrative center of the district, which is located approximately 112 km Northeast of Addis Ababa on the paved highway to Kombolcha, Dessie, and Mekelle. The district comprises 19 rural and two urban Kebeles¹. The district is located between 9°36’40.756" to 9°14’32.4672"N and 39°15’48.7116" to 39°38’15.252"E. The altitude of the district ranges from 1700 to 3245 m, with an annual temperature range of 6.18–19.8°C. The rainfall pattern of the district follows a bimodal annual distribution of a long/main rainy season that extends from early June to mid-September and a short rainy season that occurs between February and April. The corresponding local names of the two cropping seasons affiliated with the long/main and short rainy seasons were Meher and Belg, respectively. Barely and vegetables during Belg, and barley, wheat, and bean during Meher season are the principal crops grown in the district. With mean annual minimum and maximum rainfall of 925 and 1240 mm, respectively, the district has an annual average precipitation of 1078 mm.

The total land size of the district is about 78,248.67 ha with 26,998.4 ha of cultivable land, 8,116 ha of bushland and shrubland and 19,224.5 ha of land allotted for natural pasture (grazing). The average landholding per household ranges from 0.75 to 1.25 ha. Almost all (99%) inhabitants of the district are engaged in agriculture. The district is home to a total of 100,919 (48.8% women and 51.2% men), with most (86.9%) of them dwelling in rural kebeles, while the difference (13.1%) lived in urban kebeles. The district is endowed with 168,313 cattle heads, of which cows and heifers comprise 25%, 194,823 sheep, 17,980 goats, 48,671 equines, 233,120 poultry, and 1,853 bee colonies, respectively.

The study targeted farmers owned on average 1.18, 1.49 and 2.97 indigenous, Holstein-Friesian crossbred and Jersey crossbred cattle per household, respectively. Artificial insemination and natural mating using improved breeds are an alternative breeding method for crossbreed cattle, while local cows are served by indigenous bulls. Crop residues, grazing natural pasture, hay, and treated crop residues are among the most utilized feed resources for dairy animals in the study district. However, supplementation of wheat bran was common for crossbreed milking cows. Farmers vaccinated their animals as recommended by health extension workers, although adequate veterinarians and health facilities were not available nearby to treat the animals. Separate dairy barn and barns appended to the main family house are two types of dairy cattle housing in the district.

Study design and sampling procedure

A cross-sectional design was used to collect the data required to meet the study objectives. A study was purposively designed to select kebeles and farmers who were intervene by jersey breed initiated from Project Mercey. Accordingly, seven Kebeles Project Mercy target kebeles, namely Cheki, Seriti, Chefanen, Golba, Tsegereda, Bura and Chacha of the 21 Kebeles in the district were selected (Figure 1), of which five are rural, while the difference (Cheki and Chacha) is urban Kebeles. A total of 158 households that received Jersey crossbred pregnant (around six months of pregnancy) heifers from Project Mercy were considered in the current study and individually interviewed (Table 1). The list of these farming households was obtained from their respective Kebeles and district offices, which were then triangulated with those obtained from Project Mercy.

Figure 1. Map of the study district showing sampling Kebeles.

Table 1. Sample Kebeles and households involved in the survey study.

No	Kebeles	Number of households
1	Chacha	14
2	Cheki	15
3	Seriti	42
4	Chefanen	30
5	Tsegereda	15
6	Golba	32
7	Bura	10
	Total	158

Data sources and collection

A pretested² semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the required data through household-level face-to-face interviews. The major areas of focus include productive performance: lactation length (LL), daily milk yield (DMY), and reproductive performance: age at first service (AFS), age at first calving (AFC), days open (DO), calving interval (CI), number of services per conception (NSC), and farmers’ preference for performance traits. To ensure accurate and realistic data collection, two of the authors of this article were directly involved in face-to-face individual interviews conducted in all target kebeles. In addition to the relevant data obtained from Project Mercy, supplementary information about Jersey crossbred cow on-farm performance was collected from the North Shewa zone and Angolelana Tera district livestock offices for triangulation.

