Study on Some Factors Leading To Culling Cows In Three Sudanese Dairy Farms

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to investigate the main reasons leading to culling of dairy cows in the three dairy farms (kenana, judiciary and dairy land farms). The data on (416) culled dairy cows for the period (1989-2006) in two farm except dairy land in the period from the (1989-2003).was the second. The result indicated that causes of culling included low fertility , low production , acute mastitis , cystic ovaries , old age and decline production and feet and leg problem. The study revealed that the main causes of culling were problems related to productive, reproductive and mastitis. The contribution of these factors on culling rates were 35.1%, 45%, 10% respectively. While the death contributed only 3.8% in the cows culled. The study also investigated some productive and reproductive traits of the culled cow's. The results portrayed highly significant difference between the farms on age at first calving, lactation length, calving interval number of lactation and productive life at (p< 0.01). The individual causes of culling possessed different magnitude in the three studied herds.