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Cornell University

Publication Date

Spring 2019

Program Name

Tanzania: Wildlife Conservation and Political Ecology

Abstract

This study was performed to determine if supplementing concentrates and/or minerals significantly affect productive and reproductive efficiency in smallholder dairy cattle in Arusha, Tanzania. The goal was to estimate the necessity and effectiveness of supplementing a forage diet on production and reproduction. Data was collected through interviews of small scale dairy cattle owners in nine regions within and around Arusha. Productive efficiency was measured by milk yield per cow per day. Reproductive efficiency was evaluated by the amount of time to heat resumption after calving and reproductive disease status. This was studied because determining the factors that improve the efficiency of dairy cows and implementing them would expand the dairy sector. This would in turn promote rural development, supplement incomes and significantly contribute to the Tanzanian GDP. The study was very limited, but the results showed that supplementing forage improved productive and reproductive efficiency. Specifically, milk yield was improved by both concentrate and mineral supplementation, time between calving and heat was decreased by feeding mineral supplement, and reproductive disease presence decreased with feeding of concentrates.

Disciplines

African Studies | Agricultural and Resource Economics | Animal Sciences | Dairy Science | Environmental Studies | Food Science

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