Statistical analysis

The generated data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was also used to determine any differences in reproductive and productive performances among the different cow breeds considered. The tests were performed at a 95% confidence level (Î ± = 0.05). Duncan’s mean comparison procedure was used to test the mean differences. The rank index was also used to evaluate the overall performance traits of Jersey crossbred cows. A trait preference with the highest rank index value corresponds to the highest priority for the most preferred performance trait of cows by their owners; conversely, the lowest rank index value corresponds to the least preferred trait. The following formula was used to calculate the indices: $$\mathit{\text{Index}}=\frac{\sum \approx \left[\left(r\mathrm{*}\mathit{\text{HHinrankfirst}}\right)+\left(r-1\right)\mathrm{*}\left.\mathit{\text{HHinranksecond}}\right)+\dots +\left.1\mathrm{*}\mathit{\text{HHranklast}}\right)f\mathit{\text{orsin}}\mathrm{g}\mathit{\text{lefactor}}\right]}{\sum =\left[\left(r\mathrm{*}\mathit{\text{HHinrankfirst}}\right)+\left(r-1\right)\left.\mathrm{*}\mathit{\text{HHinranksecond}}\right)+\dots +1\left.\mathrm{*}\mathit{\text{HHranklast}}\right)f\mathit{\text{orallfactors}}\right]}$$ where HH = number of respondent households, r = rank value given for the least important factor, and 1 is given to the most important factor in the enumerated list.

Results

Farmers preferences for different traits of crossbred Jersey

As understood from the outcomes of the survey in the present study, high milk yield, fast growth, higher traction power, and good fertility among Holstein-Friesian crossbred cows, and high milk fat content, good fertility, fast growth, and better adaptability to the local environment among Jersey crossbred cows were the major traits preferred by the majority of the sample respondents (Table 2). On the other hand, disease resistant ability, traction power and adaption to local climates were the traits preferred from indigenous cattle breeds.

Table 2. Traits preferences of farmers for crossbreed animals (rank).

HFCB (N = 156)	Index	Rank	JCB (n = 158)	Index	Rank	IB (n = 158)	Index	Rank
Milk yield	0.12	1	Milk Fat	0.16	1	Disease	0.13	1
Growth	0.11	2	Fertility	0.16	2	Traction	0.12	2
Traction	0.11	3	Growth	0.14	3	Adaptation	0.12	3
Fertility	0.11	4	Adaptation	0.11	4	Longevity	0.11	4
Diseases	0.10	5	Milk yield	0.11	5	Milk Fat	0.10	5
Milk fat	0.10	6	Diseases	0.10	6	Temperament	0.10	6
Adaptation	0.10	7	Traction	0.09	7	Milk yield	0.09	7
Temperament	0.09	8	Temperament	0.06	8	Growth	0.08	8
Longevity	0.08	9	Longevity	0.05	9	Fertility	0.07	9
Color	0.07	10	Color	0.02	10	Color	0.06	10

Note: HFCB: Holstein-Friesian Crossbred, JCB: Jersey Crossbred, and IB: Indigenous breed.

Productive and reproductive performance traits of Jersey crossbred

While there was no significant difference observed between Holstein-Friesian crossbred and Jersey crossbred heifers, indigenous breed heifers served for the first time at a significantly older age (AFS) compared with crossbred heifers. However, a difference in AFC between the two crossbred groups was apparent (Table 3). Significantly shorter average CI reported in Jersey crossbred cows compared with that of Holstein-Friesian crossbred and indigenous breed. As shown in Table 3, the average DO was significantly different between indigenous breed and Jersey crossbred, with no marked difference between Holstein-Friesian crossbred and Jersey crossbred. The average NSC found in Jersey crossbred was significantly lower than that in Holstein-Friesian crossbred and indigenous cows.

Table 3. Productive and reproductive performance of local and crossbreeds’ dairy cattle.

