Performance of Crossbred Sahiwal Cattle at the Pabna Milkshed Area in Bangladesh

The present study analysed the various productive and reproductive characteristics of 1/2 Pabna Milking Cows (PMC)-1/2 Sahiwal (S) and 1/4 PMC-3/4 S collected from the Pabna milkshed area at Baghabarighat, Sirajgonj, Bangladesh. The studied traits were birth weight (BWT), age at puberty (AP), number of services per conception (NSC), post partum heat period (PPHP), gestation period (GP), daily milk yield (DMY), lactational production (LP), lactation length (LL), fat percentage and solids-not-fat percentage (SNFP). Five individual Sahiwal sires were used for the upgrading of Pabna Milking Cows. The used data covered from 1987 to 1994. Least-squares analysis of variance showed that genetic group had a significant effect on BWT (P < 0.05), AP (p < 0.01), DMY (p < 0.01), LP (p < 0.001), LL (p < 0.05), FP (p < 0.05) and SNFP (p < 0.01). Genetic group had non-significant effect on NSC, GP and PPHP. The effect of sire was significant on BWT (p < 0.01), NSC (p < 0.01), LP (p < 0.05) and LL (p < 0.05). The AP, NSC, DMY, LP, LL and SNFP were higher in 1/2 PMC-1/2S cows; BWT and PPHP were higher in 1/4 PMC-3/4S but GP and FP were almost same in both genetic groups. From this study it may be concluded that production and use of 1/2 PMC-1/2S would seem more profitable for commercial milk production in the Bangladesh Milk Producers' Cooperative Union Limited (BMPCUL) area and at the same time emphasis should be given on rigorous sire selection.