The impact of climate change during the seasons on the reproductive efficiency of local cows

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effect of climate changes during the seasons on the reproductive efficiency of local cattle during the period from 1992 to 1996. This study relied on the records of 502 animals. They were randomly selected from the records of the previous cattle and poultry breeding system in order to know the effect of each of the following factors: date of birth and the seasons of the year in which the insemination and birth processes took place on some traits related to the reproductive efficiency of local cattle such as age of the animal at the first insemination, age of the animal at the first birth, and the length of the pregnancy period.

Data for the studied traits were collected and appropriate statistical analysis was carried out. Breeding records were analyzed using Duncan test. The results obtained to determine the effect of season of birth and season of insemination on age at insemination, age at birth, and length of conception were highly significant at significance level (p≤ 0.001).

While the results for period of birth had no significant effect on gestation length, they were highly significant at the significance level (p≤ 0.001). They also had significant effects on age at insemination and age at birth.

Similarly, the results for period of insemination and birth had no significant effect on gestation length at the significance level (p≤ 0.001).

From the results obtained we note that improving management methods, providing good nutrition,  a suitable environment, and selecting genetically good parents can lead to raising the level of reproductive performance of local livestock. It was observed that animals born during the first years of the study were more reproductively efficient than animals born in recent years which their  reproductive efficiency has deteriorated due to the deterioration of animal welfare methods, collapsing of the poultry and cattle breeding system in recent years