Parameters	Breeds (mean and SE)
	IB	HFCB	JCB	P-value
Age at first service (months)	38.22 (0.43)^a	21.68 (2.15)^b	22.76 (0.26^b	0.000
Age a first calving (months)	48.61 (0.74)^a	32.91 (0.52)^b	30.56 (0.70)^c	0.000
Daily milk yield/cow (liter)	1.74	7.36	5.02	0.000
Early	2.43 (0.04)^a	10.52 (0.32)^c	7.06 (0.15)^b	0.000
Mid	1.72 (0.03)^a	7.13 (0.23)^c	4.97 (0.13)^b	0.000
Late	1.06 (0.02)^a	4.44 (0.21)^c	3.04 (0.12)^b	0.000
Lactation length (days)	177.49 (2.73)^a	227.28 (4.12)^b	241.32 (4.10)^c	0.000
Calving interval (days)	797.44 (11.58)^c	447.59 (8.67)^b	411.79 (5.58)^a	0.000
Days open (days)	221.61 (7.05)^c	144.64 (3.20)^b	141.32 (2.14)^a	0.000
Number of services per conception (no.)	2.34 (0.05)^c	1.86 (0.06)^b	1.55(0.041)^a	0.000
Longevity (years)	16.09 (0.28)^b	15.03 (0.26)^a	16.53 (0.10)^b	0.000

Note: HFCB = Holstein-Friesian Crossbred, JCB = Jersey crossbred, IB = indigenous breed. Different superscripts letters in rows indicates significant differences at P < 0.001.

Although there was no significant variation observed in average longevity between Jersey crossbred and indigenous breed, the longevity of Holstein-Friesian crossbred cows was significantly lower than that of indigenous breed cows. As expected, the mean DMY of indigenous breed cows was markedly lower than that of Jersey crossbred cows of Jersey crossbred cows followed by that of Holstein-Friesian crossbred cows. Jersey crossbred cows were milked for a significantly longer period compared with that of Holstein-Friesian crossbred.

Discussion

Farmers traits preferences of crossbred Jersey

In the current study, milk yield in Holstein-Friesian crossbred and milk fat content in Jersey crossbred were the most valued traits, which was not unexpected because Holstein-Friesian and Jersey breeds are known to have the highest milk yield and milk solid content, respectively. Similarly, disease resistant capacity, adaptation to local climates traction power also anticipated traits indigenous cattle breeds tropical climates including Ethiopia. Consistent with the current findings of Holstein-Friesian crossbred, previous studies in Ethiopia have indicated milk yield to be the primary production trait in the selection of breeding female cattle (Belay & Zeleke, 2021; Haile & Tesfahun, 2022; Mulugeta, 2015). The current findings are also aligned with those of (Kidane et al., 2019), who reported that the preferred traits of pure Holstein-Friesian and its crosses are milk yield, growth rate, and reproductive performance. Besides, in Ethiopia where fluid milk markets are accessible farmers prefer Holstein-Friesian and related crosses over Jersey and related crosses (Haile & Tesfahun, 2022; Kidane et al., 2019). Farmers perceive that Holstein-Friesian produces the highest volume of milk, thereby helping to achieve the primary objectives of dairy farming and, thereby, income. In addition, milk yield could have an impact on mothering ability traits. (Misganaw, 2017) reported that calves consuming more milk had reduced pre- and post-weaning mortalities. Farms in the current study target districts are distant from the main road networks and milk market, and as a result, they prefer to keep Jersey breeds, which give high milk solid contents to diversify milk into different milk products that are better shelf-stable compared with the raw material milk and fetch better prices. The current study showed that longevity, temperament, and color were among the less preferred traits of cattle by farmers unrelated to breed type; similar reports were also observed by Kidane et al. (2019). Farmers have chosen one or more preference traits that determine the cost of production and the revenue from product sales related to a genetic alteration in the target trait; thus, indigenous farmers’ knowledge and breeding objectives are important for designing breeding programs (Elias et al., 2018). This could be because farmers make conscious decisions to select genetically improved cattle breeds for the next generation based on their performance traits in relation to the parent generation (Feyisa, 2017).

Productive and reproductive performance traits of Jersey crossbred cows

Age at first service (AFS) and AFC are traits of economic importance that determine lifetime productivity (Fricke, 2004). The mean AFS for crossbred cows reported in Ethiopia ranged from 26.8 to 36.8 months (Gebeyehu et al., 2005; Getahun et al., 2019; Shiferaw et al., 2003), and (Duguma, 2021), which are higher than the current results. The present values are consistent with the findings of Paul et al. (2013) and Belay and Chakravarty (2014) who reported 21.6 months and 24.38 months for Jersey crossbred, respectively. However, the results observed in Jersey crossbred are shorter compared with 31.3 and 33.3 months of AFS reported for Jersey crossbred, respectively by Dinka (2013). As observed in the current study, crossbred heifers reached AFS earlier than their indigenous counterparts did. The faster growth rate of crossbred heifers, coupled with their requirement for good management conditions, could also have contributed to their early sexual maturity (Duguma, 2021). Mukasa-Mugerwa (1989) noted that the delay in attaining puberty represents a serious economic loss due to an unproductive period of several months for the cow. Alemayehu and Moges (2014) reported that with good nutrition, heifers would exhibit fast growth and attain higher live weight at relatively younger ages. The environment, management, type of breeds involved in crossing, and level of gene inheritance effects are the major causes of the variation in AFS (Getahun et al., 2019). The overall means AFC obtained in the present study 30.6 months for Jersey crossbred and 32.9 months for Holstein-Friesian crossbred are shorter compared with that (40.6 months) reported by Shiferaw et al. (2003) and 44.4 months reported by Duguma (2021) for Holstein–Friesian crossbred in Ethiopia. Prolonged AFC (36–47.5 months) was also recorded for Holstein–Friesian crossbred in Botswana and Ghana (Guinguina & Ayizanga, 2020; Hagan et al., 2022; Madibela & Mahabile, 2015; Obese et al., 2013). The mean AFC observed in the current study is consistent with the 33 months reported for Holstein–Friesian crossbred (Lemma & Kebede, 2011), 32 months reported for Jersey crossbred (Belay & Chakravarty, 2014) in Ethiopia, and 29.9 and 31 months reported for purebred Jersey cattle breeds in Ethiopia and Kenya, respectively (Demisse et al., 2015; Njubi et al., 1992). In contrast, (Nandolo, 2015) reported a longer AFC (35.5 months) for purebred Jersey in Malawi. The overall mean AFC of approximately 31 months recorded for Jersey crossbred cattle in the current study (Table 3) can be considered good performance under resource-poor smallholder farmers’ management conditions. However, as revealed by Hare et al. (2006), purebred Jersey cattle reared in temperate regions reportedly received their first calves at the age of 24 months. Heifers calving for the first time at a younger age produce more milk during their lifetime than those with older AFC (Muller & Botha, 2000). The differences in age at first calving reported in previous studies may be attributed to variations in breeding and fertility management, feeding management, season, and breed type.

A significantly shorter average CI was observed in the Jersey crossbred (411.79 days) than in the Holstein-Friesian crossbred (445.59 days) and indigenous breed (797.44 days). Although significant, the difference in CI between the two crossbred cow groups was shorter than that between the indigenous cows. This might be attributed to breed differences, in addition to preferential management attention, mainly feeding, watering, housing, and health care given to crossbreed cows. For profitable dairying, the recommended ideal CI is 12–13 months, which is closer to that (about 13.5 months) recorded in the current finding for crossbred Jersey cows (Table 3). The mean CI of about 14.7 months observed in the current study for Holstein-Friesian crossbred cows was shorter than that of the 21 months (636 days) reported in the Jimma zone, Ethiopia (Duguma et al., 2012). Mekelle et al. (2015), however, reported a value (401.5 d) comparable to that of the present study. The average CI observed in this study was also comparable to that (411.3 days) reported by Munim et al. (2006) for Jersey crossbred, 408.47, and reported in Ethiopia (Chenyambuga & Mseleko, 2009), 412 days in Tanzania (Belay & Chakravarty, 2014), and 417 days (Hagan et al., 2022) in Ghana. The CI values observed in the current study were lower than the 497 days overall mean CI reported for purebred Jersey cattle reared at the Ada Berga Jersey cattle breeding center managed by the Holetta Agricultural Research Center of the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), Ethiopia (Demisse et al., 2015). This difference could be associated with the farmers’ management levels, limiting the ability of purebred Jersey to express full genetic performance. Therefore, determining appropriate crossbreeding levels for smallholders, depending on the conditions of the farmers, is crucial.

Cows in extended periods of non-productivity have increased costs associated with feed and no income owing to the absence of saleable milk. The lengthy calving interval also reduces the total number of calves in the herd, which consequently reduces the chances of producing adequate replacement stock (Demisse et al., 2015). However, CI has low heritability and can be improved through nutrition and early breeding (Duguma, 2021).

DO was significantly different between indigenous breed and Jersey crossbred, but no significant variation was observed between Holstein-Friesian crossbred and Jersey crossbred. The results of the present study are inconsistent with the findings of (Rokonuzzaman et al., 2009), who reported 86.48 days in Bangladesh. Unlike in Duguma (2021), a significant difference in the NSC between crossbreds and indigenous breed was observed. The mean NSC of crossbred cows estimated in the current study was lower than that reported in previous studies in the range of 2–2.3 (Duguma, 2021; Lemma & Kebede, 2011; Mureda & Zeleke, 2007). The overall mean reported NSC in this study for Jersey crossbred and Holstein-Friesian crossbred was less than that reported for purebred Jersey (2.02) and Holstein-Friesian (2.01) breeds in the central highlands of Ethiopia (Demisse et al., 2015). The average NSC value for Jersey crossbred reported in the current study was similar to 1.39 that 1.58 of Jersey crossbred and Holstein-Friesian crossbred in Ethiopia (Belay & Chakravarty, 2014; Demeke et al., 2004). The lower NSC in Jersey crossbred, noted as another reproductive trait, could be associated with better adaptation of the breed than Holstein–Friesian crossbred in the study district. According to Mukasa-Mugerwa (1989), a mean NSC greater than 2.0 is regarded as poor. The variation in NSC reported in previous studies might be associated with heat detection, semen quality and handling, feed, lactation length, milk yield, parity, and reproductive problems (Shiferaw et al., 2003; Tesfay et al., 2012).

Longevity implies to the period from birth to culling of the cow from the herd. The economic output of dairy cattle depends on their trouble-free lifetime performance, rather than single lactation performance. Improvement in the longevity of cows can lead to higher lifetime milk production (Ambhore et al., 2017) and help reduce the cost of replacement (Mirhabibi et al., 2018), which tends to improve the economic output of dairy farming. In this regard, Jersey crossbred performed well as an indigenous breed but with better productivity. The overall average of longevity in the present study is much better than the reports of Demisse et al. (2015), Effa (2013), and Tefera et al. (2022) who found 11 years for Jersey crossbred and Holstein-Friesian, 7.9 years for Holstein-Friesian, 7.3 years for purebred Jersey and 9.03 years for Holstein-Friesian crossbred in Ethiopia, respectively. In addition, the current mean value observed in indigenous breed was also higher than the overall mean range from 11 to 13 years, which was reported for Ethiopian indigenous cows’ productive and reproductive lifetimes (Belay, 2016; Mukasa-Mugerwa, 1989). The results of longevity among different cattle breeds could be varied due to farm management practices such as animal health, feeding and housing (Gebeyehu et al., 2005).

One of the ultimate goals of crossbreeding programs is to increase milk production per animal, which maximizes the profitability of dairy farming. A significantly lower mean DMY was found in indigenous breed (1.74 liters), followed by Jersey crossbred (5.02 liters) and Holstein-Friesian crossbred (7.36 liters). However, the overall average LL was significantly longer in Jersey crossbred (241.32 days) than in Holstein-Friesian crossbred (227.28 days). The maximum average values of milk production during each lactation period, namely early (10.52 liters), mid (7.13 liters), and late (4.44 liters), were observed in HOLSTEIN–FRIESIAN CROSSBRED. Regardless of breed, milk production decreased with increasing lactation stages. The average DMY obtained in Holstein-Friesian crossbred (6 liters) in the Jimma zone (Duguma et al., 2012) was lower than 7.36 liters for Holstein-Friesian crossbred but higher than Jersey crossbred (5.02 liters) in the present study. The average DMY in the current study was similar to 5.21 liters reported for Jersey crossbred in Ethiopia (Gebreyohannes et al., 2014). Rokonuzzaman et al. (2009) reported that the average DMY of Holstein-Friesian crossbred was 8.36 liters, and the milk production was found to be higher than the current finding. The low DMY of crossbred cows reported in the present study could be due to poor feeding regimes, particularly inadequate energy, protein, and mineral supplements, disease prevalence, shortage of water, and poor overall management practices that prevent crossbred cows from realizing their real potential. Therefore, to improve milk production, it is necessary to improve the feeding and management conditions.

The acceptable and ideal lactation length recommended for modern dairy farms is 305 days, which is an important production trait that determines total milk yield (Msangi et al., 2005). However, it is often difficult to meet such standard LL values for smallholder dairy cows, as reflected in the results of the present study. The average estimated LL (241.32 days) found in Jersey crossbred in the current study was shorter than the mean LL range of 318.42–336 days for purebred Jersey cattle in Ethiopia (Demisse et al., 2015; Lemma et al., 2015). A lower overall average LL of Holstein-Friesian crossbred cows (206.1 days) was reported in different towns of Ethiopia (Duguma et al., 2012; Kumar et al., 2014), but the current results of Jersey crossbred coincide with those of Duguma (2021) who reported 243 d of LL for Holstein-Friesian crossbred. The lactation period found in the current study of Holstein-Friesian crossbred is less than the findings of Rokonuzzaman et al. (2009), who reported that the average lactation period of Holstein-Friesian crossbred was 262 days in Bangladesh. This difference could be associated with genetic makeup, production systems, and herd management with respect to feed, disease, and other environmental differences.

Conclusions

The productive and reproductive performance of Jersey crossbreeds is promising under the existing conditions of smallholder dairy farmers compared with Holstein-Friesian crossbreeds. This may be associated with the better fertility, growth, and adaptive potential of the Jersey breed. The preferences of farmers for different traits correlate with the generation of revenue; therefore, due emphasis should be placed on parameters such as milk solid content, fertility, growth, and adaptive traits. In this regard, the Jesey breed is more appropriate in rural areas, where the milk market is constrained to produce more milk solid content crucial for butter and cheese making. These implies that the Project Mercey initiation on dairy farming supported by Jersey breeds, followed by all the necessary packages, including training, is an important strategy for sustainable smallholders’ livelihood improvements in the district.

Authors’ contributions

Beshah Agune designed the study, collected data, and drafted the proposal and manuscript. Dr. Abebe Bereda and Dr. Zelalem Yilma supervised the design of the study, data analysis, and interpretation, and corrected and revised the proposal and manuscript. All the authors have read and approved the manuscript.

Availability of data and materials

The raw data used for analyses and included in the current study are available from the corresponding authors.

Disclosure statement

The authors’ declares that they have no financial or personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence (bias) his work.

Additional information

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge Land O’Lakes Venture 37 for releasing research grants to the last author, and smallholder farmers who provided valuable information irrespective of their precious time.

Notes on contributors

Abebe Bereda

Abebe Bereda holds a PhD in Dairy Sciences from Haramaya University and earned his MSc and BSc degrees from Hawassa and Jimma University, respectively. With over 16 years of experience in teaching, research, and advising MSc students. Abebe has authored more than ten manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. He has also participated in over 10 national and international training programs.

Notes

1 It refers to the smallest classification of administrative unit in Ethiopia.

2 Before commencement of actual face to face interviews, the questionnaire was tested with five farmers and made adjustment on the questionnaire for ease of administration.